Professor of Practice & Executive Director, Professional Preparation & Workforce Partnerships (CT) Posting Number req27056
Department Teachg Learning Sociocult Stds
Department Website Link https://education.arizona.edu/teaching-learning-sociocultural-studies
Location Tucson Campus
Address Tucson, AZ USA
Position Highlights The University of Arizona College of Education is searching for an Executive Director of Professional Preparation & Workforce Partnerships to provide strategic leadership, coordination, compliance oversight, and operational management for educator and professional preparation programs across the university. This is a Full Professor of Practice position that will oversee teacher certification and all other certification programs within the College of Education and serves as the lead liaison for educator preparation programs housed across multiple colleges, including Science, Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences (CALES), Fine Arts, and Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS).
The role also supports professional preparation and certification pathways in educational leadership, school psychology, rehabilitation and mental health counseling, special education, and related professional programs. Consistent with national models across Colleges of Education and educator preparation programs, the Director of Professional Preparation serves as a central coordinating leader responsible for certification compliance, accreditation support, data reporting, educator workforce partnerships, and continuous improvement efforts connected to educator and professional preparation.
This position aligns with national leadership models across Colleges of Education that emphasize integrated educator preparation systems, accreditation and compliance oversight, PK-12 partnerships, data-informed continuous improvement, workforce development, and innovative professional preparation pathways. The Director of Professional Preparation will help establish a coordinated institutional infrastructure to support program quality, educator workforce responsiveness, certification completion, and external partnerships across the university's professional preparation ecosystem. The position is intended to strengthen institutional effectiveness and strategically position the University of Arizona to respond to evolving state and national educational priorities through collaborative leadership and innovation.
Duties & Responsibilities Visa sponsorship is not available for thisposition.This career-track appointment is noteligible for tenure.
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- Lead strategic enrollment growth initiatives, endorsement development and updates, and workforce pipeline partnerships across all professional preparation credentialing programs.
- Identify new and innovative external partnerships with school districts, community colleges, educational agencies, and workforce partners to strengthen educator preparation and placement opportunities.
- Develop an ongoing holistic strategy for professional preparation program growth that involves ongoing market analysis of state and national priorities.
- Provide centralized leadership related to broad strategies regarding educator certification, institutional recommendations, licensure verification, state and federal compliance requirements, accreditation support, and program approvals and renewals.
- Lead planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of academic program policies, processes, and schedules to optimize program quality, student experience, and operational efficiency.
- Work collaboratively with college leadership to support multiple staff and faculty members, including supervisors, directors, and managers within the college and across partnering colleges within the university where professional educator preparation programs are housed.
- Provide guidance, training, and direction to ensure work meets established standards and desired outcomes.
- Oversee program-level resource planning, including staffing, space, technology, and instructional support needs, and make recommendations to leadership on optimal allocation.
- Identify operational risks and compliance issues related to academic programs and implement controls, documentation, and training to ensure adherence to institutional and regulatory requirements.
- Co-lead educator preparation reporting and data management initiatives, including Title II reporting, state reporting, requirements, certification outcomes, graduate employment data, and continuous improvement metrics.
- Develop systems for collecting and analyzing candidate, alumni, employer, and stakeholder data to support program improvement, accreditation efforts, and strategic planning.
- Utilize data strategically and collaborate routinely with recruiters, faculty,advisors, curricular affairs, and student success teams to grow and strengtheneducator preparation pathways, enhance retention efforts, and promotecertification readiness.
- Work collaboratively with college leadership to establish and monitor program-level performance metrics, analyze enrollment and student outcomes data, and recommend operational changes to enhance program effectiveness.
- Lead majorprojects and initiatives related to program expansion, modality changes,curricular revisions, or new program launches, ensuring operational readinessand sustainability.
- Manage /Overseeaccreditation and assessment efforts associated with educator preparation andprofessional licensure programs, including CAEP, AAQEP, CACREP, APA, and otherapplicable accreditation systems.
- Monitor changesin state licensure and certification policies, providing clear communicationand direction as needed to faculty, program directors, advisors, and collegeand university leadership related to the changes.
- Serve as the primary university liaison to the Arizona Departmentof Education, Arizona State Board of Education, U.S. Department of Education,school districts, community colleges, and professional organizations.
- Overseecertification-related processes across approved educator preparation programs,including student and alumni support, alternative certification pathways, andcommunication regarding certification timelines and requirements.
- Ensure thetimely completion of educator preparation program submissions, renewals,biennial reviews, and compliance documentation with state agencies andaccrediting bodies, collaborating with faculty program directors as needed.
- Support educator workforce and grant initiatives designed to reduce barriersfor students entering the profession and improve certification and employmentoutcomes.
- Oversee communication, timelines, memoranda of understanding,interagency agreements (IAG), field placement documentation, and complianceprocesses connected to educator preparation programs.
- Provide leadership inprofessional preparation governance by chairing or coordinating university-widecommittees related to educator certification, curriculum alignment, compliance,program quality, and educator workforce development initiatives.
- Participatein all College Leadership Council meetings and in departmental faculty meetingsand program meetings as needed to aid in meeting job directives.
Minimum Qualifications - Earned Ph.D. or Ed.D.
- Experience teaching in K-12 schools and in undergraduate university-level courses in-person and/or online.
- A record of scholarship and leadership in professional development at the university level.
- Demonstrated expertise in state policy relevant to teacher certification and related professions.
Preferred Qualifications - More than 10 years of leadership experience in educator preparation, academic, administration, and strategic program management.
- Experience leading educator certification, state approvals, licensure compliance, and regulatory reporting for higher education programs in the state of Arizona.
- Development and oversight of licensure aligned academic pathways.
- Experience with organizational leadership in accreditation, assessment, and data informed continuous improvement.
- Experience building strategic partnerships with school districts, state agencies, and community organizations to strengthen educator workforce pipelines and student field placement opportunities.
- Successful record leading new program development and curriculum redesign relevant to certified programs.
- Experience supporting in-person instruction, student mentoring, and partnerships with local school districts and/or state and national organizations.
Rank Professor
Tenure Information Career-Track (CT)
FLSA Exempt
Full Time/Part Time Full Time
Number of Hours Worked per Week 40
Job FTE 1.0
Work Calendar Fiscal
Job Category Faculty
Benefits Eligible Yes - Full Benefits
Rate of Pay DOE
Compensation Type salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)
Type of criminal background check required: Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)
Number of Vacancies 1
Target Hire Date Expected End Date Contact Information for Candidates Carol Brochin
[email protected]Open Date 9/15/2026
Open Until Filled Yes
Documents Needed to Apply Curriculum Vitae (CV), Cover Letter, and One Additional Document
Special Instructions to Applicant For your application to be considered complete, please submit the following three documents: - Cover Letter of Interest - Outlining your qualifications for this position.
- Curriculum Vitae.
- Name and contact information of THREE References (phone and email) in one PDF document (to be uploaded into the "Additional Document" slot).
