University of Chicago

University of Chicago

Program Director, Harris Social Impact Fellowship

Chicago, IL · Director · Contract

Sponsorship not specified$90k-$110kDetected 2 hours ago
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About the role

  • The Program Director provides programmatic and operational leadership for the Harris Social Impact Fellowship (HSIF), a flagship initiative of the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

Responsibilities

  • Translates the growth strategy and program priorities set by the Executive Director into detailed program plans and execution, and supports expansion work such as placement diversification and applicant-pool engagement.
  • Manages the day-to-day operational relationships across Harris and the University that keep the Fellowship running, including project-level coordination with faculty and research center staff (Urban Labs, BIP Lab, Mansueto Institute, and others), career services, admissions, finance, and OLC.
  • Manages the ongoing operational relationship with confirmed external partners (research organizations, social impact employers, government and policy institutions, and host placement sites), running regular check-ins, tracking deliverables, and flagging renewal or escalation moments to the Executive Director, who sources new partnerships and re-engages at those points.
  • Runs the full selection process end-to-end against the assessment framework, interview design, and evaluation rubrics set by the Executive Director, and surfaces cohort recommendations for final decision by the Executive Director and Faculty Director.
  • Manages the full fellow lifecycle from recruitment through alumni integration, implementing the professional standards, mentorship structures, crisis protocols, and alumni engagement platform designed by the Executive Director, and running day-to-day alumni communications.
  • Builds and maintains the operational network of post-fellowship career opportunities, including employer and institutional contacts, opportunity mapping across the sectors set by the Executive Director, individual career-development touchpoints with fellows and alumni, placement tracking, and connecting specific fellows and alumni to specific roles.
  • Runs day-to-day operations for the Fellowship, including cross-unit coordination, information flow, and operational handoffs across the Fellowship team, faculty leads, host institutions, and University units, within the governance and escalation framework set by the Executive Director.
  • Maintains reliable program delivery as HSIF grows to multiple cohorts, flagging operational, reputational, and partnership risks to the Executive Director and supporting mitigation.
  • Manages the program budget within approved parameters, including spend tracking, cost-per-fellow analysis, proposing resource allocation across placement partnerships, recruitment, alumni programming, and operations, and escalating material changes to the Executive Director.
  • Develops and communicates program priorities and performance standards and assesses operations using these criteria. Plans and conducts quality assurance reviews and recommends changes as appropriate.

Requirements

  • include a college or university degree in related field.
  • Contact information for three references (required)

Nice to have

  • Track record in program development, student-facing program management, and scaling complex initiatives across institutional boundaries.
  • Preferred Competencies
  • Plans and executes complex, multi-faceted programs with limited day-to-day oversight, exercising sound judgment on operational questions and knowing when to escalate.
  • Navigates complex stakeholder ecosystems with competing agendas, with strong instincts for sequencing, escalation, and de-confliction.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication, including the ability to brief senior leadership, represent the program externally, and produce program-substance materials of institutional quality.

Compensation

  • $90,000.00 - $110,000.00 The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.
  • The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information.
  • Supports the design and delivery of the fellowship curriculum and experience with the Faculty Director, coordinating annual design cycles, faculty engagement, and integration of research centers across UChicago to ensure academic rigor and institutional alignment.
  • Organizes flagship internal events, including capstone presentations, the annual alumni retreat, cohort convenings, and guest speaker sessions. External representation at academic and policy venues sits with the Executive Director.

Benefits

  • Yes The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off.
  • Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Equal opportunity

  • Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.
  • Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the
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