Superintendent/President

• Palomar has multiple campus locations (San Marcos, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo and Fallbrook); the work location is subject to change.
• Requires travel to other District locations.

Hours per week

Number of Months

• Starting salary range: $325,000 – $360,000 annually
• Salary is negotiable dependent upon education and experience within posted salary range.
• Length of contract and other terms of employment are competitive and negotiable dependent upon education and experience.
• In addition, administrators who possess earned doctorates from accredited institutions are awarded an annual stipend of $1,862.53.
• Other fringe benefits can be negotiated with the Governing Board upon offer of hire. Currently the District also provides this position with a $100 monthly cell phone stipend and a $500 monthly transportation allowance, for a gross amount of $600 per month. These stipends are not considered creditable compensation under CalPERS or CalSTRS.

• Insurance fully paid for employees and their eligible dependents: four medical plans, dental HMO , and the vision plan (additional plans are available that require employee buy up/monthly contribution)
• Vacation, sick leave and 25 paid holidays
• $80,000 employee term life​/accident insurance policy (additional buy up options available)
• Employee long-term care insurance
• Employee Assistance Plan ( EAP ) – Confidential free counseling, financial, legal, personal and professional development resources for all members of your household
• Additional buy up options available for other voluntary insurance benefits
• Enrollment in CalSTRS (California State Teachers Retirement System)

• Experience: Progressive leadership experience with five or more years of senior-level experience.
• Note: For work experience, a “year” is defined as equivalent to 40 hours per week for 12 months. For supervisory experience, the experience must be at a professional level (i.e. evaluation and/or discipline of staff).
• Education: Master’s degree from an accredited college or university.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Antiracism (DEIAA) Statement

• Doctorate degree from an accredited college or university
• Community college leadership experience in teaching, instructional services, student services, finance and administrative services, and/or human resource services.

Licenses and/or Certificates

• Navigating enrollment and demographic shifts
• Effectively using the college centers, expanding their programs and services
• Expanding programs that meet area needs for workers in skilled trades, healthcare, public safety, logistics, and green energy
• Creating a seamless registration experience and resolving technical issues affecting student enrollment (passwords, IDs, email)
• Developing and implementing a plan to grow the in-person campus environment
• Addressing classified vacancies, workload expansion and minimal hiring that impact student access, retention and completion
• Focus on innovative program development, partnerships, community outreach, and campus and centers utilization
• Building trust and cohesion across employee groups, students, and the governing board
• Addressing leadership transitions and supporting the professional development of new executive leadership
• Enhancing shared governance and leadership efforts to unify the college across all constituents
• Supporting and assisting the governing board focus on student needs and success and making policy decisions that align with the System mission and vision
• Ensuring an inclusive environment where the needs of all employees are acknowledged and supported
• Aligning resource allocation, workforce stability and student success initiatives
• Engaging in strategic discipline with fewer initiatives but done well instead of constant new projects without staffing or resources
• Modernizing, simplifying, and building confidence in systems college-wide
• Building community support for a new bond for facilities to advance completion of facilities and infrastructure improvements
• Planning for facilities evolving technologies and infrastructure demands
• Developing an organizational structure and size that reflects the changing enrollment and fiscal realities of the district
• Recognizing that equity and inclusion are central to the college’s mission and a defining lens for institutional decision-making
• Assisting students in receiving adequate basic needs support for food, shelter, technology and transportation

• Knowledgeable and experienced in higher education
• Demonstrated leadership experience with deep understanding of California community colleges
• Strong and positive labor relations and collective bargaining experience
• Ethical, honest, trustworthy, and transparent
• Strategic and visionary thinker
• Straight forward communicator, who does not prioritize optics over reality
• Visible, approachable, welcoming and accessible across the district and community
• Ability to unify diverse perspectives and build consensus and trust within a complex political and organizational environment
• Decisive and courageous leader who can guide the college through change with clarity and purpose
• Highly connected to students, visible at college events, and actively advocating for students
• Holds self, and others, accountable, admits mistakes and learns from them
• Courageous, student-centered, innovative, data-informed, and solution-oriented in addressing what is best for the District legally and ethically and not just popularly
• Capability to set a clear and compelling direction for the college, and the ability to know when to pivot when change is needed for the success of the District
• Follows shared governance processes and engages groups early in decision-making
• Relationship builder skilled at developing and sustaining relationships/partnerships with the governing board, students, constituent groups, and community leaders and organizations
• Exceptional communicator and collaborator who is a skilled listener, maintains open dialogue, fosters shared governance, builds consensus, and communicates proactively and transparently
• Visible, accessible, and present on campus and in the community
• Ability to support, guide and unify a board of trustees with diverse policy goals
• Fiscally responsible and able to manage resources effectively
• Workforce centered budgeting that recognizes staffing drives enrollment, service quality and institutional stability
• Aware of own cultural background and how it influences perceptions, values, and practices and effects and shapes relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community
• Fosters a strongly inclusive environment where differences are valued, respected, and encouraged

Terms of Employment

• This is a full-time, 12 months per year educational administrator position.
• Salary is negotiable dependent upon education and experience within posted salary range.
• Length of contract and other terms of employment are competitive and negotiable dependent upon education and experience.
• The person selected for hire will be required to complete the following pre-employment requirements: live scan/fingerprinting, official transcript(s), and TB risk assessment. Other pre-employment requirements may be required depending on the position (i.e. certifications or licenses; see applicable job posting section for details). Successful completion of all pre-employment requirements is mandatory to be eligible for employment. These requirements are in accordance with the following Administrative Procedures and Board Policies: AP 7125 , AP 7126 , AP 7127 , AP 7330 , BP 7330 , AP 7336 , AP 7337 , and BP 7335 .
• The anticipated start date is January 2027 pending Governing Board approval.

• Cover letter (required): Please do not exceed five pages for your cover letter. The cover letter must address the four broad areas of Opportunities and Challenges and the 6 broad areas of Personal and Professional Qualifications and Skills as described in the announcement.
• Supplemental application material (required): Please provide a robust reference list to include the names and contact information for 8 references. References must include at least one supervisor, one faculty member, one support staff member, one community member, and one professional colleague. References will not be contacted until you are determined to be a finalist for the position and have given permission to contact the references.
• The hiring committee will decide if interviews will be conducted in person at the College or via Zoom. Travel reimbursement is only available for eligible candidates. HR will notify those who are eligible when interviews are scheduled.
• Candidates selected as second-level interview finalists for the position will be required to participate in an open forum; the forum will also be recorded for later viewing by the college community who cannot attend the forum in-person.
• For more information about the position and/or the recruitment process, visit www.palomar.edu/presidentsearch/ .