Chief of Staff to the President

Salary: Depends on Qualifications
Location : Lamar State College Port Arthur
Job Type: Professional
Job Number:
Organization: Office of the President
Opening Date: 11/13/2026
FLSA: Exempt

Job Summary
The President's Chief of Staff has responsibilities that include, but are not limited to, working closely with the President and College leadership to advance LSCPA's highest priorities and ensures important projects, decisions, and commitments are carried through to completion. The President's Chief of Staff also helps turn the President's direction and College priorities into clear plans, coordination action, and measurable results.

Working across the College, the Chief of Staff coordinates major projects involving multiple departments and external partners; strengthens planning, communication, accountability, and follow-through; and helps ensure College resources and efforts are focused on student success and the future of LSCPA.

The Chief of Staff works alongside vice presidents and other College leaders, adding capacity and coordination while respecting their responsibilities and authority. The position helps identify issues requiring presidential attention, provides the President with information and context for effective decisions, and helps ensure decisions and major priorities move forward. The Chief of Staff also supports a collaborative, accountable, and forward-looking College culture consistent with LSCPA's Spirit of Excellence. This is a full-time position that reports to the President.

Duties/Responsibilities

Presidential Priorities, Cabinet Coordination & Execution
- Turn presidential priorities and Cabinet decisions into clear actions, responsibilities, timelines, and expected results.
- Coordinate and track high-priority projects involving multiple areas of the College, establishing clear ownership and ensuring follow-through.
- Identify issues, opportunities, risks, and barriers requiring attention and provide the President with timely information and analysis for decision-making.
- Strengthen coordination across Cabinet and departments while respecting the responsibilities and authority of College leaders.
- Help the President and Cabinet plan ahead, anticipate needs and opportunities, and maintain focus on LSCPA's highest priorities.

Facilities, Infrastructure & Strategic Resources
- Work with the Director of Physical Plant, CFO, and other College leaders to coordinate major facility, infrastructure, equipment, and campus improvement projects, with attention to student experience, campus engagement, and future growth.
- Help coordinate workforce grant projects and other major investments involving multiple College areas and external partners.
- Support implementation of the current campus master plan, identification of future needs, and development of the College's next master plan.
- Coordinate College planning related to major external projects affecting LSCPA, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Drainage District 7 seawall project.
- Help align Higher Education Fund resources, equipment, maintenance, capital investments, and other major expenditures with College priorities.

Strategic Planning, Performance & Accountability
- Coordinate development, implementation, and regular review of the College's strategic plan, including engagement with internal and external stakeholders.
- Work with Institutional Effectiveness and College leadership to establish key performance measures, targets, and regular processes for reviewing institutional progress and student outcomes.
- Connect College goals with budgets, facilities, staffing, programs, and other resources.
- Track progress on major priorities, regularly report results to the President and Cabinet, identify areas needing attention, and help leadership make adjustments when needed.
- Keep student success, institutional growth, workforce and community needs, and the long-term strength of LSCPA at the center of planning and decision-making.

President's Office, System/Board & College Coordination
- Help ensure matters requiring presidential awareness, decision, action, or follow-through are identified and coordinated with responsible College leaders.
- Coordinate College matters involving the Texas State University System and Board of Regents, including priorities, deadlines, updates, briefing materials, and presentations.
- Maintain a master calendar of major College deadlines, projects, events, System and Board activities, and other important milestones.
- Help coordinate planning and execution of major College events, presidential initiatives, policy work, and special projects involving multiple areas.
- Support the President's work with business and industry, healthcare, education, government, community leaders, and other key partners, and represent the President or College as appropriate.

Organizational Effectiveness, Communication & Culture
- Improve communication and coordination among the President's Office, Cabinet, departments, and College community.
- Identify and help address gaps, duplication, and barriers that make it harder for people and departments to work effectively together.
- Support organizational change through effective planning, communication, employee involvement, and follow-through.
- Work with Marketing and Communications to strengthen presidential and College communications around priorities, progress, and accomplishments.
- Encourage collaboration, shared responsibility, forward planning, responsible stewardship, and continuous improvement.
- Help advance LSCPA's Spirit of Excellence through high expectations, strong service, teamwork, accountability, and a continued focus on students and the community.
- Comply with all TSUS, LSCPA, state and federal policies, rules, and regulations.
- Other related duties, as assigned.
Minimum/Preferred Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:
- Master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
- At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience, including significant experience in higher education administration, leadership, planning, operations, or a related area.
- Demonstrated experience coordinating complex projects involving multiple departments, senior leaders, or external partners.
- Valid driver's license.

Preferred Qualifications:
- Doctorate or other terminal degree, or substantial progress toward completion.
- Twelve to fifteen or more years of progressively responsible higher education experience, including senior-level leadership experience.
- Experience at a community college, technical college, state college, or institution with a strong student success and workforce mission.
- Experience with strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, performance measurement, facilities or capital projects, or organizational improvement.
- Experience working with governing boards, university systems, governmental entities, business and industry, K-12 education, or community partners.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
- Demonstrated experience coordinating complex projects involving multiple departments, senior leaders, or external partners.
- Strong analytical, organizational, project management, and written and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with senior leaders, use data and financial information to support decisions, and manage multiple priorities through completion.
- Sound judgment, discretion, diplomacy, and ability to maintain confidentiality when working with sensitive matters.
- Knowledge of Southeast Texas and its educational, business, industry, governmental, and community environment.

Core Competencies:
Execution & Project Management - Turns priorities into action, establishes clear responsibilities and timelines, and keeps complex work moving.
Judgment & Problem-Solving - Understands complex issues, identifies what requires attention, evaluates options, and supports sound decisions.
Collaboration & Influence - Builds trust and achieves results across organizational boundaries without relying primarily on formal authority.
Communication & Executive Synthesis - Distills complex information and communicates what matters clearly and concisely to the President, leadership, and other audiences.
Planning & Organization - Manages multiple priorities while balancing immediate needs with longer-term goals.
Data & Financial Understanding - Uses budgets, performance measures, institutional data, and other information to support decisions and responsible use of resources.
Organizational & Political Awareness - Understands organizational dynamics and the educational, governmental, business, and community environment in which LSCPA operates.
Integrity, Initiative & Excellence - Demonstrates discretion, adaptability, initiative, professionalism, and a strong commitment to student success and LSCPA's Spirit of Excellence.
Supplemental Information
Physical Requirements:

This position requires employees to remain in a stationary position most of the time; move to various locations on campus; move about inside an office to access documents, office equipment, etc.; and operate a computer or other office equipment, such as a printer or copy machine.

01

What is your highest level of education attained?

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Associate's degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Doctoral degree

02

How many years of progressively responsible experience do you have in higher education administration, leadership, planning, operations, or a related area.

• 15+ years
• 12 - 15 years
• 10 - 12 years
• Less than 10 years

03

Describe your experience coordinating complex projects involving multiple departments, senior leaders, or external partners.
04

Do you have experience working at a community college, technical college, or state institution, with a strong student success and workforce mission?

• Yes
• No

05

Describe your knowledge of Southeast Texas and its educational, business, industry, governmental, and community environment.
06

Describe your experience working with governing boards, university systems, governmental entities, K-12 education, or community partner.
07

Do you have a valid driver's license?

• Yes
• No

Required Question