Careers at CIC

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Council of Independent Colleges, located in Washington, DC, is the major national service organization for all small and mid-sized independent, liberal arts colleges and universities in the United States.

Available Positions

Manager of Network Engagement

The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) seeks a full-time Manager of Network Engagement. Reporting to the Vice President for Networks and Strategic Partnerships, this new position is responsible for the cultivation, recruitment, and management of network relationships with CIC members and with companies providing services to independent colleges and universities. The Manager of Network Engagement has both managerial and day-to-day administrative responsibilities for assigned networks and is responsible for implementation of the overall strategy for select networks.

Management of CIC Networks

CIC offers several formal networks to our members as well as informal engagement opportunities through our Corporate Affiliate Program (CAP). This position will have primary responsibility for the online course sharing consortium (OCSC) network. Support for the CAP program and general network engagement will also be included in the role.

View more information about OCSC. OCSC—a pioneering program allowing hundreds of institutions to share courses in a streamlined manner—is an innovative academic solution poised for a next stage of growth.

This unique role combines elements of academic leadership; sales and marketing; relationship building; and technology and innovation. We welcome interest from all candidates, especially: (1) academic administrators familiar with registrar operations and online innovation; (2) client managers for education support companies knowledgeable in lead generation with institutions; (3) advancement and enrollment officers, skilled at building relationships; (4) association and related roles who understand the balance between everyday administrative tasks and strategic roles.

Key Responsibilities

  • Drive membership in OCSC and other networks. (estimated 50%)
    • Develop and implement an annual outreach plan directly calling, soliciting, and inviting member participation.
    • Manage special promotional concepts, including sprints, pilots, and select program opportunities.
    • Partner internally and externally on communications plans.
    • Coordinate a team of senior level advisors who provide expertise to potential members.
  • Support member usage of networks. (estimated 25%)
    • Develop and implement a plan to reinforce existing membership, including outreach to low-activity institutions.
    • Promote connection and collaboration across the network.
    • Develop and support institutional engagement in networks.
    • Design and implement a fellows or champions program, positioning institutional network leaders to be advocates for the program.
    • Explore use of communities of practice as a support mechanism for network success.
  • General promotion and awareness (estimated 10%)
    • Facilitate marketing and communications to expand consortium awareness and engagement.
    • Explore and support inventive and creative opportunities to support network growth and collaboration.
    • Serve as liaison with network partners to coordinate programming, event presentations, and workshops to advance activity/utilization with network membership.
  • Manage and complete necessary administrative workflows in support of select networks. (estimated 15%)
    • Research usage trends and increase collective understanding of the network.
    • Collaborate with the CIC team on marketing, branding, events, billing, etc.
    • Track and plan against annual budgeted goals.

Required Experience and Skills

  • A bachelor’s degree and 3 years of work experience (in business development, with colleges or universities, or in association-related roles) are required. Extensive experience and Masters or advanced degrees are welcomed.
  • A keen service orientation and dedication to members.
  • The ability to interface with and politely coordinate ranked university leadership.
  • Highly effective written and oral communications skills.
  • Positive attitude with great communication skills and attention to detail.
  • Ability to work independently (many of the listed tasks will be held entirely by this role).
  • Ability to work in a highly collaborative and collegial environment, knowing when to partner.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Knowledge of Microsoft CRM; experience with Protech Dynamics 365 and Association Analytics/Acumen preferred but not required.
  • Ability to travel on occasion is required, including attendance at CIC’s annual conferences.
  • This position requires the ability to see, hear, and speak; work in a normal seated position for extended periods of time; use hands to finger, handle, or feel, and be able to lift and/or move up to 20 pounds; manually operate standard office equipment such as keyboards and printers; and move throughout an office or conference space.

About CIC

The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), located in Washington, DC, is the major national membership organization for small and mid-sized independent colleges and universities in the United States. Membership includes more than 650 colleges, universities, and higher education organizations. CIC pursues a threefold mission: supporting and developing campus leaders, advancing the excellence of member institutions, and enhancing public understanding of the contributions independent higher education makes to society. A diverse 30-person staff, headquartered at Dupont Circle in Washington, DC, develops and manages a dynamic set of conferences, networks, projects, and programs; member services, research, and public information initiatives; and a range of other activities to advance all three mission areas. CIC’s full-time staff is augmented with senior advisors and higher education experts who contribute to specific projects and programs.

Working at CIC

CIC is an equal opportunity employer and offers competitive compensation and benefits. Full-time CIC staff are based in the DC office (Monday – Wednesday), with the option to work remotely on two designated days (currently Thursday and Friday) per week. Work hours are flexible around designated “core hours” (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).

CIC offers a generous benefits package that includes majority of family premium coverage of health, vision, and dental insurance; retirement plan employer contribution match (currently 10% with no waiting period); a flexible spending account; short- and long-term disability insurance; and life insurance. Employees and their dependents may be eligible to participate in CIC’s Tuition Exchange Program, receiving free tuition from one of 300+ institutions. CIC recognizes 10 paid holidays per year and provides 20 days of annual leave.

Salary range for this position: $70,000-80,000 per year depending on experience, with additional possible range for extraordinary candidates.

Application Procedures

Candidate review will begin in April and will continue until the successful candidate is appointed. To apply, submit a resume and a cover letter to CICJobs@cic.edu with the subject line “Manager of Network Engagement.” For priority consideration, apply by Monday, April 8, 2024. CIC is an equal opportunity employer and seeks a broad and diverse pool of applicants.


Council of Independent Colleges