Upward Bound Program Director

Upward Bound Program Director

The Director of TRIO Upward Bound provides strategic leadership and oversight for the federally funded Upward Bound program, ensuring alignment with U.S. Department of Education TRIO grant guidelines, institutional goals, and student success priorities. Upward Bound serves eligible high school students by providing academic enrichment, college readiness programming, advising, and support services designed to promote postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion.

The Director is responsible for short- and long-range planning, program implementation, compliance, federal reporting, budget oversight, curriculum development, and staff supervision. The Director ensures that all grant objectives, regulatory requirements, and performance measures are met.

The Director of TRIO Upward Bound is responsible for the management and leadership of the program. This position ensures that all grant objectives and compliance requirements are met while fostering an environment that supports academic preparation, personal development, and college readiness of low-income, first-generation, and academically under-prepared high school participants.

The Director executes strategic goals and operational plans, organizes and implements academic year and summer programming and services, manages staff performance, monitors program outcomes, and oversees budget execution. The role requires consistent evaluation of program effectiveness, preparation of annual performance reports and required federal documentation, and ongoing engagement with campus and community stakeholders to advance the mission of the Upward Bound program and the Center for Pre-College Programs. The Director also leads the development and submission of the program's competitive five-year grant renewal to the U.S. Department of Education.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership, Planning & Compliance

• Provide strategic leadership and vision for the Upward Bound program in alignment with institutional and federal priorities.
• Develop and implement short- and long-range program plans consistent with U.S. Department of Education TRIO guidelines.
• Ensure full compliance with the Higher Education Act and all applicable federal, state, and institutional regulations.
• Communicate with the U.S. Department of Education regarding grant performance and compliance matters.
• Monitor program performance objectives and implement continuous improvement strategies.

Grant Administration, Reporting & Data Management

• Prepare and submit required internal and external reports, including the Annual Performance Report (APR), budgets, and other federal documentation.
• Lead the development and submission of the competitive five-year federal grant renewal.
• Maintain data systems to track participant eligibility, services, outcomes, and performance measures through secondary completion and post secondary enrollment/persistence.
• Ensure accurate documentation of services, expenditures, and participant records in compliance with federal regulations.
• Use data to inform strategic planning, curriculum development, and program enhancements.

Program Design, Curriculum & Student Services

• Oversee the design and implementation of academic year and summer programming, including academic instruction, tutoring, mentoring, college readiness workshops, and enrichment activities.
• Develop and execute curriculum aligned with college access and academic skill-building objectives.
• Ensure delivery of comprehensive advising and support services for participants and families.
• Monitor and verify participant eligibility, academic progress, and engagement in program services.

Personnel, Budget & Operational Management

• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate professional staff, student employees, and instructional personnel.
• Manage and monitor program budgets, ensuring fiscal responsibility and compliance with federal funding regulations.
• Oversee payroll, contracts, and resource allocation to support program implementation.
• Ensure implementation of risk management, student safety protocols, and institutional youth protection policies for all program activities, including residential programming.

Recruitment, Partnerships & Institutional Engagement

• Develop and implement recruitment strategies to identify and enroll eligible low-income, first-generation, and academically at-risk high school students.
• Build and maintain partnerships with target schools, school districts, and community organizations.
• Collaborate with campus units to support participant access and transition to post secondary education.
• Represent Upward Bound and the Center for Pre-College Programs at meetings, events, and conferences.

Perform other duties as assigned to support the mission of Upward Bound, the Center for Pre-College Programs, and the Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Develops, facilitates, and evaluates educational pre-college program content and materials
• Advises institutional or divisional leadership on pre-college program services and student needs
• Oversees design, drafting, and scheduling of program specific materials and resources for an educational pre-college program
• Promotes and maintains internal and external partnerships
• Manages operating policies and procedures to comply with regulations, institutional policies, and pre-college program unit objectives
• May monitor pre-college program budget

Department: Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success

The Division of Strategic Enrollment Management & Student Success (SEMSS) is responsible for advancing UWM's student enrollment, persistence, and completion goals across the full student lifecyclefrom recruitment and admission through financial aid, advising, retention, career readiness, and degree completion. Guided by a shared set of divisional core values, SEMSS serves as both an operational hub and strategic partner to academic units and central administration in shaping institutional enrollment and student success outcomes. SEMSS encompasses 11 departments, 160 full-time employees, and 350 student employees.

Compensation: $55,000 - $65,000

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in education, counseling, liberal arts, or a related field (conferred at time of application).
• At least three (3) years of professional experience with program coordination or management in education, counseling/advising, pre-college programming, and/or student support services.
• Experience working with low-income, first-generation, underrepresented, and/or academically disadvantaged students.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience with federal grant writing, including development and submission of competitive proposals (e.g., TRIO or similar programs).
• Experience with budget development, fiscal oversight, and financial reporting.
• Experience with program administration and supervision of professional and/or student staff.
• Experience with program evaluation, data collection, curriculum development, and reporting systems.
• Experience with K12 school districts and community-based organizations, outreach, recruitment, and partnership development.

How to Apply:

Please note: Applicants who applied for the previous posting must re-apply in order to be considered for this employment opportunity.

Interested applicants are required to apply online and provide:

1. Cover letter

2. Resume/CV that addresses your professional level work experience as it relates to all required and preferred qualifications.

Finalist candidate(s) being considered for hire will be required to provide three professional/supervisor references through an external reference checking tool. References will not be contacted prior to candidates being notified.

In instances where the Search and Screen Committee is unable to ascertain from the candidates' application materials whether they meet any of the qualifications, they may be evaluated as not meeting such qualifications.

Contact Information:

For Questions, please contact Luke Messmann at View email address on click.appcast.io