Executive Director, Better Than Ready and Strategic Partnerships

Who we are:

The University of New Haven, founded in 1920, is a private university whose mission is to prepare students to excel and lead purposeful and fulfilling lives in a global society. The university offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate programs and has been recognized for academic excellence, nationally and internationally. In addition to its main campus in West Haven, the university has a campus in Tuscany, Italy. Learn more at newhaven.edu.

The Executive Director of Better Than Ready and Strategic Partnerships serves as the operational leader responsible for transforming corporate relationships, innovation initiatives, and workforce strategies into measurable student, employer, and institutional outcomes. Working in partnership with the Vice President, Corporate Partnerships and Innovation, the Executive Director oversees implementation of the University's Better Than Ready® strategy, employer engagement operations, workforce development initiatives, innovation adoption efforts, and employer-connected experiential learning opportunities. The position serves as a key integrator across academic and administrative units, ensuring strategic priorities are translated into scalable programs, processes, and measurable outcomes.

You will:

• Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight of the Better Than Ready Center, including staff management, program development, performance measurement, and student career readiness initiatives.
• Develop and activate corporate partnerships that create internships, employment pipelines, mentoring opportunities, industry projects, and other high-impact engagement opportunities for students and faculty.
• Lead implementation of workforce development strategies by analyzing labor market trends, assessing employer needs, and building talent pipeline and training initiatives.
• Support university-wide innovation and digital transformation efforts, including adoption of emerging technologies, artificial intelligence initiatives, and workforce technology platforms.
• Oversee operational execution of programs, partnerships, and community engagement activities within The Elevation Center.
• Collaborate across academic and administrative units to drive institutional change, workforce innovation, student success initiatives, and organizational transformation efforts.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators, ensuring accountability, measurable outcomes, and continuous improvement across all areas of responsibility.
• Cultivate strong relationships with employers, industry leaders, community partners, faculty, and university stakeholders to advance strategic objectives.
• Serve as a senior leader and strategic advisor, providing expertise in workforce development, employer engagement, partnership management, and change leadership.

You need:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Preferred areas of study include Higher Education Administration, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Workforce Development or Public Administration.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. Ability to communicate with internal and external stakeholders effectively and professionally.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience required.
• Demonstrated experience in workforce development and talent strategy required.
• Experience building and managing corporate partnerships required.
• Experience leading organizational change initiatives required.
• Experience managing budgets, programs, and staff required.
• Higher education leadership experience preferred.
• Experience working with employers, workforce boards, economic development organizations, or industry associations preferred.
• Experience developing workforce or experiential learning programs preferred.
• Experience leading innovation or digital transformation initiatives preferred.

What's in it for you:

• Health & Welfare Programs: Employees and their eligible family members, including spouses and dependent are eligible for Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Programs.
• Wellness & Fitness: On-campus Recreation and Fitness Center for employees and families; Employee Assistant Program
• Commitment to Educational Excellence: Tuition assistance for employees and eligible dependents; Tuition exchange opportunities
• Employee Discounts on products, services and educational opportunities
• Work/Life Benefits: Generous paid time off programs; progressive paid holiday schedule (including holiday break between Christmas and New Year’s); 4 weeks of parental paid leave; flexible work schedules including summer hours where applicable

*The University of New Haven is not a qualifying E-Verify employer and its use of E-Verify is limited to specific government projects. For that reason, candidates with STEM OPT authorization cannot be considered for employment.