Director University Honors Program; ACAD PRG MGT SUPV

Job Summary

The Director of the University Honors Program (UHP) provides strategic leadership, operational management, and vision for UC Davis's campus-wide honors program serving high-achieving and high-potential undergraduate students. The position is responsible for advancing an academically rigorous and intellectually engaging four-year honors experience that integrates interdisciplinary coursework, faculty mentorship, undergraduate research, community engagement, leadership development, and Signature Work capstone experiences. The Director ensures program excellence through effective administration, assessment, collaboration, and stewardship of program resources while fostering a student-centered culture that promotes academic achievement, civic engagement, personal growth, and equitable student success.

September 11, 2026 at 11:59pm, PST

• Master's degree in higher education, student affairs, educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience leading academic, educational, or student success programs.
• Progressive leadership experience directing complex academic, educational, honors, undergraduate, or experiential learning programs, including strategic planning, program development, implementation, and assessment.
• Experience supervising professional and/or student staff, including recruitment, performance management, coaching, and professional development.
• Experience developing and utilizing assessment measures, student success metrics, and program evaluation data to inform decision-making, strategic planning, and continuous program improvement.
• Experience building collaborative partnerships and working effectively with faculty, academic leadership, students, alumni, and campus stakeholders to advance programmatic goals and initiatives.
• Knowledge of program administration, budget management, resource allocation, and operational planning within a higher education or similarly complex organizational environment.
• Strong interpersonal, written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and represent programs at multiple organizational levels.

• Experience leading or administering an honors program, undergraduate research program, scholars program, experiential learning initiative, or other high-achieving student program within a research university environment.
• Knowledge of policies, practices, and governance structures related to undergraduate education within a large public research university.
• Experience securing, managing, or supporting grant-funded, donor-funded, or philanthropic initiatives, including proposal development and stewardship activities.
• Demonstrated experience developing programs and practices that foster student engagement, academic excellence, belonging, and success among students from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

• 60% - Program Management & Supervision
• 25% - Internal Relationship Building
• 10% - Financial & Office Management
• 5% - Grant Management & Supervision, Development and Philanthropy

Undergraduate Education provides campus-wide leadership for the delivery of undergraduate education and the enhancement of educational effectiveness and academic success. We act as liaison on academic issues pertinent to undergraduate education with each of the colleges and other campus entities, including the Academic Senate, as well as to external units and agencies including the UC Office of the President, other universities, and relevant accreditation agencies.

This position is part of 10 diverse operational/academic units in UE which are responsible for leadership in sustaining and improving the quality of undergraduate education and line responsibility for operation of 10 operational/campus wide academic units, namely the Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education, Center for…