Project Lead Strengthening Institutions Program - CSU San Francisco

Another Source is partnering with San Francisco State University to recruit a Project Lead for their Strengthening Institutions Program to help launch an exciting new initiative focused on student success, career readiness, and workforce partnerships. This role offers the opportunity to collaborate with faculty, university leadership, employers, and community partners to expand experiential learning and create meaningful career pathways for students. The ideal candidate brings strong project management skills, a collaborative approach, and a passion for making a lasting impact in higher education.

Another Source's client, San Francisco State University, is recruiting a Project Lead, Strengthening Institutions Program to join their team in San Francisco, California. This is an onsite, full-time, grant-funded position offering the opportunity to lead a brand-new, university-wide initiative focused on student success, career readiness, and workforce engagement.

The anticipated annual salary range is $76,500-$81,200.

Here's a little about San Francisco State University:

Located in one of the world's most innovative and culturally diverse regions, San Francisco State University (SF State) is part of the 23-campus California State University system. The university is committed to expanding educational opportunity, advancing student success, and connecting academic learning with meaningful career and community experiences.

Through its federally funded Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP), SF State is investing in a more connected approach to student success and career preparation. The university's Student Success and Career Pathways Ecosystem is designed to bring together academic programs, faculty, career development, experiential learning, employers, and community partners to help students translate their education into meaningful professional opportunities.

About this role:

This is an opportunity to help shape how San Francisco State University connects academic learning, career development, and workforce preparation across the institution.

Reporting to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies & Career Development, the Project Lead will provide strategic leadership and day-to-day management of the federally funded Strengthening Institutions Program. This role will lead implementation of the university's Student Success and Career Pathways Ecosystem, working across academic and administrative divisions to turn ambitious institutional goals into sustainable programs and measurable outcomes.

What makes this opportunity particularly compelling is its combination of strategic planning, institutional collaboration, and hands-on implementation. You'll work closely with faculty, university leadership, career development professionals, employers, community organizations, and technology partners to expand career-connected learning opportunities and strengthen the university's long-term capacity to support student success.

A central priority will be ensuring that the programs, partnerships, and systems established through the grant can continue to benefit students beyond the funding period.

This is a 5-year, renewable, grant-funded appointment.

Your Contribution Will Likely Include:

Strategic Project Leadership & Institutional Planning (30%)

Lead implementation of the Strengthening Institutions Program and coordinate initiatives supporting the Student Success and Career Pathways Ecosystem.

• Develop strategic plans, annual work plans, implementation timelines, performance benchmarks, and project priorities that keep initiatives moving forward.

• Bring together academic and administrative partners to align project activities with university priorities and student success goals.

• Identify operational challenges, evaluate existing practices, and recommend improvements that strengthen institutional effectiveness.

• Build sustainable processes, shared practices, and collaborative structures that allow successful initiatives to continue beyond the grant period.

• Prepare executive-level reports, presentations, and project updates that communicate progress, challenges, and opportunities.

• Partner closely with Career & Leadership Development, the Institute for Civic & Community Engagement, and the Student Success & Workforce Partnerships Coordinator to ensure coordinated implementation.

Faculty Engagement & Academic Innovation (20%)

• Partner with faculty and academic departments to integrate career readiness and experiential learning into the student experience.

• Coordinate Faculty Career Champions and Faculty Learning Community initiatives.

• Support faculty in connecting classroom learning with professional competencies, workforce expectations, and high-impact educational practices.

• Facilitate faculty workshops, professional development activities, and cross-disciplinary collaborations.

• Identify innovative approaches that strengthen faculty engagement and support lasting institutional change.

Partnership Development & Workforce Engagement (20%)

• Develop meaningful relationships with employers, industry leaders, alumni, government agencies, and community organizations.

• Help expand student access to internships, mentoring, undergraduate research, community-engaged learning, and other career-connected experiences.

• Provide strategic direction for employer and community engagement activities in collaboration with campus partners.

• Identify opportunities to align university initiatives with regional workforce needs.

• Represent the program at university committees, employer meetings, community events, and workforce development activities.

Assessment, Evaluation & Institutional Effectiveness (10%)

• Monitor project outcomes and performance measures to evaluate progress toward grant objectives.

• Collaborate with Institutional Research and external evaluators to collect, analyze, and interpret program data.

• Develop dashboards, reports, and recommendations that inform decision-making and continuous improvement.

• Lead institutional implementation and long-term adoption of the GivePulse platform in partnership with the Institute for Civic & Community Engagement.

• Work with technology, research, and program partners to establish effective data practices, reporting frameworks, and sustainable technology solutions.

Program Administration, Fiscal Management & Compliance (15%)

• Coordinate grant budget planning, expenditure monitoring, financial forecasting, and resource allocation.

• Prepare financial analyses and reports that support responsible stewardship of grant resources.

• Coordinate purchasing, contracts, and procurement activities in accordance with university, CSU, and grant requirements.

• Maintain documentation, administrative procedures, and reporting practices that support accountability and compliance.

• Monitor project deliverables, facilitate meetings, and coordinate follow-up activities to keep implementation on track.

The remaining 5% of the role includes other duties as assigned.

Experience You Will Bring:

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree and/or equivalent training and administrative experience involving research, analysis, evaluation, or the improvement of administrative policies, procedures, practices, or programs.

• General knowledge of administrative or program operations, including foundational public administration principles and practices.

• Demonstrated ability to independently plan, organize, and implement complex projects involving multiple priorities and stakeholders.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including experience evaluating information and developing practical, evidence-based recommendations.

• Ability to understand complex organizational challenges and develop strategic and operational solutions.

• Sound judgment and discretion when interpreting policies, resolving problems, and recommending courses of action.

• Experience building productive working relationships with faculty, staff, administrators, students, and external partners.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including preparing reports, delivering presentations, and facilitating collaborative discussions.

• Ability to analyze program outcomes, assess effectiveness, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

• Working knowledge of budget administration, fiscal analysis, and resource management.

Preferred Qualifications

• A master's degree in higher education, public administration, business administration, education, organizational leadership, or a related field.

• Experience leading complex, grant-funded, or institution-wide initiatives in higher education or the public sector.

• Demonstrated success developing strategic initiatives that require cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder engagement.

• Experience supporting student success, career readiness, experiential learning, workforce development, or related higher education initiatives.

• Experience establishing partnerships with employers, industry representatives, community organizations, government agencies, or other external stakeholders.

• Background in project planning, budget development, fiscal management, program assessment, data analysis, and performance reporting.

• Experience improving operational policies, processes, and procedures to strengthen organizational effectiveness.

• Familiarity with student engagement, career services, experiential learning, or project management platforms such as GivePulse, Handshake, Salesforce, or similar systems.

• Knowledge of federal grant administration and applicable university or CSU policies and procedures.

• A collaborative, service-oriented approach, strong communication skills, sound professional judgment, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

What's in it for you:

The anticipated annual salary range for this position is $76,500-$81,200.

In addition to the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful university-wide initiative, SF State offers a comprehensive benefits package through the California State University system.

This position is onsite in San Francisco, California. Relocation assistance is not available.

Why a Career with CSU is for You:

The CSU system offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to meet you where you're at in life and typically adds 30-35% to your total compensation package. For more information on programs available, take a closer look in the Employee Benefits Summary: https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/careers/benefits/Documents/employee-benefits-summary.pdf

• Emphasis on maintaining a healthy work-life balance with ample PTO and flexibility, which includes up to 24 vacation days per year (based on employee group/services).

• Enjoy the vibrant campus life with access to athletic and gym facilities, renowned sporting events, artist events, and world-renowned speakers.

• Numerous professional development opportunities to advance your career including tuition waivers for yourself, a spouse, registered domestic partner or an eligible dependent child across any of the 23 CSU campuses.

• Two different retirement plans catered to fit your personal saving goals: CalPERS Retirement Plan or 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Plan (similar to a 401k plan).

• Medical benefits tailored to support various life stages.

• We recognize that transportation to and from work can be expensive and we are here to help support you with pre-tax commuter benefits.

Specific benefit eligibility and provisions are subject to applicable CSU policies, employee classification, and appointment terms.

Additional Employment Information

This position is designated as a mandated reporter under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and must comply with CSU Executive Order 1083 (Revised July 21, 2017) as a condition of employment.

Occasional evening or weekend work and local travel may be required to support university programs, employer engagement, professional development activities, and community events. The position also involves occasional lifting and moving of materials and equipment weighing up to 20 pounds, including event setup activities.

Equal Employment Opportunity

San Francisco State is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, National origin, sex, sexual orientation, covered veteran status, or any other protected status.

Another Source's Commitment to Inclusive Recruiting

Another Source works with their clients, on a retained project basis. We are committed to building inclusive candidate pools as we partner with hiring teams. As you read through the job posting and review the list of qualifications (required and/or preferred), please do not self-select out if you feel you do not meet every qualification. No one is 100% qualified. We encourage you to apply and share your story with us.

#AS1