Title:Director of Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Research ProjectsDepartment:Office of the Dean - YWCC Reports To:Dean, Office of the Dean - YWCCPosition Type:StaffPosition Summary: The Director of BPC Research serves as a key strategic partner to the Dean for research projects and programs that focus on student success, faculty development, and broadening participation in computing. The Director will contribute to strategic planning, design, and implementation of BPC research projects, programs, and events, and will foster relationships across a national alliance of over 50 colleges and universities that are committed to engage in programs to broaden participation in computing; the alliance is headquartered within the Ying Wu College of Computing at New Jersey Institute of Technology. The Director will also work with a distributed team of Principal Investigators and Research and Evaluation Team members to coordinate an annual student success and faculty leadership conference as well as an annual research conference that focuses on broadening participation in computing. The Director will supervise staff within the dean’s office, including a Business Manager for BPC Research Projects and Programs, to support operations of the programs. The Director will serve as the principal point of contact for on-campus collaborations. The Director may also convene strategic planning and execution meetings for the Principal Investigators of BPC research projects, national Alliance members, and stakeholders. The Director will work with other national organizations that are focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion in computing to coordinate joint activities and share information with NSF Broadening Participation in Computing Alliances, NSF AI Institutes, NSF INCLUDES Alliances, the Computing Research Association, and other national organizations.Specifically, the Director will:
Support the implementation of research-based programs that aim to increase the number and diversity of students that persist in computing degree programs in higher education by developing and facilitating national services and resources for college faculty and students in college computing departments.
Advance research in broadening participation in computing.
Support grant proposal development activities related to broadening participation in computing
Serve as a knowledge broker for a national alliance for broadening participation in computing, connecting institutional members to experts and resources.
Lead efforts for recruitment of new alliance members and participants in national BPC initatives.
Facilitate active engagement in BPC activities across a national network of academic institutions.
Collaborate with the BPC research project leadership team to support institutional members of the national alliance in guided self-assessment of the unique computing education contexts, opportunities for broadening participation in computing, and research-based project implementation at their institutions;
Collaborate with BPC research project leadership team to provide coaching and feedback for co-sponsorship applications.
Collaborate with the national BPC Project Research and Evaluation Team to support research and evaluation of impact of BPC project implementations, programs, and national initiatives.
Lead efforts for managing communication strategy across national network to keep participants informed about BPC programs, events, and resources.
Collaborate with consults to publish newsletter highlighting accomplishments related to BPC research projects, programs, and national initiatives (4/yr).
Coordinate with Business Manager to support BPC conference planning.
Coordinate with the BPC Project Leadership Team to help plan and execute monthly virtual meetings and annual Leadership Retreat.
Prepare and contribute to conference presentations, reports, articles for academic and public audiences, and annual reports and updates to NSF and project funders.
Travel to national meetings and conferences to represent the project.
Contribute to the development of resources, toolkits, and web pages, in concert with and evaluators and direct implementation with support from instructional design, graphic design, and website consultants.
Essential Functions:
Conducts financial planning and resource allocation for budgets from federal funding agencies that support the BPC research project and program efforts.
Monitors accounts, creates budget projections for strategic planning, develops and presents monthly budget reports to the research leadership team, ensures financial compliance.
Directs project planning, organization, and execution of BPC research projects and related BPC program webinars, conferences, and events.
Leads and directs the work of other employees who are assigned to BPC research projects within the Ying Wu College of Computing and conducts performance management of the team.
Leads and directs the work of a distributed team of the BPC Project Leadership Team (i.e., faculty from a network of universities that act as Principal Investigators for externally funded BPC research projects, as well as their research staff, graduate research assistants) and the BPC research and evaluation team.
Supervises staff that fall under BPC who coordinate logistics for annual BPC conferences, including procurement, contracting, and invoicing for conference services.
Leads strategic planning for annual conference agendas, including identifying intellectual themes and invited expert speakers
Directs a BPC research and evaluation team to collect and share data to address BPC research questions and to meet internal and federal agency reporting requirements.
Identifies research questions around broadening participation in computing in collaboration with BPC research team.
Leverages research literature and data to design new interventions for broadening participation in computing in collaboration with BPC leadership team and research and evaluation team.
Leads strategic planning for project dissemination.
Writes research papers and experience reports on outcomes of broadening participation in computing projects.
Directs development of public-facing communications about project resources and outcomes, including creation of info sheets and newsletters.
Contributes to growth and sustainability planning for BPC projects and programs.
Supports grant proposal development for broadening participation in computing initiatives.
Conducts monthly budget reviews and budget planning in consultation with the dean.
Represents BPC research projects and programs at conferences, meetings, and other events with stakeholders and sponsors as needed.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Prerequisite Qualifications:
Master’s degree in Education; STEM Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Policy; Computer Science, Biology, or Mathematics; or a related field.
Minimum of two years of experience in computing education or related field, with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Knowledge of research to advance reforms for increasing belonging, inclusion, and academic outcomes in higher education degree pathways for computer science, AI, and other computing-related fields.
Demonstrated ability to facilitate stakeholder engagement within a community or educational setting using best practices.
Knowledge of federal and philanthropic funding opportunities to support initiatives to broaden participation in computing
Ability to independently manage multiple projects and communicate effectively with both internal and external partners.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Excellent time management skills, with a commitment to reliability, dependability, and meeting deadlines.
Ability to occasionally work in the evenings and weekends to support BPC programs and events.
Ability to travel to support BPC programs and events.
At the university's discretion, the education and experience prerequisites may be exempted where the candidate can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the university, an equivalent combination of education and experience specifically preparing the candidate for success in the position.
Preferred Qualifications:
Ph.D. in Education; STEM Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Policy; Computer Science, Biology, or Mathematics; or a related field
Experience in higher education or higher-education adjacent organization, such as a nonprofit or foundation.
Experience working as part of a team to support large-scale, national initiatives.
Experience in writing external grant proposals for federal agencies or philanthropic organizations.
Bargaining Unit:
Non-AlignedRange/Band:10FLSA:ExemptFull-TimeSpecial Instructions to Applicants:This position is a hybrid work arrangement (remote work, with some required scheduled on-campus work and travel to project-related meetings). The Director of BPC Research Projects will be employed through New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT); related NJIT employee benefits packages apply.