Assistant Director of Enterprise Programs Delivery

The Assistant Director of Enterprise Program Delivery supports the execution of complex, high-visibility, and cross-functional initiatives across the Division of Communications and Marketing at Vanderbilt University.

Reporting to the Director of Enterprise Programs, this role serves as a senior execution lead responsible for advancing enterprise initiatives once they have been defined and structured. The Assistant Director translates program plans into coordinated action, ensuring that workstreams progress on schedule, stakeholders remain aligned, and deliverables meet expectations for quality and timeliness.

This role operates within a defined program structure and does not independently set enterprise program strategy or prioritization. Instead, it plays a critical role in driving execution, maintaining momentum, and ensuring operational discipline across initiatives that require coordination across multiple teams, partners, and senior leaders.

The Assistant Director must be highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable operating in fast-paced, high-visibility environments that involve confidential information and executive stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

1. Program Execution and Workstream Leadership

• Support the delivery of enterprise programs by owning defined workstreams and ensuring consistent forward progress.

• Translate program plans into actionable tasks, timelines, and deliverables

• Manage execution of assigned workstreams across multiple teams and partners

• Track progress, dependencies, and deadlines to ensure timely completion

• Identify execution risks and escalate appropriately

• Ensure deliverables meet expectations before advancing to leadership review

2. Stakeholder Coordination and Communication

• Facilitate day-to-day coordination across internal teams, external partners, and senior stakeholders.

• Support engagement with senior leaders, handling sensitive or confidential information with discretion

• Prepare briefings, updates, and materials for leadership meetings
• Ensure clarity on roles, responsibilities, and next steps across participants

3. Operational Execution and Program Support 

• Maintain the operational infrastructure required to support effective program delivery.

• Develop and maintain program documentation, timelines, trackers, and status reports

• Capture key decisions, actions, and outcomes to ensure continuity and accountability

• Monitor execution against established program structures and governance

• Support the Director of Enterprise Programs in maintaining overall program discipline 

4. Meeting and Governance Support

• Support the execution of program governance through structured coordination and facilitation.
• Plan and facilitate working sessions and coordination meetings
• Develop agendas and ensure productive use of time

• Document outcomes, decisions, and action items

• Ensure follow-through on commitments across teams

5. Execution Quality and Process Discipline 

• Reinforce consistency and quality across program execution.

• Identify gaps, inconsistencies, or misalignment in workstreams
• Ensure adherence to defined processes and expectations

• Support continuous improvement of execution workflows and coordination practices

• Contribute to a culture of accountability, clarity, and follow-through

Qualifications:

Required Experience

• 5-7 years of experience in project management, program execution, operations, or a related field
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives

• Experience working with senior leaders and handling sensitive or confidential information

• Strong organizational and coordination skills across multiple concurrent workstreams

• Ability to execute effectively within structured programs and defined direction

Core Competencies

• Strong attention to detail and follow-through

• Ability to manage complexity and maintain organization under pressure
• Effective communication and stakeholder coordination skills

• Sound judgment in handling sensitive information

• Ability to escalate risks and issues appropriately

• Comfort operating in fast-paced, high-visibility environments

Preferred

• Experience in higher education or similarly complex, matrixed organizations

• Experience supporting enterprise-level or cross-functional initiatives

• Familiarity with work management and collaboration tools (e.g., Wrike)