Associate Director for Adult Attainment

Position:  Full-time, grant-funded position through June 30, 2026.
Location:  Frankfort, Kentucky, office.  Remote work as agency directed.
Travel:  May require site visits to Kentucky colleges/universities, schools, and other state agencies. 
Compensation:  $80,000
Retirement:  TIAA

Vision for the Position

The Associate Director for Adult Attainment is a full-time position funded by a partnership with the Education and Labor Cabinet, Office of Adult Education currently funded through June 30, 2026. The position plays a critical role in implementing the statewide strategy to improve educational opportunities for Kentucky adults.

Because higher levels of educational attainment correlate with better workforce and earnings outcomes, Kentucky established an ambitious educational attainment goal: 60% of working-age residents (ages 25-64) with a postsecondary certificate or degree by the year 2030. As 2030 draws near, the need to engage substantially more adults in postsecondary education and training is essential to meeting the state’s attainment goal. 

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) and the state’s campuses are resolved to increase postsecondary opportunities for adults in both the short and long term. In fall 2021, CPE assembled a team of state and national experts to recommend action steps to advance this important work. The report, Moving Up: An Action Plan to Improve Economic Opportunity for Kentucky Adults Through Lifelong Learning, highlights three priorities and specific action steps to move us toward our 60x30 goal.

The Associate Director for Adult Attainment will work in partnership with the Office of Adult Education, postsecondary education partners, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, employers and workforce agencies, as well as other key stakeholders to increase access to postsecondary education for adults, increase institutional innovation to better serve adult learners, and reinforce partnerships to make transitions easier.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and lead work to execute the MOU with the Office of Adult Education to improve academic support services for all adult learners in Kentucky who enroll in co-requisite and developmental classes at all postsecondary institutions. The Associate Director will leverage and manage funds from Adult Education to provide professional development and technical assistance to adult education instructors and administrators, college faculty and administrators on course design, instructional design, and effective academic support services.
• Develop and lead work to execute the MOU with the Office of Adult Education to develop a clear partnership and process map of all resources and assets available to support the nonacademic needs of students from low-income backgrounds at the local level for Adult Education Learning Centers and postsecondary institutions. The Associate Director will leverage and manage funds from Adult Education to support targeted communications, cross-training, and networking among partners to connect resources and prepare adult learners for the college experience.
• Develop and lead work to support the Childcare Solutions Network and family support resources available through the Office of Adult Education to increase access to childcare for parenting students.
• Plan and facilitate partnership development and professional development opportunities that advance and accelerate progress on the implementation of the statewide strategy for adult attainment, such as: community of practice meetings, continuous improvement cycles, in-person convenings, professional development webinars, toolkits and playbooks, resource materials, etc.
• Lead and/or support campus partners in technical assistance projects with national partners through facilitating meetings, communications, data gathering, and action planning for process improvement.
• Lead/manage a team of senior fellows who are part-time campus partners with expertise in adult learner success. Senior fellows provide implementation support for the statewide strategy and increase campus engagement in CPE efforts.
• Collaborate with other CPE units like the Workforce and Economic Development unit on relevant initiatives and projects that advance the Adult Attainment strategy.
• Track progress on the overall implementation of the Adult Attainment strategy and develop baseline key performance indicators to measure impact and progress over time.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in higher education leadership, administration, policy or related field (doctoral degree preferred).
• Knowledge and experience in student success research and best practices.
• Knowledge and experience in adult learner success, student basic needs, gateway course success, academic support services.
• A minimum of ten years’ experience in leadership at a postsecondary institution or an education-related organization.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs (Word, Ecel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, etc).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong Problem-solving skills and ability to manage multiple projects.
• Strong work ethic and ability to work both independently and in team environments.
• A well-rounded interpersonal skill set, with a focus on strong collaboration and communications skills.
• Ability to adaptively manage competing priorities and deadlines in a comple environment of growth.
• Ability to achieve project deliverables in a timely fashion.

Application Process

Interested applicants should send a letter of application specifically addressing the responsibilities and qualifications of the position, a resume, and the names, titles, and contact information for at least three professional references to CPE.HR@ky.gov.