SANTA CLARA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION

Job Description

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL PLANNING

SUMMARY: Assists with the overall planning, coordination, supervision, and implementation of projects and departmental activities; serves in an advisory capacity to the Superintendent, Board of Education, and other Office and public officials; assists with coordination and negotiation with contract clients; and performs all other related duties.

ACTIVITIES:

25% PROGRAM COORDINATION

Assists with the planning, directing, supervising, and coordination of diverse and comprehensive planning, evaluation and research activities; assists with the preparation and monitoring of a diverse operations budget and applies and observes appropriate fiscal controls; and interprets and applies appropriate laws, codes, rules and policies.

20% PROJECT COORDINATION

Assists with directing and conducting complex analyses of organizational and administrative problems; assists with recommending and implementing effective courses of action; assists with planning and managing the use of automated systems to meet the requirements of internal and external projects and operations; and assists with the management of research and evaluation projects requested by managers or directed by the Superintendent.

20% STRATEGIC PLANNING

Assists with the coordination and overall supervision of the Office's long-range, strategic planning process; and assists with planning, directing, supervising, and coordinating diverse and comprehensive policy analyses and development activities.

10% ADVISORY SERVICES

Acts as advisor to the Board of Education on policy issues; meets and confers with the Superintendent, Board members and Office managers regarding official documents and Office processes; has direct responsibility for supervising the overall promulgation and maintenance of official documents on Office policies, regulations, and procedures; and manages the preparation of a broad array of documentations and publications.

10% CONTRACT SERVICES

Assists with the overall coordination of contract work for inside departments and divisions as well as education agencies outside the Office; and serves as a facilitator and advisor to clients during planning and decision-making processes; and documents the clients' rationales and process results.

10% SUPERVISION

Selects, assigns work to, and evaluates support staff.

5% RELATED ACTIVITIES

Performs all other related duties.

DECISION-MAKING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING: Takes active part in strategic planning; serves as facilitator and advisor to internal and external groups during planning and decision-making processes; assists with directing and conducting complex analyses of organizational and administrative problems; and assists with recommending and implementing effective courses of action; and selects staff. Forecasts trends and sets direction for Office and/or participates in planning for external agencies; uses non-traditional/creative approaches to problem-solving; recommends new or revised standards, policies, etc.; uses specialized techniques in analysis of collected data; situations are varied and sometimes highly complex; and participates in decisions that sometimes have major impact across divisions.

REQUIRED MINIMUM SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Skill in work design and programming with some degree of conceptualization and creativity; skill in working with others in strategic planning; and knowledge of the California Education Code. Mastery skill in communicating in critical situations, both orally and in writing; advanced skill in budget preparation and control; ability to administer programs; advanced skill in managing personnel through subordinate professional, management, or supervisory staff; and mastery skill in working with others in both authority and non-authority relationships on a routine basis;

REQUIRED MINIMUM TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND LICENSING: Master's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in educational planning, research and development, computer technology, or a related field; and a valid California driver's license.

REQUIRED MINIMUM PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE: Four years job-related experience with demonstrated competence.

REQUIRED INTERACTION (NON-AUTHORITY): Contacts are usually unstructured, and are primarily with high-level individuals inside and outside the Office, such as the Office administrators and school district Superintendents; and contacts require planning, promoting, strategy development, decision-making, and problem-solving.

SUPERVISION: Directly supervises professional/specialist and other support staff.

Revised: March 23, 1989

Approved by Personnel Commission:

Approved by Board of Education: December 7, 1988