Director, Special Programs
Santa Monica College
Salary: $150,211.00 - $174,133.00 Annually
Job Type: Academic Administrator
Job Number: 00336
Location: 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405, CA
Closing: 10/5/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Job Duties
COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND DIVERSITYWith the goal of
ensuring the equal educational opportunity of all students, Santa
Monica College embraces diversity among students, faculty, staff,
and the communities we serve as an integral part of our history, a
recognition of the complexity of our present state, and a call to
action for a better future. Embracing diversity means that we must
intentionally practice equity and respect toward one another, and
understand that discrimination and prejudices create and sustain
privileges for some while creating and sustaining barriers for
others. In order to embrace diversity, we also acknowledge that
institutional discrimination and implicit bias exist, and that our
goal is to eradicate those vestiges from our system. Our commitment
to diversity requires that we strive to eliminate those barriers to
equity, and that we act deliberately to create a safe and positive
environment where individual and group differences are valued and
leveraged for our growth and understanding as an educational
community. To advance the goals of diversity, equity, inclusion,
and social justice for the success of students and employees, we
must honor that each individual is unique and that our individual
differences contribute to the ability of the college to prepare
students on their educational journeys. This requires that we
develop and implement policies and procedures, encourage individual
and systemic change, continually reflect on our efforts, and hold
ourselves accountable for the results of our efforts in
accomplishing our goals. We are invested as a community in
cultivating and maintaining a climate where equity and mutual
respect are both intrinsic and explicit by valuing individuals and
groups from all backgrounds, demographics, and experiences.
Individual and group differences can include, but are not limited
to the following dimensions: race, ethnicity, national origin or
ancestry, citizenship, immigration status, sex, gender, sexual
orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition,
genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner
status, age, religion, creed, military or veteran status,
socioeconomic status, and any other basis protected by federal,
state or local law or ordinance or regulation. We acknowledge that
the concept of inclusion and diversity is ever-evolving, thus we
create space to allow our understanding to grow through the
periodic review of this statement. In service of these goals, Santa
Monica College is committed to fostering an employment environment
that offers equal employment opportunity for all and an educational
environment that ensures the equal educational opportunity of all
students.
Position Profile:
Under the general direction of the Dean of Student Success and
Counseling, the Director of Special Programs serves as the primary
administrator responsible for the leadership, direction, and
oversight of the following student support programs:
- Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOP&S)
- Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE)
- California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids
(CalWORKs)
- Pico Partnership- City Grant
- Dream Program (Supporting AB540 and Undocumented students)
- Rising Program (supporting previously incarcerated and
system-impacted students)
The Director will guide policy development and implementation in
compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, while
ensuring a high level of support for underrepresented and at-risk
student populations.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
General:
- Monitor student progress and implement appropriate
interventions to support academic success.
- Hire, train, and supervise faculty, classified staff, and
student workers.
- Develop and manage program budgets; assess staffing needs and
allocate resources accordingly.
- Oversee scheduling to ensure adequate coverage across all
academic sessions (fall, spring, winter intersession, and
summer).
- Ensure compliance with enrollment and service requirements
mandated by state, county, and federal agencies.
- Develop and maintain documentation systems for student
eligibility, participation, and continued service access.
- Oversee data entry and Vision Aligned Report activities for
each of the areas;
- Communicate program needs and updates to the broader college
community.
- Stay informed about trends in EOPS/CARE, Dream, Rising, and
CalWORKs programs to maintain professional expertise.
- Collaborate with community agencies to support educational
success for disadvantaged populations.
- Participate in meetings and events relevant to assigned
programs.
- Foster positive communication and collaboration with students,
faculty, staff, and the public.
- Address and resolve conflicts involving students, faculty,
staff, or administrators.
- Conduct program audits and oversee regular program evaluations
and reviews.
- Attend local, county, and statewide trainings and
meetings.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Program-Specific Responsibilities
EOP&S/CARE:
- Oversee all services provided to EOP&S- and CARE-eligible
students.
- Develop, manage, and monitor program budgets.
- Prepare required reports and ensure compliance with federal and
state mandates.
- Collaborate with compliance staff and support academic, career,
and vocational counseling for program participants.
CalWORKs:
- Lead and manage all aspects of the CalWORKs Program.
- Coordinate activities and services with internal and external
stakeholders.
- Supervise CalWORKs counseling and support staff.
- Oversee budget preparation and community representation.
- Submit required local and state reports.
- Attend related professional development activities and
trainings.
Pico Partnership (City Grant):
- Oversee all services provided to Pico Partnership-eligible
students.
- Work with the Project Manager to coordinate program services
and activities
- Prepare required reports and ensure compliance with local
mandates.
Dream Program (AB540 & Undocumented
Students):
- Coordinate services and resources for undocumented
students.
- Manage and report on related grant activities and funding.
- Work with fiscal and Foundation offices to maintain program
budgets.
- Partner with the Student Equity Center to provide Undocu-Ally
trainings and college-wide development initiatives.
Rising Program (Previously Incarcerated/System-Impacted
Students):
- Manage services, programming, and support for Rising Program
participants.
- Administer grant implementation and reporting
requirements.
- Maintain program budget oversight in coordination with fiscal
and Foundation offices.
- Collaborate with the EPI Center to offer staff/faculty training
and development.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Strong administrative leadership skills and familiarity with
community college environments.
- In-depth knowledge of California State regulations related to
EOP&S, CARE, CalWORKs, Dream, and Rising programs.
- Deep understanding of issues affecting at-risk students and
student success strategies.
- Effective interpersonal and communication skills across diverse
populations and stakeholders.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master's degree from an accredited college or university.
- One year of formal training, internship or leadership
experience reasonably related to the administrative
assignment.
- Must have sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse
socio-economic, academic, cultural, disability, gender identity,
sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college
students, including those with physical and/or learning
disabilities as these factors relate to differences in learning
styles.
Preferred Qualifications
- Three (3) years of directly related administrative
experience.
Additional Information
Academic Administrator Application
Requirements
A standard application consists of the following:
- Online District Application
- Cover Letter
- Resume
- Transcript
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU ARE SELECTED FOR A FINAL INTERVIEW YOU MAY BE
REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THREE (3) LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION TO BE
REVIEWED AS A PART OF THE FINAL PROCESS.
Diversity Statement
Recent experience working with African American, Latinx, Native
American, and other racially minoritized students in the classroom;
and a willingness to use culturally responsive instructional
practices.
Demonstrated sensitivity to issues of diversity, and ability to
motivate and teach community college students of diverse ethnic and
racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, genders, cultures, and
learning styles, as well as students with disabilities or varied
levels of academic preparation.
Please review our Diversity Report:
Faculty/Staff Diversity Reports - Santa Monica
College (smc.edu)
Equity StatementSanta Monica College
encourages candidates that are equity-minded to apply. SMC is a
minority-serving, Hispanic-serving institution. We actively seek to
attract candidates from minority groups that value equity,
diversity and inclusion. Equity, diversity and inclusion are built
into the culture at SMC and are an essential component of the work
that we do. SMC is committed to racial and socioeconomic diversity
as it is a reflection of our student population and we strive to
hire candidates that share this commitment.
Equal
Employment Opportunity DisclosureThe Santa Monica
Community College District is committed to the principles of equal
employment opportunity. All qualified applicants for employment, as
well as District employees, shall have full and equal access to
employment opportunity. No person shall be subjected to unlawful
discrimination in any program or activity of the District. The
District's Board Policy 3420 (Equal Employment Opportunity) may be
accessed at:
http://www.smc.edu/ACG/Documents/Board_Policy_Manual/Updated%20Board%20Policies%202017/Board%20Policy%20Chapter%203.pdf
(Download
PDF reader) Equivalency Statement
The Santa Monica Community College District, in its desire to
select outstanding employees from the largest possible pool of
qualified applicants, recognizes the fact that candidates may
attain expertise in a discipline through a variety of means.
Certain combinations of education, experience and other
accomplishments in the field may be judged by the District as equal
to the stated minimum qualifications for this position. Candidates
who feel they possess such equivalent qualifications are encouraged
to apply and provide appropriate documentation of their
qualifications.
If you are applying for the recruitment
through equivalency based on work experience, you will be required
to submit proof of your work history. For further details
regarding equivalency criteria, please download the Equivalency
Application Statement Form available at:
https://www.smc.edu/administration/human-resources/employment/documents/equivalency-statement-for-application.pdf
(Download
PDF reader)
Conditions of EmploymentAppointment is
subject to verification of official transcripts, current or
previous employment, tuberculosis and fingerprint clearance.
Selected candidate must provide identification and work
authorization.
In response to significant budgetary
pressures facing the institution, this position is subject to two
furlough days each month.
To apply, please visit https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/smcacademic/jobs/5481134/director-special-programs
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