Assistant Director - Program Development

Northeastern University; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Northeastern University is seeking an Assistant Director, Program Development to advance graduate education by developing programs that align with enrollment goals and faculty expertise across campuses.

The role partners with the Dean's Office, Central Enrollment Management, and employers to identify market needs, manage market research, and drive curriculum design and governance compliance for new programs and interdisciplinary offerings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent)
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience with academic and administrative projects, preferably in higher education and with adult learners or in a high customer service environment
• Strong project management and organizational skills with attention to detail and a commitment to quality, including the ability to consistently produce high-quality work under tight deadlines
• Effective interpersonal, oral presentation, and written communication skills
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret market research, enrollment data, and trends to inform program development decisions
• Ability to balance multiple demands from demanding constituencies and navigate ambiguity to drive projects forward independently
• Ability to function effectively as a member of a team in a dynamic, fast-paced work environment, with flexibility and initiative to navigate shifting priorities
• Ability to work across the organization with a wide spectrum of individuals that includes students, faculty, academic managers, program office personnel, and Deans
• Responsive to feedback and committed to continuous improvement

Responsibilities

• Organize and understand data about enrollment trends, student program interests, and employer hiring needs across campuses
• Develop new master's and doctoral programs that help the college achieve these goals by working with department chairs, graduate associate chairs, and program directors
• Understand and develop opportunities to roll out college programs across campuses
• Support development of non-traditional educational products, including non-credit classes, programs, pathways, modules, and badges
• Support opportunities for students to take cross-college classes
• Support online program development and online program offerings in coordination with Experiential Digital Global Education
• Assist Associate Director of Graduate Education in all program development activities, communication, and coordination
• Ensure governance, accreditation, and licensure compliance

Skills

Project management

Analytical thinking

Interpersonal communication

Oral & written communication

Data interpretation

Team collaboration

Adaptability

Detail oriented

Customer service mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Master's degree (preferred)

Job description

About the Opportunity

Job Summary

The Assistant Director, Program Development supports the Associate Dean for Graduate Education in developing a portfolio of academic programs that meet the college's goals of delivering high-quality programs with strong enrollment. This role supports the development of traditional and non-traditional educational products by college departments and academic units for rollout across Northeastern's campuses, working to create programs and educational products that satisfy prospective student demand while leveraging current and emerging areas of faculty teaching expertise. The Assistant Director develops programs aligned with the college's enrollment and teaching goals, the college's teaching expertise and capacity, and the needs of graduates' employers.

The Assistant Director works with the Dean's Office to understand the college's enrollment goals and programmatic priorities, and with Central Enrollment Management to understand enrollment trends and opportunities. This role also engages directly with employers to understand hiring needs, organizes marketing and survey data related to new program development, and partners with the Innovation Planning and Development group to explore job market and technology trends and conduct market research. The Assistant Director collaborates with the Experiential Digital Global Education group on online program development.

Working closely with department chairs, graduate associate chairs, and program directors, the Assistant Director develops new master's and doctoral programs that help the college achieve its strategic goals. This includes identifying programming opportunities, connecting faculty in emerging areas, and facilitating discussions among collaborators to support curriculum development and program proposals. The Assistant Director ensures new programs comply with governance, accreditation, and licensure guidelines, and collaborates with counterparts in other colleges to develop interdisciplinary programs.

The Assistant Director also works with network campuses, the Dean's Office, and Central Enrollment Management to understand priorities and opportunities for program development across the network, identifying opportunities to roll out existing programs and partnering with department chairs, graduate associate chairs, and program directors to develop them. Additionally, this role works to develop non-traditional educational products, including those involving industry partners, that support the college's enrollment goals, engaging with employers to identify areas of interest and facilitating discussions with academic leadership to develop employer-focused educational modules and badges.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

• Organize and understand data about enrollment trends, student program interests, and employer hiring needs across campuses
• Develop new master's and doctoral programs that help the college achieve these goals by working with department chairs, graduate associate chairs, and program directors
• Understand and develop opportunities to roll out college programs across campuses
• Support development of non-traditional educational products, including non-credit classes, programs, pathways, modules, and badges
• Support opportunities for students to take cross-college classes
• Support online program development and online program offerings in coordination with Experiential Digital Global Education
• Assist Associate Director of Graduate Education in all program development activities, communication, and coordination
• Ensure governance, accreditation, and licensure compliance

Minimum Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent)
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience with academic and administrative projects, preferably in higher education and with adult learners or in a high customer service environment
• Strong project management and organizational skills with attention to detail and a commitment to quality, including the ability to consistently produce high-quality work under tight deadlines
• Effective interpersonal, oral presentation, and written communication skills
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret market research, enrollment data, and trends to inform program development decisions
• Ability to balance multiple demands from demanding constituencies and navigate ambiguity to drive projects forward independently
• Ability to function effectively as a member of a team in a dynamic, fast-paced work environment, with flexibility and initiative to navigate shifting priorities
• Ability to work across the organization with a wide spectrum of individuals that includes students, faculty, academic managers, program office personnel, and Deans
• Responsive to feedback and committed to continuous improvement

Preferred

• Master's degree
• Experience with academic coordination

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter