What's in a name? AKA-- Help me pick my new title!

August 31, 2016 10:03 AM

I'm in a fun/slightly anxiety provoking situation at my work (a small, education non-profit) of getting to pick my own title. I am currently director of programming, but in recognition of the scope of my work and the fact that I functionally co-lead the organization with our ED, I have been offered the title of A) Deputy Director, B) Chief Academic Officer or C) Something Awesome of My Own Invention. What say you, AskMeFi? (Some snowflakes below.)

My work will still consist of steering the ship on all things related to our programming, supervising our programming staff and doing a fair amount of direct service/training for teachers myself. I also meet regularly with our awesome ED, co plan our board meetings, help set our vision, and generate a lot of our fee for service business with schools and school districts through pitch meetings, etc.

My background is in teaching, coaching, and school administration and I imagine that I will go back to that space at some point. (I miss more direct contact with kids.)

I want a title that communicates that I really know my stuff academically and programmatically and that I am high up/co-running this organization. My ED and I had initially thought we were working towards a co-directorship model but our board won't co-sign for that.

Does Deputy Director or Chief Academic Offer fit the bill? Is there something else awesome that I'm not thinking of?

posted by jeszac to Work & Money (6 answers total)

Best answer: deputy director both fits what your job entails AND is easily translatable to the terminology of pretty much all other organizations which is always a plus on your CV.
posted by poffin boffin at 10:10 AM on August 31, 2016 [5 favorites]

Seconding deputy director; as someone entirely outside of your field, it sounds like a position senior to Chief Academic Officer.
posted by craven_morhead at 10:58 AM on August 31, 2016

Deputy Director easily lets me imagine you in a Director role, which is presumably a title you might want to pursue in the future. I don't know much about the educational non-profit sphere so not sure if Chief Academic Officer is equally translatable. Maybe do a search for both titles on LinkedIn or on a job board and see which comes up more often?
posted by deliciae at 11:22 AM on August 31, 2016

Deputy Director is a decently prestigious title. Go for Deputy Director for [Something Exciting]. In my field, a similar title would be Deputy Director for Learning and Engagement or something like that.
posted by Miko at 11:29 AM on August 31, 2016

Best answer: I functionally co-lead the organization with our ED

Deputy director---make it official, and make sure the official org chart/public docs reflect that. This is effectively a promotion and you should think of it that way, even if the organization can't offer more money (or can they?).

I'd stick with simply DD. Anything else implies limits on you scope. Are you a manager or a specialist? Subject-matter experts get very specific titles to reflect their areas of expertise. On the other hand, a manager with general set of duties is more senior than one with only a single specific file. How do you want to present yourself on behalf of the organization, or on your own behalf?
posted by bonehead at 12:27 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

Having had experience hiring for non-profits, I agree that Deputy Director is the most advantageous title unless you can get away with inventing your title to be Co-Executive Director.
posted by 256 at 3:55 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]