Associate Director, School of Architecture & Design - Master's Programs

IE; Madrid; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

IE University’s School of Architecture & Design invites applications for an Associate Director, Student Experience (Master's Programs). The role designs, delivers, and continuously improves the student journey across MBARCH, MRED, GMRED, MINT and MDXR, in collaboration with Academic Directors, Faculty, Program Managers and administrative teams.

The position leads initiatives to enhance satisfaction, engagement, retention and overall program quality, using data-driven insights, service excellence

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of relevant professional experience.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Experience in student experience, academic operations, higher education, customer experience, hospitality, or program management.
• Experience managing projects involving multiple stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and organizational capabilities.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Professional fluency in English and Spanish.
• Demonstrated commitment to service excellence and student success.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the end-to-end student journey across Master's programs (face-to-face and blended: MBARCH, MRED, GMRED, MINT and MDXR) under the supervision of the senior Associate Director.
• Develop scalable methods for mapping student journeys and identifying key touchpoints.
• Identify student needs, expectations, motivations, and pain points through direct engagement and feedback mechanisms.
• Create impactful WOW moments that strengthen engagement, belonging, and differentiation.
• Serve as a key point of contact for student experience-related matters in coordination with academic directors and School management team.
• Ensure the successful execution of onboarding, bootcamps, immersions, workshops, assessments, study trips, and graduation-related milestones.
• Coordinate stakeholders and resources required for smooth program delivery.
• Identify and implement improvements to operational processes that impact the student experience.
• Support Academic Directors and Program Teams in delivering a consistent and high-quality student experience.
• Lead quality assurance processes related to student satisfaction, academic delivery, and service quality.
• Monitor student feedback and faculty performance through surveys and experience-related KPIs.
• Analyse all student data and generate actionable recommendations.
• Design feedback loops to support continuous improvement of programs.
• Monitor key indicators such as participation, engagement, retention, and graduation rates.
• Stay informed about emerging trends in student experience, customer experience, and educational innovation.
• Leverage technology and digital tools to simplify processes and enhance the student experience.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Interpersonal skills

Communication

English

Spanish

Education

Master's degree

Job description

Overview

Are you interested in joining a dynamic and international team of professionals to transform education? IE University’s School of Architecture & Design is looking for an Associate Director, Student Experience (Master's Programs) to join its team!

The Associate Director, Student Experience is responsible for designing, delivering, and continuously improving the student experience across the School's Master's programs. The role ensures a seamless, engaging, and high-quality student journey through the integration of service excellence, quality assurance, student engagement, and data‑driven improvements.

Working closely with Academic Directors, Faculty, Program Managers, and administrative teams, the Associate Director acts as the voice of the student and leads initiatives that enhance satisfaction, engagement, retention, and overall program quality.

Responsibilities

• Student Experience & Journey Management
  • Oversee the end‑to‑end student journey across Master's programs (both face‑to‑face and blended: MBARCH, MRED, GMRED, MINT and MDXR) under the supervision of the senior Associate Director
  • Develop scalable methods for mapping student journeys and identifying key touchpoints
  • Identify student needs, expectations, motivations, and pain points through direct engagement and feedback mechanisms
  • Create impactful "WOW moments" that strengthen engagement, belonging, and differentiation
  • Serve as a key point of contact for student experience‑related matters in coordination with academic directors and School management team
• Academic Operations & Service Quality
  • Ensure the successful execution of key academic activities, including onboarding, bootcamps, immersions, workshops, assessments, study trips, and graduation‑related milestones
  • Coordinate stakeholders and resources required for smooth program delivery
  • Identify and implement improvements to operational processes that impact the student experience
  • Support Academic Directors and Program Teams in delivering a consistent and high‑quality student experience
• Quality Assurance & Student Insights
  • Lead quality assurance processes related to student satisfaction, academic delivery, and service quality
  • Monitor student feedback and faculty performance through surveys (faculty, programs, etc.) and experience‑related KPIs
  • Analyse all student data and generate actionable recommendations
  • Design feedback loops to support continuous improvement of programs
  • Monitor key indicators such as participation, engagement, retention, and graduation rates
• Service Innovation
  • Stay informed about emerging trends in student experience, customer experience, and educational innovation
  • Leverage technology and digital tools to simplify processes and enhance the student experience

Qualifications

• 4 - 6 years of relevant professional experience
• Master's degree preferred
• Experience in student experience, academic operations, higher education, customer experience, hospitality, or program management
• Experience managing projects involving multiple stakeholders
• Strong analytical and organizational capabilities
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Professional fluency in English and Spanish
• Demonstrated commitment to service excellence and student success

At IE University, we actively promote equal opportunities in recruitment processes and access to employment, always ensuring the absence of gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, ethnic origin, or disability bias throughout the entire selection process.