Associate Director, Prison Teaching Initiative

US-NJ-Princeton

Job ID: 2025-20429
Type: Full-Time
# of Openings: 1
Category: Academic Administration

Overview

Reporting to the Director of the Program for Community College Engagement in the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Faculty Director of the Prison Teaching Initiative (PTI), the Associate Director, Prison Teaching Initiative (AD) is responsible for setting the strategic direction and overseeing all operational aspects of PTI. The AD expands opportunities for academic outreach by building and maintaining external partnerships around the state and within the national higher education in prison community. The AD supervises a Program Manager, Student Engagement Coordinator, and 2 Instructional Specialists; collaborates with the Faculty Director; and works closely with the Leadership Team to oversee the efficient and effective operation and growth of the program.

The successful candidate will hold an advanced degree and have experience teaching college courses to incarcerated students.

In service of expanding opportunities for academic outreach, the AD is responsible for representing PTI externally and on campus, including:

• Representing the organization at meetings with our partners: the New Jersey Department of Corrections, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, various community colleges and universities in New Jersey, the NJ State Government, and the state-wide prison teaching consortium, NJ-STEP.
• Representing PTI on the national stage: organizing conferences at Princeton; speaking at conferences elsewhere; and learning about and disseminating best practices in prison teaching.
• On campus, the AD serving as a spokesperson for PTI: Building partnerships, managing relationships, and collaborating with colleagues in support of PTI’s mission.

Supervising personnel, including the work of the Program Manager, Student Engagement Coordinator, Instructional Specialists, the Graduate Fellows, and approximately 100 active volunteer instructors and tutors.

Managing PTI’s course offerings, summer internship programming, and mentorship programming, including:

• Working with our community college and BA partners in scheduling classes, assigning teachers, procuring class materials, and managing the student rosters;
• Overseeing the organization of pedagogical trainings and social activities for the volunteers;
• Working with the Faculty Director on organizing classes and designing new classes;
• Working with campus partners to recruit, design, coordinate, and implement student support services for summer internships for formerly incarcerated undergraduates at Princeton;
• Overseeing the summer internship program Coding Foundations of Research in collaboration with the Director of the Program for Community College Engagement; and
• Facilitating PTI's partnership with the the Princeton University Class of 1994, including overseeing the Power Up mentorship program.

Overseeing the administrative aspects of PTI’s work, including by:

• Monitoring and maintaining PTI’s financial operations and obligations
• Interfacing with PIs, ORPA, and other partners in support of grant activities
• Creating reports and carefully tracking expenses across multiple income streams.
• Directing PTI's website and social media.

ESSENTIAL

• Proven ability to coordinate workflows and manage professional staff on complex projects.
• Master’s or professional degree required, PhD strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, to prioritize, and to exercise independent judgment.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to form and maintain partnerships with internal and external stakeholders and offices.
• Experience teaching and/or learning in a prison setting.
• Experience managing volunteers, and should understand the unique challenges of working with volunteers in a correctional setting.
• Must be sensitive to the needs and concerns of a diverse student population
• Highest level of professionalism and tact

PREFERRED 

• Experience planning academic conferences
• Experience grant writing

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS