Associate Dean/Dean of Baccalaureate Programs (Sustainable Business, Psychology, Culinary, or Engineering)

JOB OVERVIEW

The Associate/Dean of Career Edge (DCE) is the highest-ranking academic officer within the Career Edge (CE) sustainable education business unit (SEBU) of Enterprise Education within Unity Environmental University. The DCE provides programmatic and day-to-day leadership for all curricular offerings within the CE SEBU, including curricular development and oversight, instructional delivery, and assessment. This position is also responsible for development and delivery of products and support in the service of meeting recruitment and retention goals. The DCE will oversee the administration and continuous improvement of the primarily asynchronous online learning within Career Edge. The DCE is responsible for supervising the CE Instructional employees, and for working with them to collaborate with Learning Designers (LDs), and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to ensure that student learning outcomes are being met at appropriate levels through excellence in academic delivery and backed by a robust assessment strategy. The DCE will also be responsible for accreditation efforts, with prior approval from the Enterprise and conduct outreach into larger academic and professional organizations to ensure that existing programs and general education core offerings remain aligned with career skills. The DCE will work cross-functionally to support marketing and recruitment for their programs, academic advising, fundraising and career placement. The DCE will also recruit, hire, and supervise Career Edge instructional employees teaching and/or serving as SMEs within their programs as outlined in our faculty model.

Reporting to the highest ranking academic officer within Enterprise Education, the Associate/Dean of Career Edge is responsible for providing operational excellence, leadership, direction, and communication, maintaining consistent, high- quality program offerings and working collaboratively within the Career Edge SEBU, as well as ensuring collaboration between CE and appropriate units in Enterprise Education, including Learning Technology, Learning Product Development, Academic Support, and Recruitment.

POSITION SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS

• Support their supervisor in the vision, planning, and execution of Career Edge offerings.
• Ensure recruitment, retention, and graduation goals are met; make recommendations to sunset programs that do not meet enrollment or performance expectations.
• Oversee curriculum development, academic planning, assessment, and program review to maintain program integrity and accreditation requirements.
• Recognize that disciplinary portfolios may shift to meet the strategic needs of Career Edge and Enterprise Education.
• Align programs with industry needs and develop external partnerships that connect Career Edge programs to key industries.
• Hire, supervise, and support Career Edge instructional employees (SMEs and instructors).
• Collaborate with Student Success and Advancement to support student advising, learning support, retention, and career services.
• Actively engage in recruitment and marketing efforts, including social media, conference participation, outreach to academic/professional organizations, and enrollment initiatives.
• Represent Unity Environmental University Career Edge professionally through scholarship, outreach, and external engagement with multiple constituencies.
• Ensure effective delivery of courses in the online environment, including integrating AI design principles and varied instructional methods.
• Teach up to 60 student credit hours per year, guide capstone projects, and develop/deliver assigned curriculum.
• Provide students with the resources, tools, and support needed to succeed, demonstrating a strong commitment to customer service and educational quality.
• Collaborate across Career Edge and Enterprise Education teams to address student learning issues, scheduling, and continuous improvement.
• Proactively communicate challenges, successes, and opportunities with leadership.
• Engage in practical problem-solving and complaint resolution for all Career Edge programs.
• Other duties as assigned.

UNITY ENVIRONMENTAL UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBLITIES:

• Stay open to counterintuitive ideas and direct feedback. Unity employees are expected to think creatively and remain open to approaches that challenge initial instincts or traditional methods. Taking direction, seeking clarity, and executing with precision are critical to moving innovative work forward.
• Work confidently with AI, digital tools, and emerging systems. As a technology-enabled institution, Unity expects all employees to adopt a growth mindset around digital tools. This includes using AI systems to enhance productivity and decision-making, as well as learning new platforms and processes with curiosity and accountability.
• Deliver results in a fast-paced, evolving environment. Agility, resilience, and follow-through are essential. Employees must remain focused on outcomes even as priorities shift, iterating quickly and adjusting to change without losing momentum.
• Communicate with clarity and consistency. Strong written and verbal communication, including the ability and willingness to engage professionally by phone, video, and digital channels is essential. Employees must document decisions, convey key information clearly, and support alignment across teams.
• Model integrity and professionalism in all aspects of work. Every employee is responsible for upholding high ethical standards, demonstrating sound judgment, and maintaining an ownership mindset when it comes to their role and results.
• Own the accuracy of your work. While Unity equips employees with advanced systems and AI-enhanced tools, the responsibility for quality, precision, and correctness rests with the individual. Attention to detail and proactive error-checking are non-negotiable.
• Demonstrate a commitment to sustainability in all aspects of work. This includes responsible stewardship of resources, strategic decision-making, and ensuring long-term institutional impact.
• At Unity, we encourage input, feedback, and collaboration from all employees, your perspective matters. However, once a decision has been made, employees are expected to act as an extension of their supervisor’s bandwidth, carrying out directives with clarity, consistency, and precision. We do not operate in independent silos; instead, we emphasize cross-functional collaboration and shared accountability.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

POSITION SPECIFIC EDUCATION, SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:

Required:

• A terminal degree in a discipline directly related to our core CE programs (business, entrepreneurship, criminal justice, psychology, culinary, or social science) and/or significant professional experience in one of these areas.
• 3-5 years of online or administrative experience.
• Direct experience in successful, productive online or distance education programs.

• A sophisticated understanding of the tenets of retention and recruitment plus demonstrated success in creating and executing academic programs.
• An understanding of the national and global nature of the online education marketplace and strategies for being competitive in this market.
• An entrepreneurial spirit– dedication to building an institutional enterprise.
• Excellent project management skills and proven supervisory and staff development skills to effectively manage teams, inspire quality performance, and enhance morale.
• Strong analytic, problem-solving, written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Work irregular hours and weekends as needed, to ensure maximum student, faculty and staff support.
• Passion for Unity’s mission.
• Must be willing to work in a top down supervisor first approach
• Ability to function effectively within a matrix organizational structure, maintaining open lines of communication while being discreet, and professional.

WORK SCHEDULE / AVAILABILITY REQUIREMENTS

Work hours are specific to the requirements of this position and can include days, evenings, and weekends. Working extended hours required as needed. Must be flexible and cooperative in fulfilling responsibilities and meeting the Institution’s needs. Although Unity Environmental University employees are generally scheduled to work at their specifically assigned locations, there are times when travel is necessary and employees are required from time to time to attend events, meetings or work temporary assignments at any Unity Environmental University location.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, it is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand or walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The use of either hand for repetitive movements such as grasping, grasping and turning, and fine manipulation is required as is the ability to use the telephone for internal and external communications.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Work is performed mostly in an office setting. The noise level in the work environment is normally moderate. Exposure to changes of temperature or humidity 1-33% of the time.