Assistant Director of STEM Access and Outreach Programs, Durham

CLASSIFICATION TITLE: Community Development Professional

DEPARTMENT: Extended Learning

POSITION LOCATION: NCSSM-Durham

POSITION NUMBER: 65041352

POSTING DATE: Friday, March 21, 2025

CLOSING DATE: Friday, April 11, 2025 5 p.m.

POSITION TYPE: Permanent, 12-month, EPS (Exempt Professional Staff), FLSA Exempt, 1.0 FTE

HIRING SALARY RANGE: $63,000 – $66,500 *Position funding is limited to 2 years*

Hiring salary will be determined based on education, experience, equity, budget, and market considerations.

*Position funding is limited to 2 years*

NCSSM and the Division of Extended Learning foster an environment of collaboration across departments and divisions and support community-engaged service and research. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as an individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran or national guard. If you are an individual with disabilities requiring accommodations in the application and interview process, please contact us at hr@ncssm.edu.

Description of Duties:

The primary purpose of the position is to develop and maintain a residential STEM summer program and provide year-round STEM enrichment programming for high school students. The position will lead the coordination of the Step Up To STEM program for rising 9th and 10th graders at Elizabeth City State University and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. The position will also provide support for the Step Up To STEM program at NCSSM-Durham and the INSPIRE summer program at NCSSM-Morganton. In leading and supporting those programs, the position will oversee student recruitment, student application processes, staff recruitment and training, communication with student families, assistance with ordering supplies, and the establishment and stewarding of partnerships with communities and universities/colleges in Eastern NC. The position will also work alongside NCSSM Extended Learning staff to support NCSSM Extended Learning program participants or projects.

The position is based at NCSSM-Durham and will involve travel for student recruitment, community partnership cultivation, school visits, and STEM camp implementation.

The position is also an in-person position with limited hybrid or remote options in the non-summer months.

Lastly, the position will have responsibilities for driving for school-related business and/or transporting students. Therefore, candidates must possess a valid driver’s license with no serious driving-related convictions.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Experience coordinating and leading STEM programs for K-12 students.


• Proven experience with assessing potential barriers and developing strategies to recruit and support a diverse student population.


• Ability to connect with a wide variety of constituents.


• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple project deliverables.


• Strong written communications skills.


• Strong attention to detail.


• Excellent computer skills.


• Ability to work independently.


• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills.


• Generates creative and innovative solutions to problems.


• Strong analytical skills.


• Develop and maintain strong relationships with departmental personnel and the NCSSM community.


• Ability to work with sensitive information and maintain a high degree of confidentiality.

Minimum Education and Experience:

Post-baccalaureate credentials (e.g., master’s degree or higher), although a bachelor’s degree plus two years professional training and experience may be substituted for the advanced degree on an exceptional basis.

• At least one year of experience independently managing complex projects and independently leading decision making for a program or project.

Team NCSSM Benefits

Free On-campus Parking

Vacation and Personal Leave: EHRA Exempt Professional Staff (EPS) employees accrue twenty-six (26) workdays of Personal Leave per year. Leave is pro-rated for part-time and less than 12 month employees. Leave is earned monthly. Note: EPS employees employed at NCSSM prior to 1/1/2025 earn 24 days per year and are subject to the terms and conditions of the annual leave program.

Sick Leave: 12 days per year. Leave accruals for part-time and less than 12 month employees are pro-rated.

Additional Leave: Family Medical Leave (FMLA), Paid Parental Leave (PPL), Civil Leave, Personal Observance Day, Extended Illness, Short/Long Term Disability, Family Illness Leave, Military Leave, Community Service Leave, Voluntary Shared Leave and Leave Without Pay.

Holidays: 12 days per year

Benefits: The University System offers eligible employees a flexible and comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to University-provided group life insurance, various retirement savings options, group health plan coverage, dental, vision, critical illness, cancer, flexible spending accounts, accident, disability coverage, educational assistance, and more. These programs can help employees achieve retirement savings and career goals, as well as assistance with meeting everyday health and educational needs. The benefits programs are designed for employees to tailor a benefits package that best meets their needs.

Health Insurance: Employee only coverage under the State Health Plan (PPO) is provided to employees that work 30 or more hours a week. The cost is determined by the type of coverage elected by the employee. Dependent coverage is available by payroll deduction.

Retirement: Required participation for all employees working 3/4 time or more. Option (1) Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System (TSERS) requires 6% of gross salary. Employees are vested for retirement after 5 years. Option (2) The Optional Retirement Program (ORP) requires 6% of gross salary. Employees in ORP are vested after 5 years of participating in ORP. As a participant in either retirement program, you are automatically covered for short-term disability (eligible after 1 year of service/no cost), long term disability (eligible after 5 year of service/no cost). Death benefit of minimum $25,000/maximum $50,000 based on previous 12 month salary (eligible after 1 year of service/no cost).

Supplemental Retirement Plans: Supplemental retirement plans provide an additional opportunity to help you reach your retirement goals. Supplemental Plan offerings such as a 401(k), 403(b), or 457(b) on a Roth (after-tax) or pre-tax contributions.

Tuition Waiver: Three courses per academic year tuition free (at any of UNC 17 campuses that offer courses) for permanent full-time employees.

State Employees Credit Union: Membership welcomed. Contact the SECU Credit Union for information.

Community Service: 24 hours leave credited each calendar year (prorated for part-time) unless you choose the Mentoring/ tutoring option – 1 hour each week up to a max of 36 hours that schools are in session as documented by the elected board of the local education agency or the governing authority of any non-public school.

Facilities: Library & Gymnasium – other athletic facilities available at no cost to employees. Cafeteria on site.

About NCSSM:

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) is a world-class public high school with statewide reach empowering academically talented students from diverse backgrounds from every corner of the state to design their own future. We offer residential high school programs in Durham and Morganton for juniors and seniors or virtual high school courses and programs that students can take alongside their local curriculum, all tuition free. Our wide array of summer offerings for rising 5th- through 12th-graders includes free opportunities for in-state students alongside paid options for students from anywhere in the world. NCSSM Extended Learning partners with communities and regions to advance student learning and outcomes.

Specializing in science, technology, engineering, and math, and embracing the fine arts and humanities, NCSSM has become the model for 18 such specialized schools around the globe since its founding in 1980 and is a full constituent of the University of North Carolina System. NCSSM’s Ignite Transform comprehensive campaign seeks to raise $50 million in private support for our mission.

The new NCSSM-Morganton campus opened in 2022 for summer programs and its first fall academic term. NCSSM-Morganton focuses on the booming fields of data science and artificial intelligence, preparing the leaders of tomorrow to navigate a future driven by data and machine learning, with emphasis on the humanistic implications and ethical use of these tools.

Nearly two-thirds of NCSSM graduates earn a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field — over three times the national average, including 58 percent of our underrepresented minority graduates, which is nearly four times the national average. Nearly three-quarters have earned or are seeking a graduate degree. A 2020 economic impact study found that 54 percent of our alumni continue to live and work in North Carolina, catalyzing nearly $1.3 billion in annual economic activity. NCSSM values the diversity in our student body, and all members of the NCSSM community are expected to foster a safe environment of respect and inclusion for all faculty, staff, and students.

For more information, please read the NCSSM strategic plan and visit ncssm.edu.