Project Director, Title III

About Pacific Oaks College and Children's School

Pacific Oaks College and Children's School, located in Pasadena, California, is a nonprofit institution rooted in Quaker values and a strong social justice heritage. The College offers bachelor’s, master’s, a doctorate, and certificate programs in education, human development, counseling, and related fields, while the Children’s School is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in anti-bias education, emergent curriculum, and peaceful conflict resolution. Together, they foster inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments that honor the unique potential of every individual. Employees join a mission-driven community committed to respect, diversity, social justice, and lifelong learning.

About the Position

The Department of Student Affairs supports students’ academic achievement, personal well-being, and professional growth through a holistic, personalized approach to the student experience. Student success coaches guide students throughout their educational journey, helping them navigate challenges, connect with resources, and work toward their goals. The department’s support services include career services, learning assistance, disability support, international student support, and wellness resources, along with opportunities for engagement through student government and community-building activities. Through collaboration with faculty and staff, Student Affairs fosters a welcoming, supportive environment where students feel connected and empowered to succeed.

Reporting to the Dean of Student Affairs, the Title III Project Director provides overall leadership, day-to-day management, and oversight of Pacific Oaks College’s Title III grant project. The Director coordinates project personnel and activities and collaborates across Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Institutional Research, Information Technology, Career Services, and external partners to advance student retention, workforce integration, and institutional data capacity.

The Director is responsible for implementation of the approved project plan, monitoring all measurable objectives, managing project resources, coordinating evaluation, and preparing required performance and fiscal reports. The position ensures that project activities, expenditures, and reporting adhere to applicable federal requirements, award terms, and institutional policies. This is a full-time, grant-funded position. Continued employment is contingent upon continued grant funding and institutional needs.

Responsibilities

• Lead implementation of approved project activities, maintaining work plans, timelines, milestones, and assigned responsibilities; manage day-to-day operations, personnel, resources, and implementation documentation.
• Coordinate collaboration across Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Institutional Research, Information Technology, Career Services, and external partners to integrate project activities into institutional operations and address implementation barriers.
• Convene monthly project implementation meetings to review data and progress toward objectives, documenting decisions, action items, responsible personnel, and follow-up.
• Supervise designated grant-funded staff, including hiring, training, work planning, and performance evaluation, consistent with confirmed reporting assignments.
• Partner with Institutional Research and the External Evaluator to coordinate required evaluations, participant tracking, and data collection and reporting processes. Review findings quarterly with project personnel and leadership, recommend corrective actions to the Dean of Student Affairs, and track approved improvements; Institutional Research retains responsibility for collecting, analyzing, and validating project data.
• Manage project budget planning, expenditure monitoring, reconciliation, and documentation in collaboration with Finance and grants administration personnel; coordinate accurate, complete, and timely submission of required performance and fiscal reports.
• Maintain current knowledge of Title III requirements and award terms, communicate relevant changes, and ensure project activities, expenditures, personnel documentation, procurement, recordkeeping, and reporting comply with federal requirements, approved project plans, and institutional policies; coordinate required approvals for scope or budget changes.

Note: While this list captures the core focus of the position, we look forward to sharing the full scope of responsibilities with finalists during our interview stages.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in higher education administration, public administration, business administration, or a related field.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in higher education leadership, grant management, institutional effectiveness, and/or student success initiatives, including management and strategic leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success managing federal grants, including compliance, implementation, fiscal oversight, evaluation, and required reporting.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and coordinating personnel, budgets, timelines, and measurable outcomes.
• Experience using institutional or program data to assess performance, identify barriers, and guide corrective action.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in higher education administration, public administration, business administration, or a related field.
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in higher education leadership, grant management, institutional effectiveness, and/or student success initiatives, including management and strategic leadership experience.
• Experience with Title III or other U.S. Department of Education grants.
• Experience with career pathways, workforce integration, or employer partnerships.
• Experience with institutional data improvement, participant tracking, or project reporting systems.

Location

This position requires the employee to work at the designated campus location and may occasionally require night or weekend hours depending on operational needs.

Anticipated Salary

$85,000 - $100,000

Compensation & Benefits

This opportunity is budgeted at $ base compensation. Additional compensation factors may impact total compensation. To learn more about our competitive benefits and additional rewards, including generous paid time-off, medical and dental insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, multiple flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement, click the link below.

https://www.pacificoaks.edu/about/careers-pacific-oaks/

Working at Pacific Oaks College & Children's School

Mission

Grounded in its social justice heritage, Pacific Oaks College prepares students to be culturally intelligent agents of change serving diverse communities in the fields of human development, education, and related family studies.

Pacific Oaks College is a nonprofit, accredited higher education institution offering bachelor’s completion, master’s, and certificate programs in human development, counseling, education, early childhood education, and teacher credentialing. The school offers classes at its main campus in Pasadena and at a number of convenient instructional sites throughout California, as well as online.

Founded more than 60 years ago by a small group of Quaker families, Pacific Oaks College has remained dedicated to the fundamental Quaker principles of inclusion, social justice, and the valuing of every human being. Three basic concepts underlie the educational philosophy at Pacific Oaks:

• that every individual has a fundamental worth;
• that growth is a dynamic and life-long process;
• and that every individual has a unique identity and human potential.

Pacific Oaks has a long history of serving non-traditional and adult students and has become known and recognized for its progressive approach to teaching and learning—valuing real-world experiences in addition to academic achievements. This philosophy is embodied in the school’s Experiential Learning, approach, and opportunities such as the Credit for Life Experience option which allows students to gain academic credit for real-world experiences.

Pacific Oaks is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and has been since 1959.