Senior Director - Center for Community Investment

Position Description

Manages and directs the day to day operations of a research center/institute or medium sized department. Plans, coordinates and supervises the operation and activities of the center/institute/department. Develops and implements policies and procedures, administers the budget, organizes tasks and sets priorities.

Major/Essential Functions

The Senior Director of the Texas Tech Center for Community Investment (CCI) provides strategic leadership and operational management for a university-based center focused on expanding access to capital and investment opportunities in rural Texas communities. Housed within the Area of Finance in the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business, the Center serves as an "Accelerator of Rural Investment Opportunities" by working in collaboration with Councils of Governments (COGs), Economic Development Corporations (EDCs), municipalities, community partners, financial institutions, private investors, philanthropy, and public agencies to identify rural capital needs, structure viable financing pathways, and increase the flow of capital to rural businesses and community priorities.

The Senior Director leads day-to-day Center operations, oversees the creation and execution of rural investment programs, engages key partnerships across COG/EDC networks, and builds a coordinated pipeline of rural investment initiatives while ensuring student internships, training, and support activities are structured to directly advance Center priorities. This role is focused on program execution, partnership coordination, and delivery of measurable outcomes.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership for CCI operations, ensuring alignment with the Center's mission, strategic priorities, and university objectives.
• Develop and manage Center workplans, timelines, operating procedures, and documentation to support consistent execution and scalable growth.
• Engage key external partners, including COGs, EDCs, financial institutions, community stakeholders, philanthropy, and public agencies, to effectively message the value of CCI and foster cross-sector collaboration in advancing rural investment priorities.
• Identify roadblocks to rural funding, develop creative and practical solutions to overcome them, and implement risk-managed approaches that increase participation from banks, investors, and other capital partners.
• Manage the end-to-end rural investment process, including milestone tracking, analysis, funding, outcome measurement, and community impact across regions.
• Oversee a student-driven internship program that serves as the backbone of investment structuring and analysis, including identification, evaluation, and promotion of potential opportunities.
• Ensure that partner-facing communications and internal reporting support transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with the Area of Finance and its associated centers, institutes, and programs to advance shared priorities in student engagement, education, research, and service, ensuring Center activities are aligned with academic and institutional goals.
• Steward relationships with program funders, with support from TTU's development office.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree required; Six years progressively responsible management experience. Additional education beyond Bachelor's may substitute for experience on a year for year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with community banks, rural communities, regional development organizations, or public-sector entities.
• Ability and willingness to travel within Texas as needed (may be extensive during start-up phase).
• Graduate degree (MS Finance, JD or closely related field).
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Familiarity with federal and state programs supporting rural investment, including lending tools, guarantees, and technical assistance resources (e.g., USDA and SBA programs).
• Experience supporting investment structuring, project readiness, or capital deployment initiatives.