Job Summary

The Managing Director of UniverCity Alliance provides strategic leadership and administrative oversight for a statewide partnership program that connects Wisconsin local governments with University of Wisconsin - Madison resources to advance community-identified priorities. Housed within the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, UniverCity Alliance brings together students, faculty, instructors, and community partners to address pressing local challenges through collaborative engagement rooted in the Wisconsin Idea. The Managing Director leads program planning, implementation, evaluation, and outreach efforts while fostering strong partnerships between the university and local governments.

This role is responsible for overseeing strategic initiatives, managing operational policies and budgets, supervising staff, and ensuring effective delivery of outreach programming across diverse communities. The Managing Director also leads fundraising and philanthropic engagement efforts to secure financial support from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. The ideal candidate will bring strong leadership, communication, relationship-building, and organizational skills, along with experience in public sector collaboration, community engagement, and program management.

Position is open until filled, with an initial review date of July 17, 2026.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Monitors the unit or program budget and approves program expenditures
• Supervises the implementation of outreach-program-focused strategic planning initiatives and objectives
• May exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 FTE or equivalent employees
• Manage, design, develop, and implement fundraising strategies to secure private philanthropic support for the program from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Maintain and develop ongoing relationships to advance giving.
• Determines outreach program needs and the personnel resource allocation plan
• Reviews recommendations for and provides input on the design and development of new outreach programs or services
• Develops and implements operating policies and procedures to promote the outreach program in alignment with the strategic plan