Executive Director Navitas is a global partnering organization offering an extensive range of educational services for students and professionals, including university pathway programs, English language training and settlement services, creative media education, workforce education and student recruitment. In partnership with the University of Massachusetts, Lowell (UML), Navitas is seeking an Executive Director to lead its pathway programs, based on the campus of University of Massachusetts in Lowell. The Executive Director will be employed by Navitas and is responsible for overseeing the strategic, academic and administrative functions of the UML undergraduate and graduate pathway programs and for leading and managing a successful relationship with the UML community, including Senior Management, Deans and faculty, amongst others, serving as the senior liaison to the University community. Reporting to the Vice President, Operations & Academic Affairs, Navitas North America, this role includes the management of the day-to-day operational aspects of the pathway program, including staffing, budgets and planning related to Academic, Admissions, Marketing and Student Administration Management, ensuring quality educational outcomes and the strong diversity of students and programs. A collaborative, inspirational leader, the ideal candidate will possess graduate university qualifications in educational administration, management or a related field, combined with extensive managerial and international pathway experience. A hands-on, genuine, results oriented leader, the successful candidate will appreciate the dynamic nature of international education, understands and respects the quality assurance process and knows how to develop and implement relevant programs and related services for international students. An accomplished leader and team builder, the successful candidate can develop and mentor a high performance team, and is comfortable “rolling up their sleeves” and leading by example. With a strong track record of administrative and academic success, the incoming Executive Director is an articulate, highly motivating, team-oriented leader capable of instilling and maintaining a culture of self-discipline, quality education and creative achievement. He/she demonstrates flexible and creative problem solving and negotiating skills, with experience building trusted and collaborative relationships with key stakeholders internally and externally, inspiring others with his/her tenacity, commitment and passion for the organization and student outcomes. KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UML The Executive Director will: •
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Oversee the strategic, academic and administrative functions of the UMass Lowell pathway programs including the strategic planning process. This will include assuring highly professional recruitment, admission and student services with a strong focus on the attainment of successful educational outcomes for Pathway students and high rates of progression to University matriculation. Manage and ensure successful relationships with the appropriate people at the University of Massachusetts including senior management, Deans and faculty, serving as the senior liaison to the University community. Responsible for the day-to-day operational aspects of the pathway programs including staffing, budgets and planning as related to Academic, Admissions, Marketing and Student Administration Management, ensuring quality educational outcomes. Review current business unit processes, policies and systems and identify potential opportunities to enhance program quality and operational efficiency. Further, he/she will manage a robust quality assurance environment and a program-wide commitment to a culture of continuous improvement. Lead and develop a high performance team of staff, focused on delivering strong student academic outcomes and an outstanding international student experience.
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Lead the growth and development of the UML pathway, developing new programs and student initiatives. Assist in the appointment and retention of outstanding Navitas faculty who understand the varying academic and cultural needs of international students. Oversee activities related to international student enrollment growth with the aim of continuing to build the program, ensuring the quality, quantity and diversity of the international student community. Ensure that recruitment and admission procedures are aligned with University policies and priorities. Contribute appropriately to the broader international student recruitment and globalization goals of the University, particularly in collaboration with the institution’s Vice Provost of Innovation & Workforce Development. Serve as an influential contributing member of the Navitas North American management team and collaborate effectively with the Executive Directors of the Navitas programs at UMass Boston and UMass Dartmouth, working to ensure that these pathway programs collaborate and develop synergistic approaches and common best practices. Partner closely with internal stakeholders including the Vice President, Operations & Academic Affairs, President, University Programs, Navitas North America, other Executive Directors / College Directors & Principals in other North American locations, and the Navitas corporate management and marketing teams in the United States.
KEY 12 – 18 MONTH DELIVERABLES •
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The Executive Director will have excellent relations with the University community, particularly with Senior Leadership, Deans and Faculty. He/she will be viewed as a respected peer who is transparent, a problem-solver and focused on the best interests of students, serving as an effective advocate of the Navitas program, in partnership with the University. An engaging, flexible, empowering leader and mentor, the Executive Director will lead a cohesive, high performance team. He/she will build and establish a robust succession plan for staff. As the program continues to develop and grow, he/she will effectively communicate any necessary changes and the reasons for these changes, with the aim of effectively engaging and collaborating with staff through the process. He/she will maintain healthy diversity of student populations and programs and will achieve excellent student academic outcomes and student satisfaction levels. With a thorough understanding of business unit processes, he/she will have recommended and begun to implement enhancements to strengthen best practices, and will demonstrate an understanding of how processes contribute to the success of the business unit and the broader organization.
THE IDEAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR •
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The ideal candidate will possess graduate university qualifications in educational administration / management or a related field, combined with extensive managerial and international pathway experience. An innovative thinker with proactive organizational and analytical skills, the Executive Director will have demonstrated leadership and management expertise at both strategic and operational levels. A hands-on, genuine, results oriented leader, the successful candidate will have highly developed interpersonal, communication, presentation and negotiation skills. He/she will be flexible, results-oriented and lead by example, willing to dig into the details when necessary. With demonstrated experience building and growing effective pathway programs, the successful candidate is an engaging, collaborative relationship builder and team leader. He/she is able to successfully build consensus and deliver win-win scenarios while balancing the short and long-term objectives of the business. He/she invests in people, seeks out and adapts best practices and builds for leadership succession, making the hiring process, employee engagement and retention key business priorities. (Harvester) An executive who speaks with great effect on behalf of the organization and international education, the Executive Director’s reputation, strength of character and ability to win trust and presentation skills are strong. He/she brings new ideas, concepts and language to even “best in class” organizations, with the background and experience to make his/her ideas credible and the interpersonal skills to make them attainable. (Thought Leader)
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The Executive Director makes strategy a reality and builds agility into his or her assumptions of success, leading with value creation in mind. He/she sets stretch goals, aligns their team and executes effectively with a strong attention to detail. (Implement Strategy) The ideal candidate has outstanding rapport skills, knows how to network, is sensitive to the needs of others and moves across cultural boundaries with ease. He/she builds and inspires confidence and trust, demonstrating strong knowledge of the business, working with a broad range of stakeholders including students, program staff and faculty, UMass administrators and Navitas colleagues. (Constituency Builder) With a strong understanding of what it takes to engage people at different levels of the organization, the successful candidate works hard to bring the customer’s voice to the table. He/she makes sure that people at all levels of the organization feel valued, builds respect and strives to bring a sense of meaning to people’s work. (Engages Others) Consistent, transparent and open, he/she understands that leadership is what you do and not what you say. The tougher things get, the more consistent he/she gets. His/her values provide the glue that links all the otherwise disparate pieces together. As a result, he/she is very successful in delegating difficult tasks to others. For similar reasons, he/she knows how to make empowerment work. (Values Driven) The ideal candidate is real, consistent, genuine, credible and comfortable with themselves, “what you see is what you get”. He/she doesn’t allow ego to get in the way of effectiveness, is quick to praise and quick to apologize, asks for feedback and acts on that feedback. (Authentic) An accomplished leader and team builder, the successful candidate has coached and mentored a high performance team and is comfortable “rolling up their sleeves” and leading by example. With the demonstrated capacity to be a team player in an entrepreneurial environment, the Executive Director establishes trust quickly and balances task outcomes (what) with a need to manage the team process (how). (Team Builder / Team Player) This is an exciting leadership opportunity for a strategic, collaborative and forward-thinking leader with a passion for international education and for continuing to build a successful program at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, for many years to come. Eligibility to work in the United States is a preferred asset.
SUMMARY OF BEDFORD LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES CHOSEN BY NAVITAS • • • • • • • •
Harvester Thought Leader Implement Strategy Constituency Builder Engages Others Values Driven Authentic Team Builder / Team Player
What We Offer Navitas is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, and are a values-driven employer. To Apply If you are interested in exploring this dynamic leadership opportunity, please provide a detailed cover letter and a copy of your resume to Lisa Heidman LL.B., ICD.D, Senior Client Partner at The Bedford Consulting Group directly at
[email protected] and Victoria Ritchie, Principal, The Bedford Consulting Group at
[email protected] Successful applicants will be subject to relevant pre-employment checks, which may include a Criminal Background and/or a Multi-State Sex Offender Registry review.
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