The Associate Dean for Portfolio Planning & Evaluation provides strategic, data-informed leadership for the planning, evaluation, and continuous improvement of academic programs within an assigned portfolio. Reporting to the Senior Associate Dean, this role serves as the portfolio's chief architect of programmatic relevance, quality assurance, and long-term sustainability guiding the lifecycle of academic programs. The Associate Dean ensures academic offerings are aligned with institutional strategy, workforce demand, and learner success metrics through the oversight of strategic planning, program review, resource allocation, and performance evaluation.

The role also provides direction and supervision to Assistant Deans, Portfolio Directors, Portfolio Managers, and Teaching & Learning Faculty to ensure forward-looking, high- functioning operations and consistent academic standards. Success in this position is measured by the ability to drive programmatic excellence, lead effective planning cycles,

cultivate high-performing teams and ensure the ongoing relevance and quality of learning experiences across the portfolio, while remaining responsive to an evolving educational and workforce landscape.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the strategic planning and evaluation of assigned academic programs, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and evolving market needs. Use data, labor market intelligence, and institutional strategy to identify growth opportunities and enhancements for long term impact.

• Direct the academic program review process, use data and stakeholder input to conduct evidence-based assessment of program viability, identify improvement opportunities, and ensure compliance with accreditation and learner success standards.

• Make informed recommendations on program lifecycle decisions (e.g., launch, revision, suspension, or sunset) to the Senior Associate Dean based on strategic fit and performance metrics.

• Oversee the implementation of quality assurance processes, including curriculum reviews, faculty evaluations, and learner experience assessments. Collaborate with the Senior Associate Dean to elevate quality standards and inform operational priorities.

• Allocate full-time faculty and staff resources strategically across the portfolio to meet academic needs, balance workloads, and support institutional growth.

• Supervise and mentor Assistant Deans, Portfolio Directors, Teaching & Learning Faculty, and Portfolio Managers to ensure coordinated execution and continuous leadership development in the design and delivery of programs.

• Interpret and act upon student success data (e.g., persistence, retention, graduation rates) to implement academic interventions and drive improvements in learner outcomes.

• Collaborate with curriculum and academic operations units to guide program design, course development, and delivery innovations that enhance teaching and learning. Advocate for innovations that improve engagement and learner outcomes.

• Support accreditation, compliance, and institutional effectiveness initiatives by ensuring data integrity and adherence to internal and external standards.

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Associate Dean, including supporting the Senior Associate Dean on cross-portfolio initiatives and special academic projects that strengthen program performance or stakeholder engagement.

Competencies:

• Strategic academic planning and evaluation

• Program lifecycle management.

• Leadership and staff supervision

• Academic quality assurance and improvement

• Data-driven decision making

• Faculty development and mentorship

• Stakeholder engagement and collaboration

Skills:

• Academic program review and analysis

• Data interpretation and visualization

• Supervisory and team development skills

• Strategic resource planning and allocation

• Curriculum and instructional planning

• Communication and report writing

• Change management and systems thinking.

Key Collaborators:

• Senior Associate Dean: To align strategic planning and resource allocation decisions with broader academic operations and institutional priorities.

• Assistant Deans and Portfolio Directors: To guide implementation of planning and evaluation efforts and ensure coordinated execution across academic units.

• Portfolio Managers and Teaching & Learning Faculty: To provide oversight, coaching, and clarity around academic expectations, evaluation standards, and learner experience goals.

• Curriculum Governance Committees: To review and approve program revisions, new program proposals, and sunset recommendations.

• Center for Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics: To interpret student success metrics and translate insights into actionable academic improvements.

• Faculty Affairs & Scheduling Team (FAST) and Human Resources: To support full-time faculty staffing plans, development needs, and performance improvement strategies.

• External Stakeholders (e.g., accreditation bodies, industry advisory boards): To ensure programs meet workforce needs and maintain compliance with professional and regulatory expectations.

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements:

• Education: Terminal degree in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Advanced Computing, or a relevant academic or industry-related field from an accredited institution is required.

• Experience: Demonstrated ability to get things done. Minimum of 5 years of academic leadership experience in higher education, including program management and faculty leadership.

• Certifications: None required

Preferred Education & Experience Requirements:

• Education: Same as required

• Experience: Demonstrated experience collaborating with external partners such as industry, professional associations, or community organizations.

• Certifications: None required

• Work environment and physical demands: Work is typically performed in an office or hybrid academic setting. Must be able to analyze large sets of data, manage competing academic priorities, and collaborate across a distributed leadership structure.

• Location: Residence in or relocation to the Maryland/Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia metro area is required.