Deputy Director, Communications

About the CUNY School of Professional Studies:

As New York’s leader in online education since 2006, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) offers the most online bachelor’s and master’s degree options at the City University of New York, and serves as the University’s only undergraduate all-transfer college. With 24 degrees and numerous other non-degree and grant-funded workplace learning programs, CUNY SPS meets the needs of adults who wish to finish a bachelor’s degree, progress from an associate’s degree, earn a master’s degree or certificate in a specialized field, and advance in the workplace or change careers. Consistently ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report for its quality online offerings, and noted for its soaring growth and enrollment, CUNY SPS has emerged as a nationwide leader in online education. The School’s renowned and affordable online programs—which offer in-state tuition to all students regardless of where they live—ensure that busy working adults may fulfill their educational goals on their own time and schedule.

Within CUNY SPS, the Office of Professional Education and Workplace Learning (PEWL) designs custom workplace learning programs to help organizations achieve their goals. To our partnerships, we bring knowledge of research-based learning practices as well as experience in developing innovative programs.

CUNY SPS partners with Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to develop professional learning opportunities for child welfare and juvenile justice professionals. The collaboration between the two organizations has formed the ACS Workforce Institute (ACS WI).

Description:

We’re looking for an energetic and creative Deputy Director of Communications responsible to support communications and marketing needs for a portfolio of ongoing training programs and initiatives across the ACS Workforce Institute and provide critical resources to program participants and staff. The Deputy Director will liaise with various workstreams to execute successful and consistent high-quality communications strategies and a narrative that aligns with the organization’s goals. The Deputy Director will report to the Program Director and work closely with ACS senior leadership.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Participating in implementation planning to track the timely completion of targeted deliverables, specifically focused on training requirements.
• Building and maintaining relationships with leadership at ACS and provider agencies through regular communication regarding training requirements; oversight of shared mailboxes dedicated to training requirements.
• Developing and maintaining training requirement materials, leading information sessions and trainings, giving presentations, and coordinating and supporting agencies and divisions in the implementation and ongoing maintenance of training requirements.
• Tracking and analyzing trends and determining opportunities for process and systemic improvements.
• Sharing trends, suggestions and recommendations with leadership and working closely with leadership to ensure implementation of processes is handled in a collaborative and straightforward way.
• Overseeing training requirement processes, including vetting and approving external training requests, managing substitution requests, reviewing feedback forms, and responding to agency inquires and providing ongoing support.
• Utilizing the Cornerstone learning management system to support ACS and provider agencies with using reports and other functions to help them assess staff training completion and meet the training requirements.
• Working closely with the Learning Management System (LMS) team to develop quarterly training completion reports incorporating quality assurance processes to ensure accuracy.
• Developing and implementing policies for the ACS Workforce Institute and JSA that directly impact training and programs developed and delivered.
• Providing day-to-day support to the Senior Director of Training and Workforce Development as needed as well as providing support to Training and Workforce Development leadership.
• Providing direct supervision to Coordinator(s) of Training and Workforce Development.
• Attending trainings and meetings as indicated and perform other duties as needed.

Bachelor’s Degree required. The preferred candidate should possess the following: strong computer and information-technology skills, acute attention to detail; excellent interpersonal skills; strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills; excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to work as part of a team, as well as independently to achieve necessary results; capability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects at one time; strong organizational skills; excellent personal and professional boundaries; and flexibility and willingness to take on other tasks as assigned. The preferred candidate should also be adaptable and flexible to changing environments, as well as open to new ideas and feedback, and have an orientation towards participatory culture, racial equity, and being strengths-based.

Vaccination Requirement: This position is funded by a city grant program which mandates that all employees are vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Research Foundation of the City of New York & Diversity

As a matter of policy and conviction the Research Foundation of the City University of New York attempts, in all personnel activities, to ensure equal employment opportunity for employees and applicants for employment whatever their race, creed, color, ethnic origin, religion, sex, gender identity, marital status, partnership status, caregiver status, age, citizenship or national origin, sexual orientation, veteran status, genetic information, disabilities or any other protected characteristics under applicable law. This applies to recruiting new employees including advertising, interviewing, work assignment, compensation and benefits, selection for training, promotion, demotion, transfer, layoff, or termination.

Diversity is a core value at the Office of Professional Education and Workplace Learning (PEWL) at the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS). We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working and learning environment for all students, staff, and faculty and believe every member on our team enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions.