Posted on December 10, 2025
Director of University Programs
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About the Pulitzer Center
The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization that sponsors independent reporting on global issues that mainstream media often overlook. Our education and engagement programs bring this journalism into classrooms, universities, and communities worldwide, using storytelling as a tool for understanding complex challenges and inspiring action.
Our Campus Consortium is a network of 35+ universities nationwide that connects academic communities to breakthrough journalism on critical global issues. Through partnerships spanning journalism schools, research institutes, and diverse academic departments, the Consortium reaches thousands of students annually through fellowships, civic engagement programs, and cross-sector dialogues that bridge academia, media, and civil society. Learn more at https://pulitzercenter.org/campus-consortium.
About the role
The Pulitzer Center seeks a visionary leader to drive the next evolution of our university partnerships—creating innovative, scalable programs that harness journalism to connect students across all disciplines for purpose, civic identity, and global understanding.
As Director of University Programs, you'll lead the Campus Consortium, our flagship initiative. You'll design new ways to reach STEM students grappling with AI ethics, health students exploring global health equity, humanities students connecting climate narratives to lived experience–helping equip students for future careers and to find meaning and connection in today’s fragmented world.
We're looking for an entrepreneurial strategist who can envision how universities become civic journalism hubs where research, storytelling, and community engagement intersect. Someone who sees journalism not as just content, but as a catalyst for critical thinking, dialogue, and social change.
If you're energized by the challenge of scaling impact, building cross-sector partnerships, and creating models that didn't exist before, this role offers remarkable creative freedom and strategic influence.
Responsibilities
Partnership Development & Growth
- Expand and diversify university partnerships, with intentional focus on HBCUs, community colleges, and regional public universities
- Cultivate relationships with decision-makers across diverse academic units: provosts' offices, academic departments, research institutes, student affairs, engagement offices
- Serve as primary liaison to Development team, contributing to fundraising strategy, proposal development, and donor stewardship
- Build strategic alliances with professional associations and academic networks to amplify reach
- Design tiered partnership models accommodating varying institutional capacities and interests
Strategic Vision & Innovation
- Design flexible, scalable partnership models that serve universities across all disciplines— emphasizing growth beyond journalism schools
- Lead the evolution of three complementary initiatives: Civic Journalism Hub (supporting journalism students and schools), Purpose Project (engaging broad student audiences seeking connection and civic identity), and Bridge Project (connecting researchers, journalists, and communities)
- Position journalism as a framework for critical inquiry on pressing issues: climate change, artificial intelligence, public health, democracy, and more
- Collaborate with senior leadership to set strategic direction and ensure alignment with organizational mission
Program Leadership & Team Management
- Lead and mentor a 3-person team (Manager and Coordinator), setting clear priorities and fostering professional growth
- Oversee portfolio spanning membership programs, student fellowships, engagement initiatives, and cross-sector collaborations
- Ensure program quality while encouraging experimentation and innovation
- Coordinate with Engagement, Editorial, Communications, Development, and Operations teams
Financial & Administrative Leadership
- Oversee program budgets ensuring alignment with strategic goals and grant deliverables
- Develop diversified revenue models: membership fees, program fees, sponsorships, grants
- Monitor sustainability and recommend strategic adjustments
- Contribute to annual planning and evaluation processes
Required Qualifications
- 7-10 years of progressive experience in higher education partnerships, program development, nonprofit management, or related fields
- Proven track record designing and scaling innovative programs or initiatives
- Strategic thinking combined with operational excellence and execution discipline
- Relationship management expertise with ability to cultivate partnerships at all organizational levels
- Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) with ability to articulate complex ideas compellingly
- Budget management and revenue development experience
- Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort navigating ambiguity and building new models
- Commitment to equity and inclusion and experience working across diverse communities
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working in or closely with higher education institutions
- Knowledge of journalism, media literacy, or civic engagement programming
- Grant writing and fundraising experience
- Experience with cross-sector collaboration (academia, journalism, civil society)
- Understanding of contemporary higher education trends (student engagement, retention, well-being, belonging)
- Established network within higher education
- Familiarity with issues including climate change, AI, global health, democracy
Success Metrics
Your impact will be measured by:
- Partnership Growth: Expansion in number and diversity of university partnerships, particularly beyond journalism schools and with underserved institutions
- Disciplinary Reach: Successful penetration into new academic disciplines (STEM, health, social sciences, humanities, arts, etc.)
- Revenue Generation: Growth in diversified revenue streams and overall program sustainability
- Partner Satisfaction: High retention rates, renewal rates, and satisfaction scores from institutional partners
- Student Engagement: Increased student reach across program portfolio with demonstrated impact on learning outcomes, civic engagement, and sense of purpose
- Program Quality: Consistent delivery of high-quality partnership experiences with documented outcomes
- Innovation: Development and testing of new program models and partnership approaches
- Team Development: Effectiveness and growth of direct reports
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary Range: $95,000 - $120,000 annually, commensurate with experience.
- Comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, generous PTO, professional development support and more.
- Flexible work arrangements: Remote work arrangement with flexibility for work-life balance
This position is fully remote and open to candidates located anywhere in the United States, with a preference for candidates in Eastern or Central time zones to facilitate collaboration with university partners, team members, and organizational leadership.
Travel Requirements: This role requires 15-20% domestic travel annually for:
- University partner site visits and relationship building
- National and regional conferences and meetings
- Team meetings and organizational gatherings
- Program events and partnership activations
The ideal candidate will be comfortable with regular virtual collaboration, occasional multi-day travel commitments, and flexible scheduling to accommodate partners across time zones.
Employment at the Pulitzer Center
The Pulitzer Center is an equal opportunity employer. The Center is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where the individual differences among us, whether in terms of race, religion, color, age, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, physical challenge, or marital or family status, are (i) understood, respected, and appreciated, (ii) recognized as a source of strength, and (iii) valued as qualities that enrich the environment in which we work. See our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion statement for details.
The pay range for this role is: 95,000 - 120,000 USD per year (USA)