I’m extremely pleased to announce that I am recruiting for an Assistant Director for Innovation. This person will work as a partner with me to build the innovation function at the Cal State Chancellor’s Office in Long Beach. Some of the details appear below, but for full information, and to apply, visit this link and then select the Assistant Director for Innovation position. Please share this information with anyone you know who might be interested. I’m hoping very much for an interesting and diverse pool of candidates. Applications will be accepted at least through September 7. And yes, the position does require you to be in Long Beach. – Michael
Position Description
The California State University, Office of the Chancellor, is seeking an Assistant Director for Innovation to be responsible for the overall development, integration, and management of the innovation programs. The Assistant Director will deliver efforts that will develop, support and enhance the innovation program that spans the California State University. Some of the duties assigned to the Assistant Director include oversight of the development and implement strategy and programming, researching trends in innovation, managing resources, and assuring timely and accurate communication regarding innovation programs. This position will be the primary liaison between the Chancellor’s Office and systemwide campuses regarding events, accounting and policies and procedures.
Responsibilities
Under the general direction of the Chief Innovation Technology Officer/Deputy CIO the Assistant Director for Innovation will:-Provide guidance and counsel, oversee and develop a wide range of innovative programs and services, analyze the effectiveness of, and make recommendations for, future programs;
- Design, implement and evaluate mini-grant programs;
- Synthesize existing quantitative and qualitative data to estimate current offerings, identify themes, and inform future work including strategy and design;
- Independently execute and administer day-to-day assessment activities in collaboration with the Chief Innovation Technology Officer/Deputy CIO;
- Collaborate with others to help resolve program issues and concerns, interpret policies, and mediate complex and sensitive issues;
- Oversee and manage funds provided for innovation programs and projects, tracking expenditures and providing timely reports/information to the Chief Innovation Technology Officer/Deputy CIO;
- Lead virtual and in-person meetings with campus innovators to support and promote their activities;
- Lead, create and contribute to the development of business practices regarding the innovation programs;
- Develop and maintain systemwide community relationships by providing guidance and fostering support among the campuses in support of innovation;
- Design, implement and develop polls and other research instruments, collect and analyze the data, present results to senior management and others including campus CIO;
- Monitor trends in innovation and technology and keep Chief Innovation Technology Officer/Deputy CIO informed;
- Write, edit. and publish articles and blogs relating to campus innovations as well as issues and technologies of interest to campus innovators;
- Develop and implement social media strategy to promote the innovation activities;
- Lead, design, organize and execute meetings and seminars that encourage innovation across the university;
- Collaborate in design planning and innovation forecasting sessions with the Chief Innovation Technology Officer/Deputy CIO and other ITS and campus personnel;
- Develop and manage the process of scoping, evaluating, and awarding mini-grants and other campus support; oversee the campus mini grant budgets and documentation and dissemination to assure appropriate use of funds;
- Other additional activities as needed in support of the Chief Innovation Technology Officer/Deputy CIO.
Qualifications
This position requires:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in any field, or equivalent combination of education and related experience, is required.
- 5+ years of experience in an area such as project management, information technology, software development, communication, instructional design, or similar.
- Experience in higher education is desirable.
- A Master’s degree in a field related to innovation, technology, or the arts is desirable.
- Polished written and oral communication skills to address a wide variety of audiences.
- Strong writer, creative problem-solver, and nuanced thinker who is flexible, adaptable, and insightful with the ability to manage both the big picture vision and the day-to-day details of a project.
- Able to work successfully with a high degree of independence in a complex organization and ability to work simultaneously on multiple projects with different timeliness, managers, stakeholders, and scopes.
- Excellent writing skills, including the ability to write and edit in various formats and for multiple audiences required.
- Ability to build communities of diverse individuals to work together to achieve common goals is required.
- Excellent verbal communication skills and ability to listen well to others required.
- Tech-savvy and proficient with online platforms and survey instruments. A high degree of facility with technology tools, such as Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Slack, Smartsheet, Photoshop, Qualtrics, and data analysis and management programs required.
- A general understanding of technology trends including advanced innovation is required.
- Ability to make intelligent use of social media tools required.
- Experience managing budgets required.
- Experience designing, developing and maintaining websites using WordPress and similar tools desirable.
- Understanding of design thinking principles and ability to lead design and innovation sessions desirable.
- Able to cultivate and sustain collaborative relationships with colleagues and partners working across cohorts and departments.
- Receptive and responsive to feedback and able to conduct analyses and offer a range of viable, contextualized options.
- Ability to communicate visually through drawing and graphic design desirable.
Application Period
Resumes will be accepted until September 7, 2018 or until job posting is removed.
