Job Description
For more than 80 years, Kaplan has been a trailblazer in education and professional advancement. We are a global company at the intersection of education and technology, focused on collaboration, innovation, and creativity to deliver a best-in-class educational experience and make Kaplan a great place to work.
The future of education is here and we are eager to work alongside those who want to make a positive impact and inspire change in the world around them.
The full-time Department Chair position is a faculty member who meets all the responsibilities of a full-time faculty member while also managing their academic department; Department of Advanced Programs and
Designations.
Areas of expertise for an individual department chair might include:
- Financial planning process
- Investments and wealth management
- Insurance and risk management
- Income tax planning
- Retirement and employee benefit planning
- Estate and legacy planning
- Behavioral finance
- Portfolio management
Primary Job Duties Include Teaching, Leading Curriculum And Content Development, Engaging In Innovative Scholarship And Contributing To Professional And Institutional Service. The Department Chair Leadership Responsibilities Fit Into The Institutional Service Duties For This Position, And Include The Following:
Faculty Leadership
As Advocates For Faculty Success, Chairs Model And Mentor Their Faculty Colleagues In The Development Of Excellence In Teaching And Scholarship And Provide Guidance In Meeting The College’s Strategic Goals. Duties Supporting This Objective Include:
- Serve as a tireless advocate for departmental faculty
- Review and approve full-time Faculty Goal Setting and Load forms
- Conduct the annual performance appraisal cycle including goal setting, continuous feedback, and the corresponding end-of-year evaluations
- Identify opportunities for change and growth which will help enhance department faculty ability to meet College goals
- Recruit adjunct faculty and academic facilitators
- Train full-time and adjunct faculty and academic facilitators to teach and facilitate classes, and review and revise College materials and courses as appropriate
- Ensure excellent communication so that all department faculty are well-informed and up-to-date on critical College information
- Encourage department faculty to maintain and enhance professional expertise in the field, and support them in their quest to do so
- Participate in professional development activities relative to leadership and teaching excellence
- Additional responsibilities specific to individual programs vary and should be negotiated with Deans as needed
Program Leadership
Chairs Are Uniquely Situated As Custodians Of Their Programs, Working To Ensure Their Health And Growth Within The College And Beyond. To This End, Chair Duties Include:
- Serve as the “face” of the department, advocating for the department and its programs
- Ensure high standards for program and course delivery are met through:
- Class observation of and feedback to faculty in their respective departments
- Graduate classes
- Update and develop program materials and requirements, ensuring department’s offerings are current, innovative, and competitive in relation to other programs and within the industry
- Handle faculty content questions and feedback for content revisions
- Manage program assessment within their respective programs and departments in collaboration with faculty and College assessment team
- Manage program reviews, both internal and external, for their respective programs
Operational Leadership
Chairs Are Part Of The Administration Of The College And Lead The Faculty And Staff In Their Efforts To Seamlessly Execute The Delivery Of High Quality Content And Educational Experiences For Our Students. These Duties Include:
- Coordinating with Deans, faculty, Client Services, and Classroom Operations to create schedules of courses for:
- Public and private Designations programs
- Graduate classes
- University Partner (UP hereafter) programs
- Private Client programs
- Collaborate with other Chairs, Class Operations, and Client Services to schedule faculty, academic facilitators, and moderators (as applicable to particular program)
- Public and private Designations programs
- Graduate classes
- University Partner Programs
- Private Client programs
- Determining how to handle canceled or shortened classes and communicate that information to Student Services, Enrollment, Classroom Operations, Client Success, Faculty, Academic Facilitators and Moderators
- Work with faculty and academic facilitators, as well as Classroom Operations, to approve and schedule instructor substitutions
- Establish and document parameters of non-teaching projects for Adjunct Faculty and Academic Facilitators
- Review and approve Faculty, Adjunct Faculty and Academic Facilitator paysheets and expense reports based on the approved College pay structure as needed
Education & Experience
- A terminal degree with 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline
OR
- A master’s degree with 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline
- AND at least 5 years of financial services industry experience
- AND at least 2 of the following:
○ Certifications or licensures directly related to the discipline area (such as CFP®)
○ Publications, presentations, or other intellectual works related to the discipline
- At least 200 hours of teaching contact hours AND evidence of teaching excellence demonstrated via teaching evaluations, teaching awards, or student letters of support
- Exceptional computer skills using Microsoft Office Suite, Google applications, Adobe and learning management systems
- Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills, self-starter with high energy and diligent work ethic, ability to meet tight deadlines, extremely high reasoning ability, ability to work in a fast-paced remote environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced designations such as CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER are preferred.
We Offer a Competitive Benefits Package Including:
- Remote work providing flexible work/life balance
- Comprehensive Retirement Package automatically enrolled in The Company Contribution Plan (8-10% annual company contribution based on tenure
- Our Gift of Knowledge Program provides tuition assistance and substantial discounts for our employees and close family members
- Competitive health benefits and new hire eligibility starts day-1 of employment