Job Description

Founded in 1979, the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) is a center for innovation dedicated to advancing the field of gifted education through research, testing, programs, and other supports for advanced learners. On the premise that advanced learners come from every community and every demographic, we aim to understand and inform how these students need to be nurtured to achieve their full potential as learners and global citizens. CTY also runs in-person and online academic programs for bright learners in order to cultivate a community of advanced learners and connect students in and outside the classroom.

We are seeking a Sr. Director Strategic Initiatives & Public Affairs who will serve as CTY’s chief strategy officer, focusing on mission-aligned initiatives and outcomes. The role oversees strategic programming and leads the center’s public affairs functions, including its communications and marketing team, as well as its strategic partnerships. The incumbent has broad oversight over administrative and programmatic initiatives ranging from organizational change management and project execution to issues management and cross-departmental coordination. Working closely alongside the administrative and academic leaders of the center, the role helps execute and communicate the vision outlined in CTY’s strategic roadmap and maintains key internal and external relationships to achieve outcomes critical to the center’s success, including its focus on increasing access and sharing knowledge and expertise with the field.

The role provides strategic thought partnership to the executive director, including but not limited to creating structure and process; cohesion and alignment; and overseeing the implementation of critical priorities as needed. The senior director of strategic initiatives and public affairs supports CTY Research by facilitating connections to CTY programs and to the broader university community. This role, which reports to the Executive Director, requires strong organizational, communication, and management skills, including judgement, strategic planning, writing, project management, coordination of groups, implementation, and analysis. As needed, the role will represent the executive director and center both internally and externally.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Strategy and Partnerships

• Collaborate with the Executive Director and other senior leadership to develop and execute on institutional goals and priorities; ensure implementation plans and progress are effectively communicated to senior leaders and across the center, as well as to university stakeholders and leadership.
• Drive key strategic, cross-unit initiatives to fruition via project leadership, serving as executive sponsor and as needed, project manager.
• Under the Executive Director’s direction, support a culture of continuous organizational improvement, integration, excellence, inclusion, and professionalism.
• Assess risk and issues that serve as barriers to the center’s operation and mission fulfillment; work with staff to develop and implement solutions.
• Anticipate and identify opportunities for CTY leadership and staff to participate in events, meetings, and other activities within the university community and within the broader educational field that the center serves.
• Serve as one of the executive director’s primary strategic liaisons to internal and external constituencies and committees, representing the executive director at the university level and elsewhere as appropriate.
• Monitor priorities and action items related to the center’s established goals and objectives.
• Provide budget oversight of multiple cost centers reporting up to this role.
• Build strong working relationships with the School of Education, relevant academic schools and centers, and university administration to facilitate connections for CTY’s research and programming.
• Advocate for integration of research in CTY programming.
• Support the planning of symposia and other research-centered events.

Strategic Programming

• Oversee CTY’s principal access and partnership programs, taking the lead on high-profile external relationships and ensuring excellence in program delivery.
• Responsible for bringing revenue-generating, mission-aligned offerings to CTY’s priority audiences, collaborating with subject-matter experts, program managers, marketing staff, and administrative functions.
• Collaborate with Research and Program staff on grant applications and reporting.
• Engage with and develop proposals for prospective donors.

Communications and Marketing

• Act as point person to the executive director and senior leadership regarding issue management, crisis communications, and stakeholder relations.
• Prepare the executive director for a variety of key/important meetings, presentations, discussions, etc., including researching and gathering critical information and intelligence on issues, creating reports, presentations, and speeches, developing and proposing agenda items, conducting necessary follow-ups, and briefing the Executive Director on critical points and sensitivities.
• Supervise the director of communications and marketing in the development and execution of enrollment marketing plans that support enrollment goals.
• Inform enrollment goals and marketing budget requirements.
• Work closely with communications staff and other members of the executive director’s office on leadership communications for both internal and external constituencies.
• As needed, collaborate with the central university’s issues management team.
• Oversee the development of communications plans and strategies that promote the visibility and reputation of CTY.

Supervisory Responsibility

• This position directly manages the Director of Communications and Marketing and the Director of Strategic Programs and Partnerships and has oversight for a unit of 5-7 additional full-time and 1-2 casual staff members.

Special Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Builds and maintains strong networks and professional relationships (superiors, subordinates, and peers), and influences others to achieve outcomes.
• Experience working with higher education institutions and executive management.
• Experience in wide-ranging or cross-functional areas (HR, Academic Affairs, Finance, Marketing, Development, etc.).
• Demonstrates ability to identify, analyze and address/resolve difficult multi-faceted problems.
• Demonstrates ability to work independently, exercise discretion and sound judgment, and manage competing priorities at once.
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Should be a self-starter, creative and imaginative.
• Ability to maintain confidences and exhibit discreet, tactful, and professional behavior at all times.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Minimum seven (7) years of experience in business, consulting, program development, or project management.
• At least 10 years of relevant work experience in higher education or nonprofit organizations preferred.

• Must be able to travel occasionally (including internationally) and work nights/weekends as needed, particularly during summer sessions. CTY operates on a hybrid Tuesday-Thursday in-office schedule, but this position may be required to come into the office on Mondays and Fridays on occasion as needed.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience, and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Classified Title: Sr. Director Strategic Initiatives
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Sr. Director Strategic Initiatives & Public Affairs (CTY Strategic Initiatives/Public Affairs)
Role/Level/Range: L/04/LH
Starting Salary Range: $127,300 - $223,000 Annually ($170,000-$180,000 targeted; Commensurate w/exp.)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Hybrid/Mount Washington Campus
Department name: 10000107-CTY Strategic Initiatives/Public Affairs
Personnel area: Academic and Business Centers