Assistant Vice President, Athena Center for Leadership

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Job:

Assistant Vice President, Athena Center for Leadership

Barnard College, one of the most dynamic liberal arts colleges in the United States, invites nominations of and applications from established leaders to serve as the next Constance Hess Williams ‘66 Director and Assistant Vice President (AVP) of the College’s Athena Center for Leadership. Founded in 2009, Barnard’s Athena Center for Leadership is dedicated to the advancement of strong, bold women. The next Director and AVP will creatively build upon the Center’s existing programming while also ensuring that the Center is fully integrated into the College’s mission of empowering women.

The Athena Center’s programs explore what it means for women to lead, innovate, collaborate, and excel. Current and future initiatives include: (1) programs that ensure leadership development is a core element of the student experience at Barnard, providing all students with the tools and creative confidence to influence positive change, generate impact, and develop ambitious solutions to challenging problems; (2) practical leadership training for all students who are in or are seeking leadership roles on campus; (3) women-centered events on campus that highlight extraordinary leaders from diverse fields and organizations; (4) off-campus experiences that enable students to learn about leadership skills and drive innovation and social change; and (5) The Athena Film Festival — a multi-day celebration that champions diverse, nuanced, and complex stories of women leaders.

Reporting to the Vice President for Campus Life and Student Experience and Dean of the College, the Constance Hess Williams ‘66 Director and AVP will build upon these successful initiatives to envision the next phase of the Athena Center, with an ongoing focus on leadership development for Barnard students and alumnae. The Director and AVP will define and lead the strategy and goals for the Center’s continued momentum. The Director and AVP will also ground the work of the Center in the College’s Bold History Fearless Future plan, ensuring that the Center’s work and staff are advancing the mission of the College. Importantly, the Center will play a vital role in bolstering Barnard’s reputation as the best women’s college in the world.

This is a unique opportunity to join a premier academic institution and direct the transformation and continued growth of a center dedicated to women’s leadership and student development. The ideal candidate will be a demonstrated leader and an accomplished strategist, change agent, and community builder who has significant experience in, and a track record of, successfully advancing women’s leadership in collaboration with others.

Job Description:

Duties & Responsibilities

Above all else, the next Constance Hess Williams ‘66 Director and Assistant Vice President of Barnard’s Athena Center for Leadership will develop and lead the strategic direction and narrative of the Athena Center, at all times centering diverse conceptions of women’s leadership and the leadership development of Barnard students. This work will require vision, creativity, flexibility, and an enthusiasm for partnering with diverse stakeholders. In addition, the Director and AVP will:

Strategic Leadership & Programmatic Excellence

• Lead a dynamic team of professionals whose core mission is to support the Athena Center for Leadership and the mission of the College. 

• Design and lead programmatic initiatives focused on women’s leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation, societal advancement, and similar topics.

• Develop and implement a clear, campus-wide strategy to ensure that Center programming reaches and serves all Barnard students, while also fostering alumnae engagement with the Center. The Director and AVP will serve as a collaborator with multiple campus partners, including Beyond Barnard, the Center for Engaged Pedagogy, Student Experience and Engagement, and the LeFrak Center for Wellbeing.

• Oversee the continuous evolution of core initiatives, including leadership development programs for all students, practical leadership training, women-centered events, off-campus experiences, and the high-profile Athena Film Festival.

High-Level Stakeholder & External Engagement

• Partner with other campus leaders to ensure leadership development is a core element of the student experience at Barnard and to create and implement a campus-wide plan for supporting practical leadership development and training for students serving in positional and non-positional leadership roles on campus. 

• Engage alumnae in mentoring and guiding students while also determining how the Center may best partner with Barnard Next to support alumnae seeking ongoing professional development and leadership training programs for their careers.

• Build and maintain robust relationships with essential stakeholders, including Athena Center staff; Barnard students, faculty, staff, and alumnae; and the Athena Leadership Council.

• Convene a consistent cadence of collaboration with the Athena Leadership Council and lead interactive engagement between the Athena Leadership Council and the Barnard College campus community. 

• Expand the Center’s reach and reputation and grow networks of support beyond the College.

• Collaborate with external partners to lead and support the Athena Film Festival and to enhance Barnard’s brand in New York City and beyond. 

• Collaborate with  the Office of Advancement to support effective fundraising on behalf of the Center.

Management and College Service

• Provide exemplary management of people at all levels, demonstrating a track record of building, mentoring, and inspiring high-performing teams to achieve great outcomes

• Oversee the Center’s budget, manage financial resources, and ensure funds are used efficiently and strategically.

• Serve on the leadership team of the Vice President for Campus Life and Student Experience and Dean of the College.

• Serve on College-wide committees as requested.

The Director and AVP will also assume other duties as assigned.

Skills, Qualifications & Requirements:

Required Qualifications

The next Constance Hess Williams ‘66 Director and AVP of Barnard’s Athena Center for Leadership will have extraordinary leadership abilities, as evidenced by past experiences and future vision. The Director and AVP will have a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 10 years of related experience with progressively greater leadership and management responsibilities, preferably within higher education or similarly complex organizational settings.  

Among other things, the Director and AVP’s past educational and work experiences will demonstrate:

• A true understanding of the importance of women’s leadership and the ability to convey that understanding to a wide range of audiences. 

• Commitment to and passion for the advancement of women’s leadership.

• The ability to relate effectively and positively to students.

• A track record of building relationships and coalitions of diverse stakeholders.

• A track record of successfully designing and implementing programs, initiatives, or businesses/social enterprises.

• Smart, creative critical-thinking skills.

• The ability to engage in strategic development and hands-on engagement equally.

• The ability to absorb detail while maintaining vision and establishing priorities.

• Exceptional communication, presentation, and collaboration skills, including the ability to effectively communicate with a wide variety of audiences.

• The ability to prioritize, work both independently and cooperatively, and pivot to accommodate uncertainty and change.

• Excellence in the management of people at all levels and a track record of building, mentoring, and inspiring teams in achieving great outcomes.

• Enthusiasm for traveling and working outside of regular business hours as required.

Preferred Qualifications

In addition to the required qualifications set forth above, candidates with the following qualifications are encouraged to apply for the role:

• An advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Higher Education Administration, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Law, Business, or a related field.

• Experience working at or with institutions of higher education or other institutions dedicated to feminist principles.

• Demonstrated success in working with development professionals to secure external funding or partnerships to advance women’s leadership.

Salary Range: $185,000 - $190,000 annually

As a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Council of Ivy Group Presidents (Ivy League), it is imperative that all employees of Barnard College, in all matters related to the intercollegiate athletics program, exhibit the highest professional standards and ethical behavior with regard to adherence to NCAA, Conference, Columbia University, and Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Physical Education rules and regulations.  

This job description is intended as a summary of the primary responsibilities of and qualifications for this position.  The job description is not intended as inclusive of all duties an individual in this position might be asked to perform or of all qualifications that may be required either now or in the future.

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the College's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Company:

Barnard College

Time Type:

Full time