Senior Director Global Initiatives
The University of California, San Diego
About this position
Position Description
Reporting to the AVC for Global Initiatives and in collaboration with the AVC, The Senior Director for Global Initiatives provides comprehensive leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for a complex portfolio of education abroad programs, international exchanges, faculty-led initiatives, and global engagement partnerships that advance UC San Diego’s global strategy and impact students across the university as well as international faculty and scholars whose mobility, engagement, and integration into UC San Diego require coordinated institutional alignment. The Senior Director determines organizational objectives and long-term strategies for global engagement and academic mobility by working in close partnership with faculty, academic departments, colleges, research units, and senior Director leadership to integrate global learning, scholarly exchange, and international collaboration into academic pathways and institutional priorities. Through strategic planning, program innovation, and cross-campus coordination, the incumbent strengthens UC San Diego’s global footprint, ensuring high-quality global learning opportunities that advance academic excellence, intercultural fluency, and institutional distinction while also enhancing the engagement ecosystem for students, faculty, scholars and staff. The position oversees several centralized operational units responsible for global partnerships, student advising, program administration, partnership coordination, regulatory compliance, communications, outreach, and comprehensive mobility management for education abroad programs, exchanges, faculty-led initiatives, and related global engagement programs. In parallel, the role provides strategic oversight for institutional services that facilitate the success of international faculty, visiting scholars, and globally oriented academic units and centers, including the 21st Century India Center and the Center for US Mexican Studies. The Senior Director establishes performance standards, policies, and procedures to ensure consistency, quality, regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and organizational effectiveness across global mobility operations and the broader international engagement infrastructure. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the Senior Director manages human, financial, and programmatic resources supporting campus-wide global engagement operations. This includes directing subordinate managers and professional staff, determining organizational structures and service models, and exercising collaborative authority with the AVC over budget development, resource allocation, revenue strategy, and long-term fiscal planning to sustain and scale global mobility and international partnership initiatives.Serving as deputy to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Initiatives, the Senior Director assumes operational authority during the AVC’s absence, ensuring continuity of institutional leadership, fiscal stewardship, staff supervision, partnership advancement, and program performance. The Senior Director also leads institutional partnership strategy, representing UC San Diego in senior-level international engagements, systemwide initiatives, and external collaborations, including organizations and peer institutions. This includes the cultivation, stewardship, and advancement of international partnerships that support student mobility, faculty and scholar exchange, collaborative research, and globally engaged academic initiatives. The incumbent advances revenue-generating programs, strategic alliances, and external funding efforts to support the sustainability, growth, and global competitiveness of UC San Diego’s international engagement portfolio, including mobility initiatives, faculty and scholar exchange, and partnership development.Through integrated leadership of personnel, resources, programs, and strategic partnerships, the Senior Director ensures organizational effectiveness, risk management, fiscal responsibility, continuous improvement, and the coherence of the university’s global engagement enterprise. Manages several centralized operational and engagement units. Develops the long-term organizational goals of the enterprise. Directs subordinate supervisors and/or managers. Has organization-wide impact through collaboration with campus partners across academic affairs, research administration, enrollment strategy, advancement, and global communications, while contributing to institution-wide objectives in internationalization, academic diplomacy, and strategic global partnerships.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training. Advanced knowledge of advising and counseling techniques. Must be able to communicate clearly, and concisely across a spectrum of personalities, cultures, professions, and situations. Proficiency to explain not only technical matters, but also personal concerns such as culture shock, social activities, etc., and practical issues regarding housing and family matters. Must come away from situations with confidence that details were understood. Knowledge of common University-specific computer application programs and knowledge of University and departmental principles and procedures involved in risk assessment and evaluating risks as to likelihood and consequences. Skills in monitoring / assessing people, processes or services, to make improvements. Demonstrated leadership experience record of achievement in developing a workplace rooted in teamwork with a commitment to the highest levels of customer service. Demonstrated ability and success increasing diversity of staff and students through leadership commitment, professional knowledge and research, implementation of effective outreach and advising, code of ethics, quality control standards and practices. Skills in project management, social perceptiveness to be aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. Demonstrated experience and expertise in managing a complex and growing organization; setting priorities, organizing, delegating, and coordinating complex tasks with attention to overall goals and specific details under time constraints with frequently changing priorities, including the ability to effectively engage global partners, cultivate international relationships, and advance institutional partnership development in alignment with organizational strategy. Ability in problem identification, reasoning, ability to develop original ideas to solve problems, persuade others, and lead. Ability to analyze a situation, develop options, make recommendations, meaningfully listen to clients being served and take their concerns into account, and implement solutions. Capacity to explain and interpret complex policies and procedures to students and their dependents--some of whom have limited language skills and may be at a cultural disadvantage. Proven experience in supervising, motivating and leading staff. Proficiency to instruct, train and direct the work of others through clear instruction and guidelines; analyzing work flow and capabilities and aptitude in determining optimal staff configurations to meet operational and service needs, adjusting direction appropriately as needed. Collaborative approach required. Must be able to find appropriate role and always function supportively and cooperatively to assist all parties. Must have excellent public speaking skills with ability to communicate effectively to diverse audiences, particularly audiences with limited English skills and of different cultural backgrounds. However, must also be a good presenter to US administrators for workshops and training programs. Excellent writing skills to communicate clearly and succinctly by email and written letters. Must also create and revise information handouts for international visitors and departments and guidelines on governmental regulations. Demonstrated experience leading coordinated institutional support services for international faculty and scholars, including the development of service models that strengthen onboarding, engagement, integration, and long-term success within the university environment. Proven ability to design policies, procedures, and operational frameworks that ensure consistent, compliant, and high-quality support across a complex international scholar service landscape. Proven experience cultivating, stewarding, and advancing international institutional partnerships that support student mobility, faculty and scholar exchange, collaborative research, and globally engaged academic initiatives. Demonstrated ability to represent the institution in senior-level international engagements and systemwide initiatives while aligning partnerships with organizational goals, resource capacity, and risk management standards. Demonstrated experience providing campus-wide leadership for global student services, international faculty and scholar support, and institutional partnership development, including the cultivation, stewardship, and advancement of international collaborations. Proven ability to design integrated service models, establish organizational policies, and lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance institutional impact, compliance, and global engagement outcomes with key campus partners, including the Chancellor’s Office, the Office of Research and Innovation, Undergraduate Education, GEPA, Extended Studies, and the Colleges and Schools to name a few. Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and scale revenue-generating international programs, including the development of customized academic, research, or professional training initiatives for global partners. Proven success in assessing international market demand, structuring programmatic offerings aligned with institutional strengths, setting sustainable pricing models, and negotiating agreements that produce recurring revenue streams. Experience collaborating with internal stakeholders and external institutions to launch new global programs that expand institutional reach, enhance financial sustainability, and strengthen long-term international partnerships.
Job Location
Campus