Job Summary

The Director of Cadet Leadership and Development reports directly to the Superintendent and is responsible for the oversight, coordination, implementation, and operation of the Corps of Cadets, leadership programming, and student development at California Polytechnic University Maritime Academy (Cal Poly Maritime). Working in coordination with the Superintendent, the Cadet Corps Commander, and Corps of Cadets leadership team, the Director oversees the daily activities of the Cal Maritime Corps of Cadets. The Director is responsible for the personal and professional development of all cadets, including adherence to the Standards of Conduct, the Cadet Rules and Regulations, and Cal Poly Maritime’s Uniform and Grooming policy.

The Director partners with the Associate Dean of Students regarding cadet and other student conduct issues. Working directly with faculty and other campus community members, the incumbent administers and leads a comprehensive leadership program for all Cal Poly Maritime students, including leadership seminars, training workshops, outdoor leadership skills programs, and other student leadership development programming. The incumbent also serves as a key member of the Student Affairs Leadership Team.

Department Summary

Cal Poly Maritime Academy (CPMA) is the academic unit responsible for the administration of merchant mariner license-track programs, training vessels, the Corps of Cadets, waterfront facility, and other associated programs and entities. The Superintendent serves as the administrative leader for CPMA and is responsible for all aspects of academy operations.

Cal Poly Maritime Academy’s Coast Guard Licensing Program integrates rigorous academics with hands-on training, preparing cadets for licensure as Unlimited Tonnage Third Mates or Third Assistant Engineers. Through a U.S. Coast Guard–approved curriculum, cadets build the knowledge and experience needed for a challenging and rewarding maritime career.

For cadets pursuing careers as licensed deck or engine officers, this program is the roadmap. Cadets participate in a professional uniformed Corps to learn leadership and accountability, build sea time through training cruises and commercial voyages, and take a license exam in their final year. It’s a structured, experiential journey that prepares them for the leadership roles in the maritime industry that they will take on immediately following graduation.

Key Qualifications

• Leadership development skills
• Communication skills
• Student affairs supervisory experience

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• 8 or more years of proven success in coaching, mentoring, and developing young leaders.
• Two or more years of experience in designing, implementing, and managing educational or leadership curricula.

Licenses, Certificates, Credentials

• Valid California Driver’s License

Salary and Benefits

The anticipated hiring range for this role is $110,000 - $140,000. Note that the offer is calculated based on the background and relevant years of experience of the individual selected.

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Anticipated Hiring Range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Classification Range may be broader than what the University anticipates paying for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

Cal Poly offers a best-in-class benefits program, including health, dental and vision insurance, retirement participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System, and educational benefits for eligible employees. See our benefits website for additional information. 

Cal Poly

Cal Poly is a nationally-ranked public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, and known for its Learn by Doing philosophy. Each year more than 20,000 top-tier students come to San Luis Obispo to put knowledge into action, taking their learning outside the classroom as they prepare for careers in engineering, agriculture, science, business, humanities and the built environment. Cal Poly’s hands-on philosophy, small class sizes and close student-faculty mentorships result in graduates ready from day one to impact their communities, California and the world. For more information, visit calpoly.edu.

Cal Poly Maritime Academy at the Solano Campus

Located on a compact but scenic waterfront campus in Vallejo, California (30 miles northeast of San Francisco), Cal Poly Maritime Academy is a unique and specialized campus of the 23-campus system. Serving a population of approximately 1000 undergraduate and 50 graduate students, we are one of only seven degree-granting maritime academies in the United States — and the only one on the West Coast. Cal Poly Maritime Academy offers seven baccalaureate degrees in Business Administration, International Strategy and Security, Facilities Engineering Technology, Marine Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Marine Transportation, and Oceanography. The undergraduate curriculum includes licensing programs for future merchant marine, Coast Guard, and Naval Reserve officers. Cal Poly Maritime Academy also offers a Master of Science in Transportation and Engineering Management degree.  Please visit our website for more information about Cal Poly Maritime Academy.

Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment

This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal Poly provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Cal Poly complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.

Cal Poly is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At Cal Poly, excellence is built on merit, talent, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.

Supplemental Information

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. Cal Poly will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions. Applicants for staff and management positions must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.