Project Director/Marshall for All

About the role

The Project Director provides strategic leadership and accountability for the development, management, and implementation of the Marshall for All (M4A) debt-free bachelor’s degree program at Marshall University. The role integrates program direction with data-driven evaluation to ensure M4A evolves sustainably and equitably in alignment with institutional goals.

Responsibilities

• Guide the long-term vision, sustainability, and strategic direction of Marshall for All (M4A), including ongoing program design, implementation, and scaling over time.
• Identify emerging challenges and opportunities using data, research, and stakeholder feedback; set strategies that advance the program mission and improve student outcomes, and ensure implementation through program staff and campus partners.
• Collaborate with peer institutions by sharing Marshall for All program strategy and evaluation findings to support replication and adaptation of debt-free initiatives.
• Serve as the primary convener of university leadership, campus offices, students, and external partners to support coordinated implementation of Marshall for All.
• Partner with Financial Aid, Student Success, Institutional Research, and other units—including close coordination with the financial aid operations/packaging and student experience functions—to align program strategy, operational workflows, compliance requirements, and student supports.
• Facilitate cross-department communication, issue resolution, and escalation pathways to support program integrity and student success.
• Lead the design and oversight of program evaluation and long-term tracking, including interpretation of results to assess effectiveness and inform strategic and operational improvements.
• Establish and oversee program goals, reporting, analysis, documentation, and dashboards/systems that monitor program performance, service delivery, and student outcomes.
• Oversee any grant-funded evaluation work, ensuring compliance and alignment with grant goals and reporting requirements.
• Direct priorities across program workstreams by establishing operating rhythms and issue-triage/escalation pathways; hire, supervise, and support program staff to ensure role clarity and operational coverage across the end-to-end program.
• Develop multi-year sustainability and resource plans grounded in data, institutional priorities, and funding realities; recommend adjustments to program structure, staffing, and processes to support long-term viability.
• Develop and oversee execution of a communications plan in partnership with the Office of Marketing and Communications, leveraging program staff and partner offices to deliver timely, consistent messaging.
• Represent Marshall for All in institutional meetings, committees, and strategic planning efforts; communicate program performance, insights, and recommendations to senior leadership to champion data-informed decision-making.