Faculty Support & Engagement Program Manager - SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education
University of Colorado Boulder
Operations, Customer Service
Boulder, CO, USA
USD 82k-82k / year
Posted on Apr 6, 2026
Job Summary
We invite applications for a Faculty Support & Engagement Program Manager (PM) position at the SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education (SPIKE)! The Program Manager will work collaboratively with the Faculty Associate Director for Faculty Engagement (FADFE) and the rest of the SPIKE Center staff to develop and support sustainability-focused faculty teaching, leadership, training, and recognition. Reporting to the SPIKE Director of Operations, the PM enhances and advances SPIKE faculty and staff expertise as they provide support for faculty-focused activities across all fields, schools and colleges at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder), including applications, fellowships, trainings, courses, retreats, meetings, asynchronous resources, fundraising, small grants, and related professional development activities.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Who We Are
In Fall 2025, CU Boulder launched the SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education, a bold new initiative under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Sustainability (OVCS), supported by a transformational gift. The goal of the center is to further integrate and expand sustainability education into the curriculum offerings across all of CU Boulder’s departments and degree programs, elevate the campus’ baseline sustainability literacy, and develop the university’s impact as a leader in sustainability education nationally and internationally.
What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
Strategic Leadership Support:
- Participate in SPIKE Center weekly meetings, providing programmatic updates for the team
- Build the capacity of the FADFE and the entire SPIKE team to develop and support sustainability-focused faculty teaching, leadership, training, and recognition
- Coordinate with programs, departments, and initiatives across campus that are critical to sustainability, faculty, and educational opportunities on campus, including the Environmental Center, the CU Boulder Faculty Assembly, the Office of Faculty Affairs, PACES, and the RIO Sustainability Initiative
- Support coordination with faculty, staff, and administrators on sustainability education toolkits, standard processes, and transformational learning
Operational Excellence:
- Lead and handle all scheduling and meeting support logistics for the Faculty Fellows meetings and retreats
- Handle the Faculty Fellows distribution list
- Collaborate on and share responsibilities for addressing the central email and calendar with other SPIKE staff
- Coordinate Faculty Fellow and training participant compensation information for the Director of Operations
- Coordinate logistics for an annual Sustainability Across the Curriculum training, provided for faculty by faculty, on sustainability education including but not limited to room reservations, AV needs, catering, calendaring, etc., as well as smaller and larger events related to faculty engagement
- Handle calls and applications for SPIKE Faculty Affiliates, SPIKE Faculty Fellows, Sustainability Across the Curriculum Training participants, and Sustainability Education Grants including announcements, submissions tracking and organizing, and offer notifications
- In collaboration with the FADFE, with support from the Director of Operations, build and handle the Sustainability Education Grants program:
- Use OpenWater award management software to build and handle online grant application, judging, awarding, and reporting processes
- Lead education, outreach, and support for grant applicants
- In collaboration with the SPIKE Marketing and Communications Specialist and the SPIKE Director of Partnerships and Engagement, create and handle all web content supporting the grants program
- Lead on grants collaboration and co-sponsorship opportunities with other campus units
Communications, Fundraising & Outreach:
- Collaborate to identify, gather, and design materials about sustainability education for website, emails, social media posts, annual reporting, advancement and other faculty outreach initiatives
- Help amplify faculty voices and research to support their sustainability-related concerns and potentials through social media, events, and awards
- Track and evaluate faculty contributions to SPIKE
- Coordinate and format citations for white papers or reports coauthored by faculty (no more than one per year)
- Lead, handle, and/or support the SPIKE team on special projects and emergent needs.
What You Should Know
- The work schedule will consist of traditional business hours (8:00am-5:00pm on weekdays), with occasional requests for evening and/or weekend event staffing.
- This position offers a hybrid format with some in-person and some remote work as prioritized by the business needs of the office.
- Once the center's physical location is established in the CASE building on CU Boulder’s campus, this position is expected to provide regular, in-person staffing at the center to ensure coverage during regular campus operating hours.
What We Can Offer
The salary for this full-time position is $82,000. Relocation is available for eligible candidates.
Benefits
At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.
Be Statements
Be creative. Be impactful. Be Boulder.
What We Require
- Bachelor's degree and 5 years of related experience in program management, including but not limited to activities such as coordinating and delivering multiple projects simultaneously, events planning, and running application processes
- An equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education may substitute
What You Will Need
- An understanding and appreciation of sustainability as an interdisciplinary and international field of research involving systems and relational thinking about ecology, equity, and economics, as well as intergenerational timelines for collective needs and desires for life on Earth
- Sensitivity to and appreciation of cultural, political, and geographical differences, with the ability to work well with faculty, staff, and students from around the world
- Ability to thrive both independently and as part of a team towards collective goals
- Willingness to learn relevant campus and government policies and platforms
- Consistent and timely work ethic to maintain weekly communication among the SPIKE staff, as well as build trusted relationships across campus
- Ability to handle multiple, ongoing tasks, responding professionally to interruptions and adjustments in priorities
- High proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and OneDrive) and experience handling multiple email accounts and calendars
- Effective at handling time, tracking emails and applications, coordinating events, encouraging partnership relations with other units across campus, and more
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Willingness to receive and incorporate feedback, as well as sharing your own feedback towards improving the broader SPIKE Center mission
- Strong capacity to be flexible and responsive to emergent needs with a positive, can-do approach. This is a newly created position, and additional job responsibilities are expected to organically arise.
- Appreciation of, and ability to contribute to, the mission of CU Boulder as a public university
- Appreciation of higher education as a critical space to foster sustainability education
What We Would Like You to Have
- Bachelor's degree in relevant field of sustainability education (ex., environmental studies, environmental communication, climate communications, environmental justice studies, ethnic studies, geography)
- Experience working or volunteering on a campus of higher education with events, application management, and/or publicity
- Experience working in a university or nonprofit setting
- Experience building or participating in research networks or transdisciplinary partnerships
- Experience with Canva, Adobe Illustrator, and/or other design platform
- Experience working with educators and in educational settings at CU, in Colorado, or nationally, or an ability and willingness to learn this culture
- Enthusiasm for building an increasingly bold sustainability education mission in Boulder, Colorado
- Master's and/or PhD in a relevant field
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials:
- A current resume.
- A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.
We may request references at a later time.
Please apply by April 20, 2026 for consideration.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs.
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.
