Director, Civic and Campus Engagement

IOP: Administration Created in 2013 by University of Chicago alumnus David Axelrod (AB'76), the nonpartisan Institute of Politics is committed to fostering in our students a passion for public service, meaningful dialogue and active engagement in our democracy. By bringing practitioners from the public arena to campus, and providing extracurricular opportunities in politics, policy, government and journalism, the non-partisan Institute seeks to open pathways for engagement and leadership to students across campus. This is done through the four primary programmatic components of the Institute. The Speaker Series program hosts nationally and internationally recognized speakers on a wide variety of issues related to the mission of the IOP. The Fellows Program presents an opportunity for political practitioners, policy makers, journalists, and others engaged in politics and public service, to be in residence at the University of Chicago for an academic quarter and provide weekly, extracurricular seminars to University of Chicago students. The IOP also sponsors a robust, paid internship program for undergraduate and graduate students, placing them in high-level settings overseas, in Washington, D.C. and at the state and local levels. Lastly, the IOP’s Civic Engagement programs provide pathways for students to take an active role in shaping politics and policy in their communities through leadership development programs, student-led civic engagement projects, and political exploration treks. The Director of Civic and Campus Engagement is a senior member of the IOP team, responsible for developing, executing, and managing a wide range of Civic Engagement programs. This role requires close collaboration with other IOP program areas, as well as engagement with diverse student, campus, and community partners. The Director will lead initiatives designed to provide students with hands-on opportunities to explore civic participation, community engagement, political action, and leadership development. These programs aim to foster an understanding of political processes and encourage active involvement in local, national, and international political contexts.

• Leads the overall design, creation and execution of the IOP’s civic engagement programming, ensuring that the broad participation of undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds, identities, and ideologies engage with the Institute and participate in civic engagement programs.
• Leads the development and execution of new initiatives to incubate and deepen student engagement in politics and public service.
• Initiates and supports campus partnerships, including those with other institutes, centers, departments and recognized student organizations.
• Leads planning and oversight for civil discourse programs, strategic cross-IOP partnerships, and annual orientation programming, such as Politipalooza and student activity fairs.
• Oversees current student-run leadership programs working alongside the Assistant Director to support the teams of student leaders, providing logistical and advisory support for the programs; ensures streamlined compliance with all IOP processes and procedures; develops tracking and data systems to measure annual metrics and program effectiveness.
• Co-leads student voter engagement strategy with Assistant Director of Civic Engagement, including the IOP’s partnership with TurboVote, a voter registration system; regular voter registration drives; student engagement in UChiVotes; and annual GOTV events, programs, and communications. Develops and manages partnerships focused on voter registration and GOTV efforts with various University departments and student voter registration organizations.
• Leads the design and execution of IOP political exploration trips, including regular local treks around Chicago to learn more deeply about social/political issues, and annual trips to Springfield, IL and potentially other domestic or international destinations. Creates and develops itineraries that provide students with the opportunity to meet with a diverse array of government officials, policy experts, journalists, consultants, and other public service stakeholders; manages all pre-trip logistics and planning; oversees fair and transparent application selection process for student participants; executes effective travel and trip logistics for student cohorts; evaluates, measures, and reports on the trips’ effectiveness. May help identify funding sources and write funding proposals for international trips.
• Conceives and executes a regular series of leadership and skill building workshops in concert with other IOP program areas. This includes deepening IOP’s existing work on bridging divides.
• Works with the Communications team to promote visibility of civic engagement programming and impact to make the IOP accessible and appealing to diverse student audiences.
• Manages program budget and prepares mid-year and end-of-year stewardship reports for funders of the IOP’s Civic Engagement programs.
• Maintains a database of all IOP students and alumni who participate/d in IOP Civic Engagement; tracks their connection and involvement with the IOP on an ongoing basis.
• Builds and manages a database of contact information and other details about the IOP’s Civic Engagement programs and partners; ensures that all data is current, comprehensive, and correct.
• Leads students and staff to develop and implement activities, programs, and initiatives related to student life, and/or community involvement.
• Markets student activities programming throughout the year. Develops and implements protocols for evaluating the effectiveness of programs.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field. Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

• Bachelor's degree in related field.
• Interest in and knowledge of politics, civic engagement and student leadership development are strongly preferred.

• Minimum 7 years of experience, including experience working in political, educational, civic engagement or community engagement capacities.
• Proven project management, team-orientation, and diplomacy skills , as is experience managing others.
• A strong track record of designing civic engagement programs that connect students to hands-on experiences and leadership opportunities.
• Background creating programs that offer inclusive spaces for diverse political perspectives, encouraging thoughtful dialogue and active civic participation.

• Proficiency with computer programs, spreadsheets and databases, including Microsoft Office suite and Google Docs.

• A demonstrated passion for the mission of the Institute of Politics and for politics, public service and civic engagement.
• A strong track record in building and leading youth focused civic engagement programs.
• Leading, working with and mentoring students.
• Strong commitment to diversity and competence working with people from diverse backgrounds and identities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate others. Work collaboratively and effectively in a team environment with a wide range of constituencies including high-profile guests, senior leaders, board members, university colleagues, students and volunteers.
• Superior written, verbal, presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent time management skills, and prioritize and multi-task with deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational skills and a superb eye for detail.
• Solve problems and make decisions effectively.
• Willingness to approach contentious issues from multiple perspectives and mediate differences of political opinion in a constructive, thoughtful manner.
• Strong sense of ethics, fairness, and service to others.
• Effectively compile, track, analyze quantitative event and student engagement data.

• Some travel, with occasional weekend or evening commitments.

• Resume/CV (required)

Student Affairs & Services Individual Contributor 37.5 No No No Salary Exempt $90,000.00 - $110,000.00 Yes