Job Description
The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership seeks applications for a Program Associate . The Program Associate will work with the Sorensen Institute’s Director to plan, develop, and implement curriculum for Sorensen’s various adult learning programs designed to build civic leadership c apacity in the Commonwealth of Virginia .
The person in this position will report to the Director of the Sorensen Institute.
The attributes of the ideal applicant will include being detail oriented, innovative, self-motivated , and able to: thrive in a collegial environment among people strongly committed to Sorensen’s mission; work independently as part of a team focused on institutional priorities; work calmly and professionally, especially during those occasional times when the team finds itself in pressure situations; and uphold ethical standards generally and, particularly, with respect to handling confidential information.
Program Associate key responsibilities include :
Qualified candidates will have a bachelor's degree with at least two years of experience working with adult learning curriculum or in fields related to public policy, public administration, public service, or community leadership roles . Preference will be given to candidates with five years of experience or a master's degree with a specialty in adult learning, public policy or public administration, or politics and government . The ideal candidate will have strong social and customer service skills, strong public speaking and presentation skills, knowledge and enjoyment about Sorensen’s mission and programming . Leadership in public administration, nonprofit organizations or academia, working knowledge of Virginia’s Congressional delegation, state and local government, economy, regional leadership, policymakers, and politics is preferred .
Physical Demands:
The successful applicant will have multiple roles. One will involve sedentary work involving extensive use of a computer . Another will involve travel to deliver Sorensen curriculum, attend Sorensen events, and engage in program recruitment and stakeholder relations. Curriculum delivery will involve movement between locations and within a venue .
Work Hours:
Daily and weekly hours will vary depending on whether a program session is in progress. Some weekend hours will be required during program sessions. Sorensen program sessions are held in different regions of the Commonwealth, so travel and overnight stays are part of the job responsibilities. A valid driver’s licens e is req uired .
The position will be based in Charlottesville or Richmond and will require travel as necessary, including overnight travel. Som e remote work may be permitted .
Compensation :
The salary range for the position is $ 60,000 - $ 75,000 . The University of Virginia offers a competitive benefits package . For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit hr.virginia.edu/benefits .
Organization Description
The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership was founded in 1993 to bring together diverse individuals with a passion for public policy and public service who have a wide variety of viewpoints and backgrounds but want to work together for the common good. Our non-partisan educational mission is to develop leaders who can strengthen and enhance the quality of government, politics, and civic engagement at all levels throughout Virginia.
Through a variety of programs-for high school and college leaders as well as emerging leaders and mid-to-late career leaders - the Sorensen Institute has established itself as a powerful and effective force for restoring effectiveness in our political system.
The Sorensen Institute is housed within the University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. The Cooper Center provides leadership development; consulting; data analysis; and research-based, unbiased information to state and local officials, policy makers, community leaders, and members of the general public in urban, suburban, and rural areas alike. As a unit in the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia, the Cooper Center is an experiential expression of the Institute’s study and support of democracy worldwide, and actively demonstrates UVA’s dedication to public service.
Application Instructions :
All applications must be accompanied b y a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission and vision of the Sorensen Institute as well as the responsibilities and qualifications stated above. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the successful candidate has been selected. All inquiries will be held in confidence. Please visit th e UVA job board and search for “ R0055318”.
For additional information a bout the application process please contact Ashley Cochran, Senior Recruiter at alc6dk@virginia.edu .
To nominate a candidate, please contact Lawrence Roberts, Director of the Sorensen Institute: larry.roberts@virginia.edu
For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see http://www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville and https://embarkcva.com/ .
Non-discrimination
The University of Virginia, including the Sorensen Institute, is fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion :
Over its first two hundred years, the University of Virginia has been at the forefront of producing global citizen leaders, groundbreaking research and scholarship, and world-class patient care. As the University enters its third century, it continuously seeks to define and redefine itself, motivated by its shared passion for discovery, innovation, community, service, and social justice. One of the University’s top priorities is to create a living, learning, and work environment that supports - and challenges - its academic community. To achieve its mission, the University must be a place in which all faculty, students, and staff are active participants in its work, where those groups historically excluded from participation in University life are present in numbers that prevent isolation of the spirit and of the mind, and where each individual is conscious of how they contribute to the creation and dissemination of knowledge that enhances the well-being of the community, the state, the nation, and the world. Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, University Advancement honors your experiences, perspectives, and unique identity. It strives to create and maintain working environments that are inclusive, equitable , and welcoming so it can best achieve its mission of supporting its broadly diverse partners, schools, and networks of engaged alumni, parents, and friends of the University.
The University of Virginia, i ncluding the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.
The person in this position will report to the Director of the Sorensen Institute.
The attributes of the ideal applicant will include being detail oriented, innovative, self-motivated , and able to: thrive in a collegial environment among people strongly committed to Sorensen’s mission; work independently as part of a team focused on institutional priorities; work calmly and professionally, especially during those occasional times when the team finds itself in pressure situations; and uphold ethical standards generally and, particularly, with respect to handling confidential information.
Program Associate key responsibilities include :
- Work independently within a team structure to fulfill defined organizational goals
- Actively engage in strategic planning and strategic scheduling for Sorensen’s work in programming, recruitment, development, alumni engagement, and community/stakeholder relations
- On an annual basis, work with the Sorensen Director to review and update the curriculum for Sorensen’s adult learning programs centered on building trust, civil dialogue, respect, ethics, effective leadership, civic engagement, bipartisanship, and sound public policy processes
- Implement onboarding processes for incoming program cohort members
- Overnight travel for two and three-day program sessions once or twice per month during March to December each year ; additional pre-session site visits may be beneficial
- Assist the Director in building curriculum for each program session, including scheduling curriculum segments, communicating with program partners, lining up speakers and other curriculum providers, communicat ing with key stakeholders and venue administrators in each region hosting a curriculum session, and coordinating with Sorensen’s event and venue planner to ensure successful implementation of the curriculum
- At program sessions, present some curriculum segments, introduce some speakers, ensure logistics are working as planned, communicate logistics to program participants, respond to participant inquiries , and assist with conversations about session takeaways
- Coordinate and summarize the results of pre-program and post-program survey s ; develop and interpret metrics
Communicate curriculum schedules to program participants and c ommunicate after sessions are completed to thank speakers, program partners, guests, and curriculum delivers
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- Build and m aintain relationships with past, present, and potential future speakers, venue administrators, curriculum providers , Sorensen stakeholders, and policymakers
- Work with Sorensen’s communications team to promote Sorensen’s programs, highlight program accomplishments, and recognize achievements of program participants and alumni
- Stay abreast of ongoing developments in adult learning concepts and the development of public policy in the Commonwealth of Virginia
- In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned
- The ideal applicant will have a working knowledge of state and local government, public policy, and politics in Virginia as well as contacts in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors.
Though not required , familiarity with software programs used by Sorensen and UVA such as Microsoft Outlook and Excel, Box, Canvas, Salesforce, Qualtrix , and Survey Monkey will be a plus.
-
Qualified candidates will have a bachelor's degree with at least two years of experience working with adult learning curriculum or in fields related to public policy, public administration, public service, or community leadership roles . Preference will be given to candidates with five years of experience or a master's degree with a specialty in adult learning, public policy or public administration, or politics and government . The ideal candidate will have strong social and customer service skills, strong public speaking and presentation skills, knowledge and enjoyment about Sorensen’s mission and programming . Leadership in public administration, nonprofit organizations or academia, working knowledge of Virginia’s Congressional delegation, state and local government, economy, regional leadership, policymakers, and politics is preferred .
Physical Demands:
The successful applicant will have multiple roles. One will involve sedentary work involving extensive use of a computer . Another will involve travel to deliver Sorensen curriculum, attend Sorensen events, and engage in program recruitment and stakeholder relations. Curriculum delivery will involve movement between locations and within a venue .
Work Hours:
Daily and weekly hours will vary depending on whether a program session is in progress. Some weekend hours will be required during program sessions. Sorensen program sessions are held in different regions of the Commonwealth, so travel and overnight stays are part of the job responsibilities. A valid driver’s licens e is req uired .
The position will be based in Charlottesville or Richmond and will require travel as necessary, including overnight travel. Som e remote work may be permitted .
Compensation :
The salary range for the position is $ 60,000 - $ 75,000 . The University of Virginia offers a competitive benefits package . For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit hr.virginia.edu/benefits .
Organization Description
The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership was founded in 1993 to bring together diverse individuals with a passion for public policy and public service who have a wide variety of viewpoints and backgrounds but want to work together for the common good. Our non-partisan educational mission is to develop leaders who can strengthen and enhance the quality of government, politics, and civic engagement at all levels throughout Virginia.
Through a variety of programs-for high school and college leaders as well as emerging leaders and mid-to-late career leaders - the Sorensen Institute has established itself as a powerful and effective force for restoring effectiveness in our political system.
The Sorensen Institute is housed within the University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. The Cooper Center provides leadership development; consulting; data analysis; and research-based, unbiased information to state and local officials, policy makers, community leaders, and members of the general public in urban, suburban, and rural areas alike. As a unit in the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia, the Cooper Center is an experiential expression of the Institute’s study and support of democracy worldwide, and actively demonstrates UVA’s dedication to public service.
Application Instructions :
All applications must be accompanied b y a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission and vision of the Sorensen Institute as well as the responsibilities and qualifications stated above. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the successful candidate has been selected. All inquiries will be held in confidence. Please visit th e UVA job board and search for “ R0055318”.
For additional information a bout the application process please contact Ashley Cochran, Senior Recruiter at alc6dk@virginia.edu .
To nominate a candidate, please contact Lawrence Roberts, Director of the Sorensen Institute: larry.roberts@virginia.edu
For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see http://www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville and https://embarkcva.com/ .
Non-discrimination
The University of Virginia, including the Sorensen Institute, is fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion :
Over its first two hundred years, the University of Virginia has been at the forefront of producing global citizen leaders, groundbreaking research and scholarship, and world-class patient care. As the University enters its third century, it continuously seeks to define and redefine itself, motivated by its shared passion for discovery, innovation, community, service, and social justice. One of the University’s top priorities is to create a living, learning, and work environment that supports - and challenges - its academic community. To achieve its mission, the University must be a place in which all faculty, students, and staff are active participants in its work, where those groups historically excluded from participation in University life are present in numbers that prevent isolation of the spirit and of the mind, and where each individual is conscious of how they contribute to the creation and dissemination of knowledge that enhances the well-being of the community, the state, the nation, and the world. Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, University Advancement honors your experiences, perspectives, and unique identity. It strives to create and maintain working environments that are inclusive, equitable , and welcoming so it can best achieve its mission of supporting its broadly diverse partners, schools, and networks of engaged alumni, parents, and friends of the University.
The University of Virginia, i ncluding the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.
Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force. Equal Opportunity Employer