Special Assistant, Division of External Relations

CLASSIFICATION TITLE: University Program Specialist / Journey

DEPARTMENT: Division of External Relations

POSITION LOCATION: NCSSM Durham Campus

POSITION NUMBER: 60087882

POSTING DATE: Friday, April 11, 2025

CLOSING DATE: Friday, April 25, 2025 5:00 p.m.

POSITION TYPE: Permanent, 12-month, SHRA, FLSA Non-exempt, 1.0 FTE

HIRING SALARY RANGE: $59,311 – $60,500

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

Please attach a cover letter and resume to the online application before submitting.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) fosters an environment of collaboration across departments and divisions and supports 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.

The NCSSM Division of External Relations functions to advance our educational mission through constituent engagement that cultivates a positive climate supportive of the institution, generating meaningful and material support consistent with operational, tactical, and strategic objectives. Examples of such activities include alumni programs, parent programs, community relations initiatives, board relations, and government relations all engaged by interpersonal interactions as well as strategic and targeted communications. Impacts include constituent affinity/satisfaction, volunteer effort, in-kind charitable donations, financial donations, state appropriations, and policy implementations such as the UNC Tuition Grant and guaranteed admission policies with the University of North Carolina system.

Description of Duties:

Reporting to the Vice Chancellor for External Relations, the Special Assistant role works closely with division colleagues, the institution’s executive and management teams, and key stakeholders. This role primarily supports the Chancellor’s Chief of Staff and Vice Chancellor for External Relations, acting as the division’s operations manager. Duties include coordinating workflow, scheduling meetings and events, conducting research, drafting documents, maintaining digital filing systems, managing mass communications, organizing travel, and handling vendor relations. It requires liaising with leadership team members and peers, fostering relationships with state legislators and key constituents, and advising management on issues and opportunities.

Examples of essential job functions include:

• Executive assistant duties, including administrative coordination, problem-solving, scheduling, research, drafting documents, and managing communications


• Fostering relationships with key stakeholders and leaders and advising management on constituent issues


• Program management, including public relations copywriting, business analysis, policy analysis, and administrative support for committees


• Operations management, including budget management, purchasing, communications, supplies, HR facilitation, and managing temporary employees and volunteers


• Special projects and events management, including implementing new processes, managing mass communications, and planning and implementation of events for internal and external constituents


• Student work service program management, including assigning projects, planning trips, and modeling professional behavior

Personal presence is routinely required on the Durham Campus and very occasionally on the Morganton Campus, including on evenings and weekends. Flexible/Hybrid work options may also be available at the discretion of management.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Program / Project Administration: Ability to manage several and/or multifaceted advancement programs or projects in their entirety. Ability to lead and facilitate teams, workgroups or assigned staff. Ability to conduct research and development. Ability to take initiative in strategic planning and change management efforts. Ability to develop, implement and evaluate programs or projects. Ability to set appropriate deadlines.

• Leadership: Ability to provide program or project leadership in planning and organizing the work of others. Ability to work collaboratively to manage issues. Ability to evaluate and recommend resource needs. Ability to consult with and advise with senior-level decision-makers on an on-going basis.

• Consultation: Ability to advise and negotiate with internal and external clients to address dynamic issues which require an in-depth understanding of the program or organizational culture, issues and work relationships. Ability to resolve complicated, sensitive, or unusual problems of an individual or systemic nature. Ability to guide and coach clients, coworkers, subordinates and volunteers in evaluating and resolving the most complex advancement operational issues, often in overlapping program areas.

• Information Analysis and Decision-making: Ability to research and assess current news and events, legislation and system policy for impact on the institution. Ability to research and analyze institutional policies and procedures, overall business operations, and program areas to determine alignment with institutional mission and strategic priorities. Ability to develop long range objectives for the strategic planning process. Ability to analyze and resolve unprecedented issues and problems independently using input and collaboration of external sources. Ability to serve as a resource for others in resolving issues and problems. Ability to anticipate problems, project probable outcomes and potential impact on policy or program. Ability to develop resolution strategies.

• Professional Knowledge: Knowledge of institutional policies, procedures, technology, best practices and their theoretical bases, demonstrated by the ability to relate programs to the strategic plan and to address complex or sensitive issues affecting internal and external clients. Knowledge of the interrelationship of all program areas and their impact on advancement operations. Ability to focus management on more strategic programs. Ability to serve as the program /project expert.

• Communication and Marketing: Ability to cultivate professional relationships with all levels of the program and organization, internal and external. Ability to take the initiative in difficult situations. Ability to encourage others in complex and sensitive situations to reach a mutually agreeable resolution that achieves advancement goals and maintains positive work relationships across the organization. Ability to coordinate and manage communication efforts conveying difficult, crucial and/or controversial decisions, particularly on an interpersonal basis with donors or donor prospects.

Preferred Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent constituent services orientation


• Ability to exercise sound judgment in rapidly shifting situations, maintaining integrity, discretion and professionalism


• Ability to collaborate effectively with a broad array of colleagues, constituents and volunteers


• Digital Fluency / Application Power User: High proficiency with apps indicated below and general ability to quickly develop expertise in the use of new software supporting business functions such as procurement, financial processing and human resources.
  • Proficiency with popular social media platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn, virtual meeting and collaboration platforms such as Zoom Meeting (and Webinar) and Google Meet, and office productivity software such as MS Office and Google Docs
  
  
  • Proficiency with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT donor relations CRM and Almabase alumni relations CRM


• Ability to serve as on-site coordinator for special events of 1-12 hours in length. On-site event coordination may require extensive standing, walking and lifting. Ability to lift and push up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Minimum Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree and at least one year of experience related to the area of assignment, or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Preferred experience: working in education in the areas of advancement, development, legislative relations or external relations, or 5 years of applicable experience working with a wide variety of constituents in fields of administrative support, constituent relations, legislative relations, board relations or fundraising.

Please attach a cover letter and resume to the online application before submitting.

Team NCSSM Benefits

Free On-campus Parking

Vacation: SHRA employees earn from 14 days to 26 days per year based on years of state service. Leave accruals for part-time and less than 12 month employees are pro-rated. Leave is earned monthly.

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.