University of Wisconsin Madison
PEOPLE Precollege Program Associate Director - Madison
University of Wisconsin Madison, Bowens Addition, Wisconsin, United States
Overview
The Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) is seeking an individual for the role of
Precollege Program Associate Director - Madison . This leadership position provides day-to-day administrative oversight and operations for precollege services located in our Madison precollege administrative office at UW-Madison and partnership high school sites in Madison. This position has direct oversight of staff managing several program areas including: program recruitment and admissions, orientation programming, after-school tutoring sites (Academic Centers for Excellence - ACE), college preparation, advising, academic support, and summer residential programming. This position is part of a team of leaders who support the educational aspirations of first generation and low-income students with the goal of college access and college degree completion. PEOPLE currently serves over 1,100 students across three distinct units: Madison Precollege, Milwaukee Precollege, and the College Success Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. We seek a passionate leader to guide and collaborate with our energetic precollege and college teams to continue our success as UW-Madison’s leading college access program. This position reports to the PEOPLE Program Director.
Program Management
Provide strategic oversight for precollege enrichment and college success services for PEOPLE Precollege Program Madison.
Support the successful execution and delivery of college readiness services (i.e., college preparation, academic enrichment, summer camp, college advising, and student support services).
Collaborate with the PEOPLE Program Director to monitor and implement ongoing program assessment to meet targeted key performance indicators.
Develop and implement stakeholder engagement and education strategies highlighting program services, expectations, policies, procedures, and program philosophy.
Work with staff to maintain accurate and relevant program internal information (e.g., handbooks, manuals, policies, program literature) and public facing program communications (e.g. advertising, newsletters, social media).
Assist the PEOPLE Program Director in crafting annual performance reports as requested, chronicling organizational success.
Identify opportunities for improvement, allocating staff and financial resources based on defined strategic priorities.
Budget Oversight and Management
Responsible for the program-level budget for PEOPLE Precollege Program Madison, including planning, allocation, forecasting, and reconciliation of expenses from mixed funding sources (state dollars, grants, foundation funds, and donations).
Ensures compliance with federal and state regulations in addition to campus and UW-system policies and procedures, ensuring expenditures align with the organization’s financial priorities and strategies.
Personnel Management and Supervision
Exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of Administrative Office staff (PEOPLE Precollege Program Madison), MMSD ACE Sites, and PEOPLE Summer University staff in Madison.
Determine assignments to maximize short- and long-term results.
Ensure staff have current position descriptions and receive frequent feedback, coaching, and annual performance evaluations.
Create and maintain an environment with high morale and collaboration, effectively supervising staff to achieve strategic priorities.
Develop, promote, and facilitate staff training programs to ensure compliance with youth protection, FERPA, Clery Act, and Title IX policies.
Policy Development and Oversight
Work with program leadership to develop and ensure policies, procedures, and staffing align with applicable laws.
Communicate, train, and facilitate changes in policies and procedures related to youth and minor protection, youth and pre-college programming, FERPA, Clery Act, and Title IX.
Ensure the program operates in alignment with MOU guidelines and established grants, partnerships, or agreements.
Partnership Development and Fundraising
Build, sustain, and expand partnerships among key constituencies who support PEOPLE Precollege Program Madison, including UW-Campus, local school systems, and institutional/private entities.
Collaborate with the PEOPLE Program Director to develop strategic development opportunities to achieve annual fundraising goals.
Coordinate with program and divisional leadership and UW Foundation to design and implement campaigns that strengthen alumni and donor engagement.
Supporting Organizational Excellence
Support and mentor staff to elevate the program’s profile through strategic communications (e.g., presentations, publications, social media) aligned with becoming national leaders in student success.
Serve on institutional, divisional, and university committees.
Help establish strategic direction and priorities for the unit in alignment with institutional directives.
Promote respect and civility in the workplace, with emphasis on diversity of gender, ethnicity, race, ability, religion, sexual orientation, age, culture, position, job function, and years of service.
Key Job Responsibilities
Serve on institutional and divisional committees, including the precollege council and managers/directors meetings.
Ensure program compliance and staff training on minor protection and safety in alignment with UW-Madison Precollege Program Licensure, and State & Federal laws.
Implement and evaluate best practices in recruitment, retention, and engagement of students, leveraging data, assessment, and technology to drive outcomes.
Exercise supervisory authority for at least 2.0 FTE employees.
Develop organizational and operating policies and monitor performance to align with strategic objectives.
Assist with developing and monitoring the budget.
Direct long-range and short-term strategic plans to grow the outreach program.
Act as the unit liaison to internal and external stakeholder groups.
About the Department In the Division for Teaching and Learning, the Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) prepares Wisconsin students to succeed in college with an emphasis on enrollment at UW-Madison. Our programming is offered in three units: Madison Precollege, Milwaukee Precollege, and The College Success Center. The program recruits students at the precollege level and provides advising, residential summer programming, and scholarships to support college attainment. PEOPLE serves over 1,100 students.
Required Qualifications
Minimum of 3 years of experience leading, developing and/or facilitating engagement, retention, and/or academic support programs for students and stakeholders in K-16, with strong preference for K-12 experience.
Experience leading and/or facilitating academic support programs, preferably with students from backgrounds of hardship or disadvantage (first-generation, economically disadvantaged).
Demonstrated leadership and vision for an office/unit/organization.
Familiarity with mentoring practices to support strategic priorities.
Ability to build relationships with program, institutional, and community stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience developing curricular and co-curricular programming for students transitioning from K-12 to post-secondary education.
Experience coordinating residential programs focused on college preparation, access, and success.
Familiarity with youth development and protection policies.
Experience supervising a team and setting strategic priorities.
Experience with program assessment and evaluation metrics.
Self-motivated with strong prioritization skills.
Education
Required: Master’s degree, preference in higher education, student services, youth development, or related field.
How to Apply
To begin the application process, click the "Apply" button.
Candidates will be required to upload a cover letter detailing related work experience and a resume/CV.
Cover Letter Prompts:
Include responses to the three required prompts listed in the job description, reflecting on qualifications for the Precollege Program Associate Director - Madison.
Additional Notes
This position has been identified as a position of trust with access to vulnerable populations and requires a caregiver check as per Wisconsin law, with ongoing renewal every two years.
Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States. UW-Madison is not an E-Verify employer.
The application deadline is 11:59 pm on October 26, 2025.
Contact Information Kayla Eckerty, kayla.eckerty@wisc.edu, 608-890-4609
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.
Diversity and Equal Opportunity Diversity is a source of strength and UW-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diverse backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information on diversity and inclusion, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion. The university provides accommodations for applicants upon request.
Legal and Safety Notice Employment may require a criminal background check and references may be contacted regarding misconduct. The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains campus safety policies and statistics and is available upon request.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
The Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) is seeking an individual for the role of
Precollege Program Associate Director - Madison . This leadership position provides day-to-day administrative oversight and operations for precollege services located in our Madison precollege administrative office at UW-Madison and partnership high school sites in Madison. This position has direct oversight of staff managing several program areas including: program recruitment and admissions, orientation programming, after-school tutoring sites (Academic Centers for Excellence - ACE), college preparation, advising, academic support, and summer residential programming. This position is part of a team of leaders who support the educational aspirations of first generation and low-income students with the goal of college access and college degree completion. PEOPLE currently serves over 1,100 students across three distinct units: Madison Precollege, Milwaukee Precollege, and the College Success Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. We seek a passionate leader to guide and collaborate with our energetic precollege and college teams to continue our success as UW-Madison’s leading college access program. This position reports to the PEOPLE Program Director.
Program Management
Provide strategic oversight for precollege enrichment and college success services for PEOPLE Precollege Program Madison.
Support the successful execution and delivery of college readiness services (i.e., college preparation, academic enrichment, summer camp, college advising, and student support services).
Collaborate with the PEOPLE Program Director to monitor and implement ongoing program assessment to meet targeted key performance indicators.
Develop and implement stakeholder engagement and education strategies highlighting program services, expectations, policies, procedures, and program philosophy.
Work with staff to maintain accurate and relevant program internal information (e.g., handbooks, manuals, policies, program literature) and public facing program communications (e.g. advertising, newsletters, social media).
Assist the PEOPLE Program Director in crafting annual performance reports as requested, chronicling organizational success.
Identify opportunities for improvement, allocating staff and financial resources based on defined strategic priorities.
Budget Oversight and Management
Responsible for the program-level budget for PEOPLE Precollege Program Madison, including planning, allocation, forecasting, and reconciliation of expenses from mixed funding sources (state dollars, grants, foundation funds, and donations).
Ensures compliance with federal and state regulations in addition to campus and UW-system policies and procedures, ensuring expenditures align with the organization’s financial priorities and strategies.
Personnel Management and Supervision
Exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of Administrative Office staff (PEOPLE Precollege Program Madison), MMSD ACE Sites, and PEOPLE Summer University staff in Madison.
Determine assignments to maximize short- and long-term results.
Ensure staff have current position descriptions and receive frequent feedback, coaching, and annual performance evaluations.
Create and maintain an environment with high morale and collaboration, effectively supervising staff to achieve strategic priorities.
Develop, promote, and facilitate staff training programs to ensure compliance with youth protection, FERPA, Clery Act, and Title IX policies.
Policy Development and Oversight
Work with program leadership to develop and ensure policies, procedures, and staffing align with applicable laws.
Communicate, train, and facilitate changes in policies and procedures related to youth and minor protection, youth and pre-college programming, FERPA, Clery Act, and Title IX.
Ensure the program operates in alignment with MOU guidelines and established grants, partnerships, or agreements.
Partnership Development and Fundraising
Build, sustain, and expand partnerships among key constituencies who support PEOPLE Precollege Program Madison, including UW-Campus, local school systems, and institutional/private entities.
Collaborate with the PEOPLE Program Director to develop strategic development opportunities to achieve annual fundraising goals.
Coordinate with program and divisional leadership and UW Foundation to design and implement campaigns that strengthen alumni and donor engagement.
Supporting Organizational Excellence
Support and mentor staff to elevate the program’s profile through strategic communications (e.g., presentations, publications, social media) aligned with becoming national leaders in student success.
Serve on institutional, divisional, and university committees.
Help establish strategic direction and priorities for the unit in alignment with institutional directives.
Promote respect and civility in the workplace, with emphasis on diversity of gender, ethnicity, race, ability, religion, sexual orientation, age, culture, position, job function, and years of service.
Key Job Responsibilities
Serve on institutional and divisional committees, including the precollege council and managers/directors meetings.
Ensure program compliance and staff training on minor protection and safety in alignment with UW-Madison Precollege Program Licensure, and State & Federal laws.
Implement and evaluate best practices in recruitment, retention, and engagement of students, leveraging data, assessment, and technology to drive outcomes.
Exercise supervisory authority for at least 2.0 FTE employees.
Develop organizational and operating policies and monitor performance to align with strategic objectives.
Assist with developing and monitoring the budget.
Direct long-range and short-term strategic plans to grow the outreach program.
Act as the unit liaison to internal and external stakeholder groups.
About the Department In the Division for Teaching and Learning, the Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) prepares Wisconsin students to succeed in college with an emphasis on enrollment at UW-Madison. Our programming is offered in three units: Madison Precollege, Milwaukee Precollege, and The College Success Center. The program recruits students at the precollege level and provides advising, residential summer programming, and scholarships to support college attainment. PEOPLE serves over 1,100 students.
Required Qualifications
Minimum of 3 years of experience leading, developing and/or facilitating engagement, retention, and/or academic support programs for students and stakeholders in K-16, with strong preference for K-12 experience.
Experience leading and/or facilitating academic support programs, preferably with students from backgrounds of hardship or disadvantage (first-generation, economically disadvantaged).
Demonstrated leadership and vision for an office/unit/organization.
Familiarity with mentoring practices to support strategic priorities.
Ability to build relationships with program, institutional, and community stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience developing curricular and co-curricular programming for students transitioning from K-12 to post-secondary education.
Experience coordinating residential programs focused on college preparation, access, and success.
Familiarity with youth development and protection policies.
Experience supervising a team and setting strategic priorities.
Experience with program assessment and evaluation metrics.
Self-motivated with strong prioritization skills.
Education
Required: Master’s degree, preference in higher education, student services, youth development, or related field.
How to Apply
To begin the application process, click the "Apply" button.
Candidates will be required to upload a cover letter detailing related work experience and a resume/CV.
Cover Letter Prompts:
Include responses to the three required prompts listed in the job description, reflecting on qualifications for the Precollege Program Associate Director - Madison.
Additional Notes
This position has been identified as a position of trust with access to vulnerable populations and requires a caregiver check as per Wisconsin law, with ongoing renewal every two years.
Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States. UW-Madison is not an E-Verify employer.
The application deadline is 11:59 pm on October 26, 2025.
Contact Information Kayla Eckerty, kayla.eckerty@wisc.edu, 608-890-4609
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.
Diversity and Equal Opportunity Diversity is a source of strength and UW-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diverse backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information on diversity and inclusion, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion. The university provides accommodations for applicants upon request.
Legal and Safety Notice Employment may require a criminal background check and references may be contacted regarding misconduct. The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains campus safety policies and statistics and is available upon request.
#J-18808-Ljbffr