Senior Manager, Public Discourse

Who we are

Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. As the largest national higher education association dedicated solely to higher education civic and community engagement, Campus Compact enables higher education institutions to develop students’ citizenship skills and forge effective community partnerships. Our resources support senior administrators, faculty, staff, and students as they pursue community-based teaching, scholarship, and action in the service of positive change.

Today, we stand at a defining moment: we are ready to scale our impact when the stakes for our work have never been higher. We know that higher education has a critical role to play in fostering democratic principles and culture by addressing polarization, strengthening civic participation, and ensuring students are prepared to navigate and shape our democracy. Thanks to the investment of philanthropic partners, Campus Compact is preparing for a period of significant growth and expansion, particularly in the areas of innovation, scaling, and coalition building.. 

About the role

The Senior Manager, Public Discourse, leads the execution and advancement of Campus Compact’s Public Discourse Initiative, a coordinated set of activities designed to scale dialogue, deliberation, and bridge-building across colleges and universities. This role translates organizational strategy into programmatic work that has individual, campus, and field-level impact. Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Strategy, the Senior Manager supports scaling, in partnership with senior leadership and external collaborators.

The Senior Manager drives grant-funded projects; contributes insights and serves as a thought partner to senior leadership on public discourse–related strategy, informed by program implementation and field engagement; and represents Campus Compact in national partnerships and coalitions. The Senior Manager works cross-functionally and with external research fellows, scholars, and field leaders to ensure high-quality execution, learning, and impact.

During the first year, the Senior Manager will primarily focus on three key priorities:

1. Overseeing the development and launch of an online platform that seeks to support higher education stakeholders in navigating the dialogue, discourse, and bridge-building fields.
2. Managing a portfolio of dialogue and discourse campus support opportunities, including multi-day in-person convenings, implementation of campus mini-grants, and oversight of a community of practice.  
3. Collaborating on the development and implementation of a pilot program to support higher education institutions in scaling discourse across their campuses, including action planning, technical assistance, measurement, and recognition.  

This is a remote, full-time, exempt role, with regular travel required. This position is funded through a multi-year philanthropic investment and contingent on continued funding.

Key Responsibilities:

Initiative Execution & Program Leadership

• Provide leadership for Campus Compact’s public discourse and dialogue portfolio, aligning initiatives with organizational strategy, member needs, and the evolving higher education landscape.
• Translate research, field practice, and partner expertise into coherent strategies, frameworks, and offerings to support campuses in navigating polarization and fostering inclusive, constructive discourse.
• Contribute to the development of new initiatives and funding proposals, including shaping program design, outcomes, and evaluation approaches.
• Communicate with internal and external collaborators on initiatives.
• Collaborate closely with colleagues across strategy, programs, communications, advancement, and operations to ensure alignment and high-quality execution.

Program & Grant Management

• Lead the implementation of multiple grant-funded projects, ensuring alignment with approved scopes of work, timelines, budgets, and reporting requirements.
• Design and oversee professional learning experiences for faculty, staff, and administrators, including institutes, workshops, train-the-trainer models, communities of practice, and convenings.
• Manage sub-awards, mini-grants, fellowships, or campus cohorts, including application processes, technical assistance, learning synthesis, and outcome tracking.
• Oversee consultants, fellows, or temporary project staff, providing day-to-day direction on tactical expectations and project execution.
• Model strong project management, accountability, and inclusive leadership practices within a distributed, remote team environment.

Stakeholder Engagement, Partnership Development & Field Engagement

• Serve as a primary liaison to national partners for assigned initiatives, in collaboration with senior leadership and within established organizational strategy.
• Represent Campus Compact in field-wide initiatives and coalitions, contributing to shared planning, coordination, and learning.
• Support advisory groups, design teams, and convenings that elevate campus leadership and strengthen collective impact across the field.
• Build and maintain strong relationships that foster trust, alignment, and shared accountability.
• Serve as a primary point of engagement for internal and external stakeholders, including campus leaders, fellows, coaches, consultants, contractors, and partners.

Learning, Evaluation & Dissemination

• Guide the creation of practical resources, tools, and frameworks that help campuses assess capacity, set priorities, and implement evidence-based discourse practices.
• Collaborate with Campus Compact and field-wide colleagues to disseminate resources through email campaigns, webinars, events, and member networks.
• Analyze program data and participant feedback to support continuous improvement, learning products, and funder reporting.
• Collaborate with web developers to lead the development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of digital platforms and online resources that curate tools, frameworks, provider database, and evidence-based practices for campuses.

Take on other responsibilities as needed and appropriate

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Advanced degree in education, public policy, communication, social sciences, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 3+ years of experience in higher education, nonprofit, or field-building organizations; working on grant funded projects.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex initiatives with multiple stakeholders and deliverables. 
• Demonstrated experience in and knowledge of the academic or practitioner fields of dialogue, deliberation, and public discourse.
• Experience working in or alongside higher education institutions strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities, exercise sound judgment, and drive results with a high degree of autonomy.

Expectations:

• Strategic thinker with the ability to connect individual initiatives to broader organizational goals.
• Strong project and grant management skills, including budgeting, timelines, and reporting.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas into accessible resources.
• Relationship-builder skilled at working across differences and collaborating with diverse stakeholders.
• Commitment to equity-centered, evidence-informed practice and nonpartisan civic engagement.
• High level of initiative, judgment, and adaptability in a dynamic.
• Strong collaborative project manager with the confidence to take the lead on projects, organize others, and solve problems.
• Highly organized, adaptable, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, remote environment.

Preferred Experience With:

• Leading grant funded projects including budgeting, reporting, and funder communications
• Facilitating dialogue, deliberation, or debate
• Creating and/or managing digital content platforms or resource hubs
• Designing and facilitating professional learning for adult audiences.
• Working in or alongside higher education institutions strongly preferred.
• Learning management systems, CRM or member databases, and collaborative project management tools

As an employee of Campus Compact, you strive to represent & live Campus Compact’s Shared Values & Commitments in both how you show up for and work with your colleagues as well as Compact’s partners and communities:

• Equity: We prioritize full participation and diversity of thought, experience, and background. We center equity in our actions, processes, and practices to uplift diverse voices and perspectives.
• Growth mindset: We consistently push ourselves and each other to do and be better. We are motivated by growth—embracing new ideas, prioritizing continuous learning, and meeting challenges head-on.
• Accountability: We recognize that long-term change requires individual and shared ownership of personal and organizational actions. We own our mistakes, give each other grace, collaborate openly, and hold ourselves to high standards of integrity.
• Responsiveness: We ensure our offerings, resources, and approaches are flexible, grounded in feedback, and responsive to the challenges of our time.
• Transparency: We are direct and authentic within our team, with our members, and with our partners. We know that building trust starts with consistent, honest, and transparent communication.

Internal & External Relationship Management:

• Works cross-functionally with strategy, communications, advancement, and operations teams
• Maintains regular communication with funders and national partners

Primary Internal & External Contacts Associated with this Position

• Senior Vice President, Strategy
• Senior Manager, Strategic Initiatives
• Fellows and Scholars in Residence
• Program and communications colleagues
• National partners and funders
• Campus leaders, faculty, and staff participants

Qualification Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function in a satisfactory manner.  The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical requirements

• This is primarily a sedentary position that requires the ability to sit at a desk and use a computer and phone for most of the day. 
• Minor bending and lifting periodically (mostly related to helping with events and office management needs)
• The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Additional Information

• Position Type: This is a full-time, exempt role. This position is funded through a mult-year philanthropic investment and contingent on continued funding.
  Location: This is a remote position with regular travel required for staff gatherings and Campus Compact Events.
• Reporting Structure: Senior Vice President, Strategy
• Compensation Band:  $75,000-83,000
• Benefits: Campus Compact provides a competitive benefits package, including national healthcare coverage, generous paid time off, and an employer retirement contribution. The organization prioritizes employee well-being and professional development and lives out those values through a flexible work environment, an inclusive and caring culture, and dedication to professional development. 
  • Organizational Breaks:
    • Winter Break: Dec. 24th - Jan. 1st
    • Summer Reset: Week of July 4th

We would like this position to start as soon as is reasonably possible, but ideally no later than Tuesday, February 3, 2026.

To Apply:  

You will be expected to upload a Resume and answer the Acknowledgement and Application Questions

**Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, with priority given to applicants who apply by January 5th, 2026. 

Campus Compact strives to attract and retain a diverse and talented staff who will contribute to the organization’s goals, mission, and vision. We encourage individuals of all ethnic, racial, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds to apply. Campus Compact is committed to increasing our team’s diversity, consistent with the values of our network. Campus Compact is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals. It does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, height, weight, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member), or any other basis prohibited by law. 

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Campus Compact participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. Campus Compact will only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.