Associate Director Pre-College Program Operations

Overview

As part of a mission-driven institution, University College (UC) at Tufts University strives to make education accessible to all, fostering learning and engagement across a wide spectrum of audiences. UC is committed to expanding access to Tufts and transforming the lives of diverse learners across generations through innovative and high-quality educational opportunities, career acceleration, and community connections. Since our school's establishment in 2018, UC has experienced rapid growth and is planning significant expansion, including a variety of new professional non-credit credentials, high school programs, and new degrees, all while broadening access to Tufts' exceptional educational offerings. UC currently offers a variety of educational content through Tufts Pre-College Programs, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and the new Center for Professional and Workforce Impact. Operating in a dynamic environment, UC is positioned to become a leading presence in the greater Boston area in the next 5 years.  Visit universitycollege.tufts.edu to learn more.

This position is a key member of the Tufts Pre-College Programs team within University College. The team's mission is to provide high school students with access to Tufts-quality education, enriching their academic journey while fostering early engagement with the Tufts academic community. Tufts Pre-College Program offerings are dynamic and continually evolving, offering residential, commuter, and virtual options, across a variety of subject areas. Current offerings include short, intensive programs in the spring and summer, as well as college courses, and accelerator seminars designed to give high school students an immersive college experience both academically and socially. All programs are developed and taught by Tufts faculty and staff and are supported by the dedicated University College Pre-College team.

What You'll Do

In collaboration with Tufts Pre-College Programs Director and Associate Director, the Associate Director of Program Operations and Strategy drives operational goals and strategies for the Pre-College team and is a critical player in every detail of the daily operations of the Pre-College programs, which enroll 1,200 minor students in residential and commuter academic programs. The position is crucial to program operations, communications, and long-term research and planning for program revision and expansion. The role of Associate Director of Program Operations and Strategy advances the planning, preparation, and execution of our Pre-College students' on-campus experience, ensuring a safe and positive student living and learning environment along with effective and efficient administrative processes.

The Associate Director leads year-round planning and implementation in partnership with the University College team, internal Tufts departments and external vendors. The Associate Director is the primary support and point of contact for the onsite residential team (comprised of a Residential Director, Associate Director, Nurse/s, Programming Coordinator, and Residential Counselors) in planning for and implementing summer intensive programs, and for partners and vendors throughout the year. This role requires a high level of organization, collaboration, attention to detail, ability to juggle many moving pieces and priorities, and the ability to build and maintain strong positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Additionally, the ability to support the development of new programs with benchmarking peer programs and forecasting growth plans is valuable. To support successful program implementation, the Associate Director optimizes student and operational materials, inclusive of orientations, application testing, communications, and student support mechanisms, aligning all with Pre-College Programs, University College, and Tufts strategy. They also engage in related collaborations that ensure ideal administrative management for the full enrollment, application, and program experience cycle, engaging in cross-functional collaboration with and support of University College leadership, Pre-College Programs team, Center for Professional and Workforce Impact, Marketing, and other teams.

This is a leadership position that requires the ability to support at least one direct report. The position engages with the rest of the Pre-College team as a team player, ready to help where needed, problem solve, and work toward the greater good of the University as a whole.

• Program Operational Strategy

• Assessment and improvement: Proactively engages with program teams to ensure smooth operations and troubleshoots as needed. Drives the after-action process related to programmatic needs and opportunities, reporting, and resulting updates with all operational offices and UC team, including all implementation and optimization adjustments and related communications.

• Benchmarking, Forecasting, and Growth: Drives data-informed program growth through competitor analysis, market benchmarking, enrollment forecasting, and feasibility assessments for new program initiatives. Leads long-term planning efforts, including program launch timelines, resource planning, and multi-year academic calendar development.

• External Vendor Management: Serves as primary operational liaison to Tufts Pre-College's Residential Life, transportation, insurance, and other vendors. Leads agreement discussions, drafts contract updates, ensures vendor delivers as agreed, facilitates accurate PO and invoicing processes.

• Policy: Strategizes with Pre-College Director and University College Associate Dean on policies related to staff, instructor, and high school student interactions, ensuring compliance with requirements related to minors and best practices broadly.

• Program Goals: Provides needed information, data, and collaboration to the Director of Pre-College Programs to identify goals for all programs and the pre-college team.

• Operations Management and Implementation

Residential Life:

• Leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of residential life processes that support the safety, well-being, and success of 1,200 minor students annually. Oversees arrival and departure operations, including housing transitions, transportation coordination, and student-facing communications, while aligning efforts across campus partners, vendors, staff, and program teams.
• Establishes and manages partnerships with residential service providers to ensure effective support structures, on-call coverage, and response protocols are in place. Serves as a primary escalation point for student welfare, conduct, family, and operational concerns, facilitating collaborative problem-solving, communication, and resolution among stakeholders, with autonomy to make and implement related decisions.
• Design and implements residential, social, recreational, and college-readiness programming that fosters student engagement, community building, and a positive residential experience in partnership with vendors, program leaders, and campus partners.

Training:

• Leads the design, implementation, and ongoing enhancement of training programs that prepare staff to effectively support minor students and deliver high-quality educational and residential experiences. Collaborates with university partners to ensure training content aligns with institutional policies, compliance requirements, risk management standards, and best practices in youth programming.

Space Planning:

• Owns the planning and coordination of complex, multi-campus space utilization strategies that support academic, residential, co-curricular, and operational needs. Drives collaboration among vendors, program leadership, and campus partners to ensure facilities, technology, access, furnishings, and staffing plans are aligned to support seamless program delivery and a positive student experience.
• Oversees implementation of key operational processes, including onsite staff onboarding, training logistics, and student housing assignments.

Health Services:

• Provides leadership for health services operations supporting minor students, including the development of strategic partnerships, service agreements, and operational processes that promote student health, safety, and risk management.
• Collaborates with campus stakeholders and external providers to establish and enhance health-related services, insurance coverage processes, vaccination initiatives, and student support resources. Supervises temporary nursing personnel and ensures services effectively meet program needs.

Dining:

• Leads collaboration with campus partners and service providers to develop and implement dining operations that support student well-being, accessibility, and program success. Ensures appropriate systems and processes are in place to provide students with the accommodations that are needed to address dietary restrictions, allergies, alternative meal accommodations, and offsite meal distribution needs while proactively identifying and resolving operational challenges.

• Communications Management

• Manages communications to and from students and families regarding all operational topics, including new and existing Slate emails, forms, logs and tracking, website language, application testing, and training modules. Collaborates with technical and Pre-College teams to implement updates and improvements, assesses and adjusts timing and content of communications.

• Collaborates on the content and implementation of Pre-College marketing events, information sessions, webinars, and orientations.

• Contacts and responds to parents' concerns and needs related to operations and on-campus experience.

• Optimizes the operations-related email inbox and related processes, ensuring timely and accurate responses and appropriate completion of follow up actions.

• Operations Support Services Management

Access/IDs:

• Oversees the planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of identification and access management processes that support student and staff participation in program activities. Ensures effective coordination of ID creation, residential access, operational testing, and issue resolution to maintain a safe and accessible campus environment.

Event Planning:

• Partners with program staff, campus departments, and external stakeholders to coordinate and support events that enhance the student experience. Ensures operational requirements, communications, resources, and stakeholder responsibilities are aligned to support successful program execution.

Facilities:

• Oversees facilities planning and coordination for all program-related spaces, fostering strong partnerships with campus service providers to ensure environments remain safe, functional, and responsive to program needs. Leads issue resolution efforts and drives collaborative solutions during active program operations.

Mail Services:

• Manages partnerships and operational processes that support timely, accurate, and student-centered mail distribution services, ensuring effective coordination among residential staff, campus partners, and program teams.

Supplies:

• Oversees the stewardship of program resources and materials that support student engagement, residential life, and operational success. Develops and manages processes related to procurement, inventory management, storage, distribution, and resource planning.

• Staff Supervision

• Provides direct supervision, mentorship, and performance management for professional staff, student employees, and temporary personnel supporting program operations and student services.

• Builds a collaborative, service-oriented team culture and drives alignment across functional areas to support operational excellence, student well-being, and successful program outcomes.

What We're Looking For

Please note this role is initially funded for one year with a strong possibility for renewal.

Basic Requirements:

Knowledge and experience typically acquired by:

• 5-8 years' experience in residential life, specifically working with high school aged students and/or undergraduates
• Deep understanding of the application of student development in practice.
• Knowledge of and direct experience with on-call crisis and supervision of residential staff.
• Ability to manage and evaluate competing priorities and track many details successfully to execute the day-to-day
• Demonstrated success with excellent complex project management and process improvement skills
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive matters with judgment, tact, and diplomacy, and make supportive independent decisions
• Demonstrated ability to employ excellent communications and relationship management skills with internal and external stakeholders
• Prior systems management and analytical experience using Technolutions Slate.
• Strong Microsoft Office Suite skills, including Excel
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Collaborative, all hands on deck, and team player approach to work
• Positive attitude and a constantly proactive thinker

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree
• 8-10 years' experience in a related work environment
• Ability to use social media platforms, survey analysis tools, and various digital tools and applications
• Prior systems management and analytical experience preferred in the following data platforms is strongly preferred: Oracle Peoplesoft SIS, Modern Campus Destiny One/Extended Education

Pay Range

Minimum $74,000.00, Midpoint $92,500.00, Maximum $111,000.00

Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity; generally, new hires can expect pay between the minimum and midpoint of the range.