Executive Director, Strategic Partnerships and Operations, Division of Student Success

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville invites applications and nominations for the Executive Director for Strategic Partnerships & Operations within the Division of Student Success. Reporting to the Assistant Vice Provost for Student Success and Transition, the Executive Director (ED) for Strategic Partnerships & Operations serves as the primary leader responsible for shaping, launching, and sustaining Rocky Top Gateway (RTG), a signature access and transition initiative housed within the Division of Student Success. The ED provides strategic, operational, and fiscal leadership for the program and serves as the primary steward of the university–community college partnership. The ED holds decision-making authority over program operations, staffing, and day-to-day execution, while operating within the governance framework established by the RTG Consortium Agreement and in close coordination with senior leadership at both institutions. This role requires a leader who can operate at both an executive and implementation level, building and leading a team, managing a complex auxiliary operation, driving cross-institutional alignment, and designing systems that support the full student lifecycle from recruitment through transfer and post-matriculation persistence. The ED should understand the operational, academic, and administrative factors that shape successful student transition across institutions. A full prospectus outlining the expectations can be reviewed here: tiny.utk.edu/v4MrA [