Academic Program Director

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Job Category:

Limited

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Academic Program Director (B)

Job Summary:

The Department of Statistics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is seeking a dynamic and strategic Academic Program Director to lead and manage our student academic programs. In this role, you will collaborate closely with faculty to design, implement, and oversee high-impact curricular structures while formulating long-term program strategies, policies, and operational goals. As a key leader, you will supervise academic staff, assist with unit budgeting, and evaluate program operations to ensure continuous alignment with departmental standards. Additionally, the Director serves as the primary liaison between academic programs, university leadership, and external partners, offering vital guidance on funding, staffing, and spatial resources to advance the department's educational mission.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Collaborates with faculty members to develop student academic programs and agendas, directs implementation, and creates curricular structure including operational and logistical arrangements

• Develops the unit budget and approves unit expenditures

• Evaluates operations and outcomes to ensure alignment with organizational goals

• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees

• Formulates program strategies and goals, directs long-term planning, develops policies and procedures, and establishes and maintains new and emerging program materials

• May provide guidance to faculty regarding funding, staffing, and space implications

• Manages student academic program(s)

• Serves as the principal liaison between the program, University leadership, and outside entities

Department:

UW-Madison, College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, Statistics

Compensation:

The minimum salary is $89,725, depending on qualifications and experience.

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as:
- Generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off
- Competitive insurances and savings accounts
- Retirement benefits

More Benefits information can be found here.

Required Qualifications:

Demonstrated experience exercising full supervisory authority (hiring, performance management, discipline, assigning work, approving hours).

Experience managing academic programs within a higher education environment, including strategic planning, policy development, and operational oversight.

Proven ability to collaborate with faculty to design, develop, and implement academic programs, curricula, and logistical arrangements.

Demonstrated track record of developing unit budgets, managing financial resources, and approving expenditures.

Excellent communication and relationship-building skills to serve as the principal liaison between the program, university leadership, and external stakeholders/entities.

Preferred Qualifications:

Direct experience working closely with, guiding, or managing faculty regarding academic funding, staffing models, and physical space allocation.

Demonstrated ability to formulate long-term strategic plans, establish program goals, and conduct outcomes/operations evaluations to ensure alignment with institutional objectives.

In-depth knowledge of higher education policies, accreditation standards, and institutional procedures.

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree Preferred Minimum

How to Apply:

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To apply for this position, select either “I am a current employee” or “I am not a current employee” under Apply Now. You will then be prompted to upload your application materials.

Important: The application has only one attachment field. Upload all required documents in that field, either as a single combined file or as multiple files in the same upload area.

Upload required documents:

• A cover letter detailing how your qualifications and experiences align with the responsibilities of the position.
• Resume

Please note that reference checks will be conducted for finalists. Applicants selected to proceed in the selection process will be notified directly. All applicants will receive notification once a final selection has been made and the search is complete.

Conditions of Appointment: This is a 100% Limited Staff appointment. Salary will be assigned within the appropriate range, commensurate with the candidate's qualifications and experience. An excellent benefits package is also included. Successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.

Contact Information:

Amy Maurer asmaurer@wisc.edu

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information. 

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.

Working at UW Madison

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