Job Details

Program Director - PBL, Excelerate and Empowered

Position Number: 6899260
Location: Orem, UT
Position Type: Adult and Continuing Education Programs

Program Director - PBL, Excelerate and Empowered

Salary: $62,542.00 - $73,579.00 Annually
Job Type: FT Exempt Salaried Staff
Job Number: FY2605486
Closing: 2/9/2026 11:59 PM Mountain
Location: 800 W University Parkway, Orem
Division: VP Academic Affairs

Position Announcement

Lead innovative learning experiences that connect students, faculty, and communities through real-world projects.

Utah Valley University is seeking a Program Director to join our Project-Based Learning team and lead the growth of high-impact, applied project-based learning programs and initiatives, including UVU's Excelerate and Empowered Professionals of Tomorrow programs. This role provides both strategic and operational leadership while supporting students, faculty, and project clients in designing and delivering meaningful, real-world project-based experiences that strengthen student success, professional development, and community engagement.

You will guide program vision and operations, collaborate across campus and with external partners, and play a key role in expanding UVU's Project-Based Learning ecosystem. This position blends leadership, collaboration, and hands-on engagement within a fast-growing, student-centered learning environment.

If you're excited to lead applied experiential learning programs, support student and faculty success, and build real-world impact through education, we'd love to hear from you.

Summary of Responsibilities

Leads the overall planning, coordination, and execution of UVU's PBL summer programs, including Excelerate, Empowered, and other related initiatives. Provides direction and oversight to ensure alignment with institutional goals, student success outcomes, and engaged learning priorities. Initiates, facilitates, and oversees faculty collaboration, student mentorship structures, and external partner engagement to drive project and program success. Creates this vision and guides the design and delivery of program operations, including student recruitment planning, course coordination, mentoring events, and development of key program components. Leads staff in developing systems, manuals, and processes that support consistent program operation and scalability. Directs the organization of professional training sessions, career readiness workshops, and project-based learning seminars to enhance participant experience. Supports faculty and project collaborators in building meaningful project partnerships that enrich student learning. Resolves challenges and facilitates solutions across internal departments and community partnerships to ensure student success and project alignment. Supervises and mentors program staff and student employees, fostering a collaborative culture that advances innovation, accountability, and excellence.
Builds and sustains strong partnerships across UVU departments, colleges, and external organizations to strengthen project-based learning opportunities and enhance program visibility. Develops and maintains systems for partner communication, student enrollment tracking, project documentation, and course coordination. Ensures accurate, timely maintenance of databases for student participants, courses, projects, partners, and contacts. Cultivates ongoing communication and collaboration with students, faculty, industry partners, and community organizations to promote program participation and deepen relationships. Represents UVU's PBL programs in meetings, events, and collaborative efforts, serving as a liaison between internal and external stakeholders. Identifies and addresses participation or partnership challenges to strengthen collaboration and enhance overall program impact. Coordinates across units to promote program visibility and connect PBL initiatives to institutional marketing, recruitment, and engagement goals.
Directs program evaluation in line with overarching PBL vision and direction. Creates avenues for impact reporting to ensure data-informed decision-making and continuous program improvement. Leads the collection, analysis, and interpretation of program data from students, mentors, and faculty to evaluate outcomes and identify trends. Prepares reports, project summaries, and presentations that highlight the success of student projects, partner collaborations, and program growth. Uses data to inform strategy, communicate program value, and guide improvement of operations, systems, and partnerships.
Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications / Licenses / Certifications

Graduation from an accredited institution with a bachelor's degree in a related field and five years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, program leadership, partnership development, or project-based/experiential learning; OR a combination of relevant education and experience totaling seven years.

Preferred Qualifications:
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree in a directly related field, such as education, leadership, teaching, or organizational development, plus progressively responsible professional experience in program or partnership leadership.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

Knowledge

Demonstrated understanding of project-based learning strategies and experiential learning practices that support student engagement and career readiness.
Knowledge of project management fundamentals and the project lifecycle within academic and co-curricular programs.
Working knowledge of student success programs, including summer bridge, first-year experience, and mentorship-based initiatives.
Working knowledge K-16 education pathways and student transitions from K-12 to higher education.
Experience with instructional design principles and curriculum-aligned programming.
Knowledge of Utah Valley University systems, policies, and academic program operations.

Skills

Demonstrated ability to coordinate and deliver project-based learning programs and initiatives aligned with institutional goals.
Ability to collaborate with and support faculty and external partners in designing and implementing effective project-based learning experiences.
Proficiency in coordinating projects, including tracking timelines, deliverables, and program milestones.
Experience supporting student employees and mentors through training, coaching, and ongoing day-to-day oversight.
Strong organizational skills related to program operations, documentation, and record-keeping to ensure consistency and accountability.
Effective written and verbal communication skills for working with students, faculty, staff, and external partners.
Ability to develop reports, summaries, and presentations to inform program evaluation and continuous improvement.

Abilities

Ability to manage competing program priorities and deadlines while operating within established guidelines and direction.
Ability to work collaboratively across departments and with external partners to support successful program implementation and delivery.
Capacity to apply sound judgment and independently address routine operational and programmatic challenges.
Strong professional communication skills, both written and verbal.
Ability to organize, plan, and adapt within fast-paced program environments.

EEO Statement:

UVU employment decisions are made on the basis of an applicant's qualifications and ability to perform the job without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 and over), disability, veteran status, pregnancy, childbirth, or pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or other bases protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

To apply, please visit https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/uvu/jobs/5221292/program-director-pbl-excelerate-and-empowered

jeid-602d93e8de5d3c4186f469e70795323f