Florence Study Abroad Director

Fashion Institute of Technology; Firenze; On-site; EUR 98,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

The Director of FIT in Florence provides strategic leadership and high-level administrative oversight for all academic initiatives in Florence, Italy. This role ensures operational excellence of year-long, semester-based, and short-term programs, and acts as the primary representative of FIT to students, faculty, Polimoda, AACUPI and the City of Florence.

Reporting to the Dean for International Education, the Director maintains a visible on-site presence at FIT's offices within Polimoda,

Qualifications

• Work authorization for Italy.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership in international education.
• Fluency in Italian and English.
• Master's degree in a relevant field.
• Deep knowledge of Italy, its culture, and society.
• Active professional standing in international education (e.g., NAFSA, The Forum on Education Abroad).
• Expertise in intercultural management and leading diverse teams.
• Experience in fashion or creative industries.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary liaison to the Office of International Programs in New York.
• Recruit, mentor, and supervise a high-performing support services team.
• Collaborate with Polimoda leadership to implement risk management protocols and emergency response plans.
• Direct the FIT in Florence budget, prioritizing programmatic investments.
• Provide financial and operational reporting to the Dean for International Education and the Provost.
• Partner with senior leadership to identify expansion opportunities for FIT's footprint in Florence.
• Oversee curriculum delivery, academic advising, and registration processes.
• Manage local faculty recruitment, scheduling, and performance evaluations.
• Optimize class schedules and resource allocation with Polimoda.
• Drive continuous improvement through student and program assessments.
• Maintain accessibility to students and mentor the Florence community.
• Report incidents to the Dean for International Education or Title IX Coordinator as appropriate.

Skills

Fluency in Italian and English

Intercultural management

Leading diverse teams

Strong communication

Education

Master's degree

Master's degree in a relevant field

Job description

The Director of FIT in Florence provides strategic leadership and high-level administrative oversight for all academic initiatives in Florence, Italy. This role ensures operational excellence of year-long, semester-based, and short-term programs, and acts as the primary representative of FIT to students, faculty, Polimoda, AACUPI and the City of Florence.

Reporting to the Dean for International Education, the Director maintains a visible on-site presence at FIT's offices within Polimoda,