The Senior Program Manager provides strategic leadership for the Men of Character Academy (MoCA), UMKC's comprehensive student success initiative designed to foster academic excellence, persistence, leadership development, career readiness, and belonging among 75 undergraduate scholars participating in the MoCA program. The Senior Program Manager is responsible for the vision, implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement of MoCA while leading a team of Success Coaches, graduate assistants, student leaders, faculty fellows, and campus and community partners.
The Senior Program Manager develops and implements a comprehensive four-year student development model that integrates academic support, personal identity development, mentoring, leadership education, career and professional development, undergraduate research, and community engagement. The position builds collaborative partnerships with various groups including Student Success, Student Affairs, Athletics, faculty, alumni, employers, and community organizations to create high-impact experiences that promote student persistence, graduation, and post-graduate success.
Through evidence-based programming, holistic coaching, and strategic assessment, the Senior Program Manager advances institutional goals related to student success and workforce development while serving as a campus leader in best practices for success initiatives.
This position reports to the Associate Director of Academic Support & Mentoring.
Key Responsibilities and Duties
Strategic Leadership & Program Development
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight for all aspects of MoCA, including vision, planning, implementation, growth, assessment, and continuous improvement.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive, four-year developmental curriculum focused on academic excellence, personal identity development, leadership, wellness, career readiness, financial literacy, and personal growth.
- Establish program goals, measurable outcomes, and assessment strategies that evaluate student learning, persistence, retention, graduation, and post-graduate success.
- Monitor and analyze program data to drive continuous improvement and demonstrate program effectiveness.
- Benchmark national best practices in success initiatives, student development, and retention programming.
Student Success & Coaching
- Provide holistic support to MoCA scholars through proactive outreach, coaching, mentoring, and individualized success planning.
- Supervise, train, and evaluate Success Coaches, graduate assistants, peer mentors, and student leaders.
- Coordinate interventions that address academic, personal, financial, and career-related barriers to student success.
- Support students experiencing academic or personal challenges and connect them with appropriate campus resources.
Partnerships & Collaboration
- Build and sustain collaborative partnerships across Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Athletics, Career Services, Residential Life, Honors, Undergraduate Research, faculty, alumni, employers, and community organizations.
- Collaborate with faculty and campus partners to create meaningful academic, leadership, research, and experiential learning opportunities.
- Develop relationships with external organizations that expand mentoring, internship, scholarship, and career opportunities for MoCA scholars.
Programming & Student Engagement
- Design and oversee high-impact programming that fosters belonging, leadership, community engagement, personal identity development, professional growth, and career preparation.
- Coordinate workshops, networking events, speaker series, service opportunities, and leadership experiences aligned with MoCA learning outcomes.
- Support initiatives that strengthen pathways from high school through college completion and beyond.
- Promote civic engagement and meaningful community partnerships that enhance student learning and leadership.
Communication & Program Administration
- Develop and implement communication strategies that clearly communicate program expectations, opportunities, and resources to students and stakeholders.
- Oversee program marketing, website content, social media, annual reports, and other communications that highlight student success and program impact.
- Manage program budgets, scholarships, reporting requirements, and operational processes.
- Represent MoCA and Student Success on university committees and at local, regional, and national conferences and events.
Other Responsibilities
- Serve as a campus leader and advocate for student success initiatives.
- Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.
