Vice President of Instruction

The Vice President of Instruction (VPI) reports to the college President and serves as part of the Presidents Leadership Team (PLT). The VPI supervises and provides leadership, vision, and administrative management for all instructional programs and services at the College; promotes the development of innovative instructional and support programs to meet the educational needs of a diverse student population. This includes effectively managing resources to achieve a balanced and responsive curriculum, ensuring instructional activities meet all standards of quality, and compliance, supervising instructional staff and faculty, planning and evaluating programs of instruction, developing and managing assigned budgets, and coordinating cross-functional projects and departments.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Teaching, Learning, and Program Leadership
  • Provide leadership and oversee the administration of developmental, transfer, and workforce instructional programs; curriculum approval processes; the library; eLearning; tutoring; staff development; faculty negotiations; and tenure review.
  • Provide leadership and vision to strengthen, modify, and implement new and existing professional-technical, occupational, and transfer programs leading to certificates and degrees.
  • Provide leadership for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning.
  • Oversee class scheduling processes based on student learning needs, program requirements, and enrollment patterns to support course and program completion.
  • Supervise and coordinate preparation of the College catalog, master schedule of classes, and other instructional publications, including online management of those publications and platforms.
• Organizational Leadership and College Service
  • Maintain a team-based, participatory instructional organization that advances College goals and fosters employee ownership and participation.
  • Support continuous improvement as a contributing member of the College leadership team.
  • Support diversity, equity, and inclusion and foster a climate of understanding and appreciation of differences.
• Fiscal Management and Compliance
  • Ensure the College remains in compliance with applicable federal, state, local, and College regulations, including the compilation and submission of required reports.
  • Assist in developing and implementing College financial and operational plans that support sustainability, program needs, priorities, and enrollment targets.
  • Direct fiscal planning for the instructional budget; supervise its preparation and submission within the context of the overall operating budget; and, upon approval, ensure timely and accurate implementation.
  • Ensure all courses, curricula, and programs comply with applicable laws; federal, state, and local requirements; College rules and regulations; the Education Code; accreditation standards; and collective bargaining agreements.
• Supervision and Personnel
  • Assist in the recruitment, selection, and development of academic personnel.
  • Evaluate all direct reports in accordance with applicable policies and procedures.
  • Develop, implement, and guide instructional policies and procedures relevant to instruction. 
• Assessment, Evaluation, and Accreditation
  • Provide instructional leadership in the accreditation process and maintain accreditation standards.
  • Direct and evaluate articulation activities with secondary schools and matriculation activities within the College.
• Collaboration, Partnerships, and Enrollment
  • Provide guidance to and receive advice from related organizations on instructional programs and promote student participation in decision-making.
  • Maintain liaisons with business and community representatives to support curriculum and program planning, development, and modification.
  • Represent the College in meetings with the community, educational institutions, K12 districts, the Instruction Commission, and other agencies, and lead or serve on College committees as required.
  • Collaborate with the Vice President of Student Services, Marketing Department, and other College resources to support enrollment management.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the College President

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ability to successfully complete a Washington State background check 
• A masters degree from an accredited institution in education, or related field 
• Five (5) or more years of successful experience in increasingly responsible management positions within higher education or related field 
• Three (3) or more years instructional or teaching experience 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Doctoral Degree in education or a related field
• Recent experience as a Chief Academic Officer in an institution of higher education, preferably in the Washington State Community and Technical College system
• Five (5) years or more of current successful experience in increasingly responsible higher education administration that includes professional technical programs, general education, and/or basic education
• Experience with workforce instruction programs
• Five years or more teaching experience in higher education
• Experience with labor/management relations and collective bargaining processes
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with campus, agency, community, industry, and education partners

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of current and innovative trends in professional/technical, general education, basic education, community, contract, and online education, including non-traditional methods of instruction; 
• Knowledge and experience of participatory governance principles, recognizing the importance of the democratic process and fostering open communication among all programs and services; adhering to principles of trust, teamwork and collaboration; 
• Knowledge of the mission and goals of the college; 
• Commitment to equity and inclusion; Understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the diverse academic, socio-economic, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, disability, and sexual orientation of community and technical college students, faculty and staff; 
• History of establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with college administrators, support staff, faculty, and students; 
• Ability to interact effectively and collaborate with staff and faculty to promote an open and friendly team environment 
• Excellent communication and analytical skills; 
• Experience in creating, facilitating and implementing new programs; 
• Effective interpersonal skills with an ability to establish strong relationships and partnerships; 
• Ability to create and maintain a collaborative team environment with supervisors, peers, staff, and students; 
• Ability and experience in effective program development and revision as well as faculty development; 
• Ability to adopt evolving and proven technology for greater effectiveness and efficiency 
• Ability to act effectively and decisively in an environment of growth and change 
• Ability to handle difficult and sensitive issues to solve problems and resolve conflicts; 
• Ability to train, assign, supervise, evaluate and develop staff. 

Salary: $170,000-$195,000

Leave benefits:

• 8 hours per month of sick leave 
• 16 starting at hours per month of vacation leave
• 8 hours of personal leave per calendar year
• 12 paid state/college holidays per calendar year

Benefits also include a Washington State insurance package including selecting one of:

• 6 medical options
• 3 dental plan options
• 3 vision plan options Include: 
• life insurance
• long-term disability

Retirement benefits package including one of: 

• TIAA State Board Retirement Plan (SBRP)
• Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) Plan 3 
• Two voluntary investment (not matched) programs
• TIAA (403b)
• State Deferred Compensation (457) plan

Additional optional benefits include ability to participate in:

• Medical Flexible Spending plan
• Limited Purpose Flexible Spending plan
• Health Savings Account
• Dependent Care Assistance
• Discounts for automobile and homeowner insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Up to 21 days of military leave
• Up to 5 days of paid bereavement leave
• Paid civil/jury duty
• Bereavement leave
• Ability to participate in a shared leave program

Application Procedures and Deadline:

Required application materials must be completed and submitted online at and received by 5 p.m. on November 16, 2026, for priority consideration. Application materials received after this date and time may be considered until the position is filled. 

More information about Bellingham Technical College is at or contact the Human Resources office at (360)

752-8354. At this time, BTC is not sponsoring H-1B Visas. 

Required Online Application Materials: 

(Attachments in Word or PDF file only) 

• Completed BTC Online Employment Application
• Resume 
• Cover letter explaining how you meet minimum qualifications 

Interviews are tentatively scheduled for January 12-15, 2027 and campus forums February 8-12, 2027

Estimated Start Date: April 1, 2026

Compensation details: 170000-195000 Yearly Salary

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