CORE Project Director (Grant Funded)

SUMMARY: Under the direction of the College Provost, the CORE Project Director will serve as the chief administrator of the College Outreach for Rural Education (CORE) grant-funded program and will provide leadership for implementation, administration, evaluation, and institutionalization of the project. The Project Director will be responsible for overall project management, including grant compliance, budgeting, staffing, reporting, evaluation coordination, communication, and continuous improvement.

The Project Director will oversee development and implementation of new STEM pathways and/or articulation agreements in collaboration with College faculty, rural school districts, workforce partners, and industry. The Project Director will coordinate the CORE team, lead CORE Steering Committee meetings, report project progress to the President’s Cabinet, and work with College leadership and project partners to advance STEM opportunities for rural dual-enrollment and College students.

The position is 100% dedicated to the CORE project and will be located on the Temple College main campus. Examples of Duties Master’s degree in workforce education, management, educational administration, or a related area, or equivalent experience. At least two (2) years of experience working with colleges, preferably community colleges, in grants management, human relations, teaching, educational administration, or related work experience.

Experience with grant-funded projects and supervision of employees is required. Experience working with diverse groups of students, faculty, staff, school districts, and community or industry partners is required. PREFERRED: Experience in community college administration; experience developing academic or workforce pathways and/or articulation agreements; experience working with rural populations or rural school districts; experience with federal grant administration and reporting; experience with STEM education or workforce programs; experience with student outcome data and continuous improvement; and experience coordinating multi-partner projects.

Qualifications The incumbent will: Serve as the chief administrator of the CORE program and assume overall responsibility for implementation of the grant, its staff, participants, activities, performance outcomes, and grantcompliance with applicable Department of Education requirements. Manage the CORE project in accordance with federal, state, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Temple College, and other applicable policies, regulations, and procedures.

Provide leadership for development, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of CORE goals, objectives, activities, strategies, and performance measures. Manage the CORE project budget, monitor expenditures, and coordinate with College business and grant personnel to ensure compliance with the approved budget and federal requirements. Supervise, support, and evaluate assigned CORE staff and establish effective communication and coordination among grant-funded and non-grant-funded personnel.

Convene weekly CORE staff meetings to coordinate activities, monitor progress, identify challenges, and ensure that project elements remain on schedule. Lead quarterly CORE Steering Committee meetings; coordinate agendas, ensure that relevant formative data are presented, facilitate discussion of progress and shortfalls, and document recommended actions and continuous-improvement decisions. Report to the President’s Cabinet each semester regarding progress toward CORE goals and objectives, including STEM enrollment, dual-enrollment persistence, STEM pathway completion, and other required performance measures.

Coordinate with the external evaluator and CORE Data Analyst to ensure timely collection, analysis, documentation, and reporting of data related to grant objectives and evaluation requirements. Prepare, review, and submit required federal, College, and project reports, including quarterly, annual, and other grant-related reports and documentation. Oversee development of at least ten (10) new STEM pathways and/or STEM articulation agreements in collaboration with College faculty, school districts, workforce partners, and industry.

Convene subject-matter experts and stakeholders and coordinate approvals required through the College Curriculum Committee, THECB, TEA, and other applicable entities. Coordinate communication and outreach related to new STEM pathways and work with the Career Specialist and school district partners to encourage enrollment in STEM dual-enrollment opportunities. Provide leadership for implementation of the CORE hub-and-spoke system, working with the Distance Education Coordinator, College IT personnel, rural school districts, faculty, and other partners.

Support development and implementation of CORE AI literacy professional development activities and related faculty innovation efforts. Coordinate with College faculty, staff, rural school districts, workforce organizations, industry representatives, and other partners to align CORE activities with student, workforce, and regional needs. Develop and maintain effective relationships with rural school districts participating in CORE and other districts and partners within the College service area.

Work with project staff and faculty to create a supportive institutional climate for CORE activities and facilitate coordination across academic, student services, workforce, information technology, and administrative areas. Monitor project performance and use enrollment, persistence, completion, credentials, survey, and other evaluation data to identify challenges, recommend adjustments, and support continuous improvement.

Ensure that grant activities, documentation, communications, and project records are maintained for monitoring, evaluation, and audit purposes. Represent CORE at College, community, workforce, industry, school district, and other external meetings and events. Prepare and deliver presentations concerning CORE activities, implementation, outcomes, and progress to faculty, staff, administrators, trustees, students, school districts, community partners, and other audiences.

Participate in College committees and institutional planning activities as assigned when related to CORE goals, STEM pathways, rural education, workforce development, or institutionalization. Work with College leadership to develop and implement an institutionalization and sustainability plan for CORE activities. Participate in professional development related to federal grant administration, project management, STEM education, workforce pathways, evaluation, and other areas related to the position.

Comply with applicable College policies and procedures and federal and state laws and regulations, including confidentiality and FERPA requirements. Demonstrate ethics, integrity, collegiality, and collaborative problem-solving. Perform other duties as assigned by the Provost. Professional Standards and Workplace Expectations Communicate respectfully, constructively, and supportively with co-workers, faculty, staff, students, and visitors across all forms of communication.

Demonstrate commitment to the team by practicing punctuality, respecting deadlines, engaging in collaborative problem-solving, and maintaining honest communication. Build trusting workplace relationships by acting with integrity, courtesy, and professional responsibility, even during demanding production schedules. Proactively maintain technical proficiency by participating in approved training opportunities, reading job-related materials, and collaborating with peers.

Meet all required standards of confidentiality. Maintain clean, organized, and safe work areas. Present a clean, professional appearance suitable for an educational environment with frequent students and community interaction, adhering to all safety wear standards. As a Temple College Employee, actively support the Caring Campus initiative by engaging in student-centered behavior commitments, providing responsive and accurate assistance to all internal and external community members, and embracing our core values of Excellence, Integrity, Community, and Respect.

Supplemental Information KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge of federal grant administration, reporting, and compliance requirements. Knowledge of FERPA guidelines and student-information confidentiality. Knowledge of community college philosophy, mission, academic and workforce education. Knowledge of program planning, evaluation, budgeting, and continuous improvement. Knowledge of STEM education, workforce pathways, dual enrollment, and/or articulation processes.

SKILLS: Excellent planning, project management, execution, facilitation, and presentation skills. Effective oral and written communication and interpersonal skills. Demonstrated managerial, supervisory, and administrative skills. Strong budget management, organization, and time-management skills. Intermediate to advanced use of spreadsheet, word processing, database, presentation, and related software. Ability to analyze and communicate student outcome and program performance data.

ABILITIES: Ability to think critically, creatively, and strategically. Ability to manage multiple reports, projects, deadlines, and competing priorities. Ability to work effectively with diverse faculty, staff, students, school district personnel, workforce partners, industry representatives, and community members. Ability to lead collaborative teams and facilitate meetings involving individuals with differing roles and perspectives.

Ability to establish effective working relationships across organizational boundaries. Ability to maintain confidentiality of work-related information and materials. Ability to identify problems, develop practical solutions, and monitor corrective actions. Ability to work independently while maintaining regular communication with the Provost and College leadership. PHYSICAL EFFORT: Light physical activity is required with occasional lifting of objects up to 15 pounds.

Keyboarding and computer use. May require long periods of sitting or standing. WORKING CONDITIONS: Work is normally performed in an office setting on the Temple College main campus. Duties will require travel in personal or College-owned vehicles to rural school districts, offsite centers, community and industry partner locations, conferences, and other project-related activities. WORK SCHEDULE: Generally Monday–Thursday: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, with flexibility as needed to accommodate project activities, meetings, travel, and partner schedules.

HOURS REQUIRED PER WEEK: 40 TRS/ORP: TRS Only SUPERVISORY DUTIES: Direct supervision of assigned CORE staff, including the Distance Education Coordinator, Career Specialist, Data Analyst, and Program Assistant, as applicable. Responsible for coordinating the work of the CORE project team and establishing lines of communication and accountability among project personnel. REPORTS TO: Provost / Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Services The following duties and responsibilities, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA’s), and physical requirements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed.

The information listed below is not intended to be construed as a complete listing of all duties and responsibilities, KSA’s, and physical requirements required of this position, since changes to the position may occur at any time or additional requirements may be added over the course of time.