Associate Director, Center for Equitable Environmental Sciences (CEES)

Position overview

Position title: Associate Director

Salary range: See Table 36 for the salary range for this position. A reasonable estimate for this position is $76,178 - $87,616.

Percent time: 100%

Anticipated start: 08/01/26 or later

Position duration: The position is available during the duration of the grant funding period ending 8/31/2027 or grant funding availability.

Application Window

Open date: July 24, 2026

Next review date: Sunday, Aug 9, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Wednesday, Sep 30, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

The Associate Director is a full-time grant-funded administrative appointment that reports to the CEES Faculty Director. The Associate Director oversees programs, activities, and staff associated with CEES, including a student resource center, pedagogy workshops, and internship placements. The Associate Director also provides administrative and logistical support for the CEES Faculty Director. CEES will be housed within the Chicano Studies Institute (CSI), an organized research unit at UCSB that supports research projects about Latinx, immigrant communities, and experiences. This position is funded by a 5-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.

The primary Associate Director areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to:

Project coordination and management: Under general supervision from the Faculty Director, the Associate Director is responsible for the daily management and direction of the CEES and its budget. The Associate Director:

• Works closely with all grant-funded staff to ensure that grant program objectives are met, and National Science Foundation and campus regulations are followed.
• Works with the staff at CSI to ensure responsible programmatic and fiscal management, adhering to grant guidelines and procedures and practices of the University of California.
• Assists with faculty professional development programming, and organizes scheduling and travel for speakers, workshops, and other CEES activities.
• Liaisons with the CEES Advisory Committee, including communication, scheduling meetings, and preparing reports, presentations, and other materials.
• Assists with the search and hiring process for a career counseling staff position and several graduate student mentor positions.
• Supervises staff and students, including conducting annual performance evaluations, and exercising authority over discipline and work/schedule assignments.
• Develop CEES assessments in conjunction with other CEES personnel and Professor Tarek Azzam (School of Education), our project's chief evaluator.
• Represents CEES and its objectives to partnering school institutions.

Development and Direction of CEES: The Associate Director is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive recruitment plan which leads to the development of research-based workshops and other learning support opportunities for students. The Associate Director is also responsible for promoting participation in CEES. The Associate Director:

• Supervises graduate student staff and mentors to implement, assess, and revise the research-based strategies and practices of CEES on an ongoing basis.
• Works with the Faculty Director and the CEES Advisory Committee to identify additional learning experiences where student support needs are especially significant.
• Notifies the student body and university community about the goals, activities, and selection procedures and encourages potential students to participate in CEES programming.
• Meets regularly with CEES graduate student staff and mentors to assess individual progress of CEES participants.

Campus and public relations: The Associate Director is responsible for the development and maintenance of strong working relationships with, among other units, office undergraduate education, departmental undergraduate advisors, honors programs, undergraduate research programs, student affairs, institutional research and planning, instructional development, as well as other academic preparation and outreach programs. The Associate Director, along with the Faculty Director, represents CEES at national and regional meetings, such as those of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), and the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institution Educators (AHSIE). In order to publicize the program and its outcomes, the Associate Director will develop and maintain, with program staff, the internal (campus) and external profile of CEES, including social media, website, and other potential media such as newsletters, press releases, blogs, and presentations.

Program evaluation and student assessment: The Associate Director oversees evaluation of CEES programs through general supervision of internal evaluation staff, and coordination with the external evaluators. The Associate Director, along with the Faculty Directors, are responsible for the delivery of annual progress reports to campus leadership as well as the National Science Foundation.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

Enrolled in an MA granting program at the time of application or possess 3 years of experience in student outreach, student services, student programming, and/or advising.

Preferred qualifications

• Master's Degree in a discipline relevant to the CEES program.
• Experience in program development, project management, and employee supervision;
• Ability to develop, implement, and evaluate effective programs and practices related to undergraduate students;
• Ability to facilitate collaborative work across departments and manage team members;
• Ability to interact effectively with diverse populations, including senior administrators, faculty, staff, students, and the public;
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including excellent interpersonal communication, written reports and correspondence, and presentations for large and small audiences;
• Experience working with Hispanic/underserved populations;
• Ability to prioritize and execute multiple projects at different levels;
• Research-based knowledge of learning strategies and best practices related to underserved students within STEM fields;
• Broad knowledge of university divisions, offices, departments, and university personnel and procedures appropriate to various activities and coordination;
• Experience working within a federal grant program;

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

• Cover Letter

Reference requirements

• 2 required (contact information only)

References for applicants who reach the shortlist stage will be contacted

Apply link: https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF03104

Help contact: raphienau@ucsb.edu

About UC Santa Barbara

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, students and third parties
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment

Additionally, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs, as may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Job location

Santa Barbara, CA