CISLM Associate Director

Position Summary
This position may be eligible for hybrid work schedule. Employees are generally required to reside in North Carolina within a reasonable commuting distance of their assigned duty station. The Associate Director is the senior operational leader for the Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media ( CISLM ) and serves as the Directors principal partner in translating the Centers strategy into coordinated programs projects partnerships and measurable results. The position manages the Centers day-to-day operations and maintains a comprehensive view of priorities deadlines budgets staffing grant obligations events communications and external commitments. Working with substantial independence and delegated authority the Associate Director anticipates needs resolves operational problems and brings decisions or risks to the Director at the appropriate time. The Associate Director coordinates the work of staff students contractors faculty collaborators and external partners; establishes systems that promote accountability and continuity; and ensures that the Centers initiatives are completed on time within budget and in alignment with its mission. By providing strong internal leadership and operational follow-through the position enables the Director to devote significant attention to fundraising donor cultivation strategic partnerships thought leadership and the Centers long-term growth. The position also supports grant development and fundraising by organizing proposal development coordinating information and materials tracking prospective opportunities and donor follow-up developing budgets and work plans with the appropriate School offices and ensuring that funded commitments are carried out and reported accurately. Key Responsibilities: - Serve as the Directors principal operational and programmatic partner converting strategic priorities into clear work plans timelines assignments budgets and measures of success. - Direct the day-to-day administration and execution of the Centers portfolio of research education professional development public programming and industry partnership initiatives. - Coordinate and supervise the work of staff student employees interns contractors consultants and project teams; establish expectations and monitor performance and workload. - Maintain an integrated view of Center commitments and proactively identify risks capacity constraints missed deadlines resource needs and decisions requiring the Directors attention. - Manage grant and financial operations in coordination with School and University offices including budgets expenditures contracts purchasing reporting deadlines and compliance documentation. - Support fundraising and grant development through prospect tracking proposal coordination research budget and work-plan development stewardship materials and donor or funder follow-up. - Represent the Center in internal and external meetings as delegated by the Director and maintain effective working relationships across UNC and with news organizations funders speakers vendors and community partners. - Oversee the systems records communications and reporting needed to preserve institutional knowledge and demonstrate the Centers activity reach and impact. Occasional evening or weekend work and limited travel may be required to support Center programs meetings and events.

Required Qualifications Competencies And Experience
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects priorities and deadlines with a high degree of independence and sound judgment. - Experience translating organizational goals into work plans coordinating execution across multiple contributors and holding teams accountable for deliverables. - Strong organizational analytical and problem-solving skills including the ability to anticipate needs and resolve routine and non-routine operational issues. - Experience with budget monitoring financial tracking contracts purchasing or related administrative processes. - Excellent written verbal and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to work effectively with senior leaders faculty staff students funders and external partners. - Ability to create and improve workflows documentation project-management systems databases and reporting practices. - Commitment to collaborative inclusive ethical and professionally accountable work.

Preferred Qualifications Competencies And Experience
- Experience supervising coordinating coaching or mentoring employees students interns contractors or project teams. - Experience supporting grant development proposal preparation grant administration fundraising donor relations or stewardship. - Experience in local news journalism media civic information higher education research centers nonprofits or professional education. - Experience managing a portfolio of externally funded projects and coordinating narrative financial and impact reporting. - Familiarity with project-management and collaboration platforms content-management systems email newsletters spreadsheets and constituent or contact databases. - Experience planning conferences workshops speaker programs training initiatives or other public-facing events. - Understanding of the challenges facing local news organizations and the relationship between informed communities and democracy.