Director, Internships and Work-Based Education

Emerson College; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 82,000 - 103,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

Dental plans

401(k) retirement plan

Job summary

Emerson College in Boston seeks a Director, Internships and Work-Based Education to provide institution-wide strategic leadership for internships and experiential learning across credit-bearing and non-credit programs. You will align with academic priorities, work with faculty and industry partners, and shape policies, systems, and practices.

The role emphasizes accessibility, quality, and student outcomes, leads governance, expands paid opportunities, and ensures compliance with labor laws.

Qualifications

• Master's degree required in Counseling, Higher Education, Human Resources, or related field.
• 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience in experiential learning, internships, academic program development, career services, and/or related higher education leadership.
• Expertise and leadership in internship and work-based learning strategy, program design, policy development, and compliance.
• Demonstrated success building trusted partnerships with faculty, academic leadership, and senior institutional stakeholders.
• Experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives, governance structures, and institution-wide change.
• Experience using data, assessment, and benchmarking to inform institutional strategy and executive decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Provide institution-wide strategic leadership for internships and work-based education, establishing shared vision, priorities, strategy, and guiding practices.
• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of a comprehensive institutional framework for internships and work-based learning.
• Ensure internship and work-based learning strategy is aligned with student success, access, academic quality, and post-graduate outcomes.
• Partner with the Director, Industry Relations to align employer pipelines and internship opportunities with institutional priorities.
• Co-chair the cross-college internship committee, setting agendas and priorities with academic departments, academic affairs, legal, risk management, career services.

Skills

Work-based learning

Executive-level influencing

Data analysis

Policy development

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Master's degree in Counseling, Higher Education, Human Resources, or related field

Job description

Director, Internships and Work-Based Education

Join our community and experience Emerson College!

The Director, Internships and Work-Based Education provides institution-wide strategic leadership for internships and work-based learning at Emerson College. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President, Career Development, the Director leads the development and implementation of a cohesive, high-quality ecosystem of experiential learning opportunities - both credit-bearing and non-credit - that is aligned with academic priorities, responsive to industry trends, and accessible to all students.

Working in close partnership with faculty, academic leadership, and industry relations, the Director sets strategy and provides institutional leadership for the infrastructure, policies, systems, and practices that support internships and work-based learning. The Director advances consistency, compliance, quality, and student success across programs while respecting the central role of faculty and academic leadership in shaping curriculum, academic content, and learning outcomes.

As the College's senior strategic lead for internships and work-based education, the Director convenes and influences stakeholders across academic and administrative units, translates institutional priorities into scalable practices, and advances innovation in experiential learning. The Director co-leads relevant governance structures, identifies emerging opportunities and risks, and ensures that students have access to meaningful, well-supported experiences that contribute to their academic and professional development.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

• Provide institution-wide strategic leadership for internshipsand work-based education, establishing shared vision, priorities,strategy, and guiding practices in collaboration with academic andinstitutional partners.
• Lead the development, implementation, and continuousimprovement of a comprehensive institutional framework forinternships and work-based learning.
• Ensure internship and work-based education strategy is alignedwith institutional priorities related to student success, access,academic quality, and post-graduate outcomes.
• Partner with the Director, Industry Relations to align employerpipelines and internship opportunities with institutional,academic, operational, and policy priorities.
• Serve as the institutional strategic lead for internship policyand shared practices. Lead the development, communication, andimplementation of guidance related to academic credit and learningoutcomes, compensation and labor compliance (e.g., FLSAconsiderations), risk management and liability, and internationalinternships and regulatory considerations. Ensure clear, accessibleguidance for students, faculty, staff, and employers.
• Co-chair the cross-college internship committee, settingagendas and priorities and bringing together stakeholders fromacademic departments, academic affairs, legal, risk management,career services, and other relevant areas to advance institutionalstrategy and resolve cross-functional issues.
• Lead cross-functional coordination to ensure internshipprograms and practices align with legal, ethical, institutional,and accreditation standards.
• Partner with faculty and academic units to advance and expandhigh-impact embedded work-based learning opportunities, includingcredit-bearing internships, capstone and project-based courses, andindustry-sponsored courses or studios.
• Provide strategic consultation and resources to faculty andacademic units related to learning outcomes, assessment frameworks,and reflective components for experiential learning.
• Lead the development, piloting, evaluation, and scaling of newwork-based learning models in partnership with faculty, academicleaders, and external partners.
• Expand access to experiences through micro-internships andshort-term projects, on-campus and campus-affiliated experientialroles, and alumni and industry-sponsored projects.
• Ensure institutional work-based learning models reflect therealities of freelance, gig-based, entrepreneurial, andportfolio-driven careers common in arts and media industries.
• Set priorities and lead initiatives that address barriers toparticipation, including funding, location constraints, and unpaidwork.
• Advance broad access to high-quality internships and work-basedlearning by identifying systemic barriers and leadingcross-institutional strategies to reduce them.
• Partner with institutional and industry stakeholders to expandpaid internship opportunities, financial supports such as stipendsor micro-grants, and employer practices that support fair,transparent, and skills-based recruitment.
• Establish and monitor institutional measures of participation,quality, and outcomes; identify trends, risks, and opportunities tostrengthen access and student success.
• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the EMTERNprogram, including program direction, operations, assessment, andcontinuous improvement.
• Lead the development and management of systems to trackinternship participation, credit vs. non-credit experiences,employer engagement in experiential learning, and internshipconversion outcomes.
• Use data, assessment, benchmarking, and stakeholder feedback toset priorities, guide resource decisions, and drive continuousimprovement.
• Develop executive-level reports and recommendations forinstitutional leadership on impact, emerging trends, risks, andopportunities for growth.
• Benchmark institutional practices and outcomes against peerinstitutions, national standards, and emerging best practices(e.g., NACE), and recommend strategic changes as appropriate.
• Provide strategic oversight of the end-to-end studentexperience in internships and work-based learning, working acrossteams to ensure coherence from preparation through experience andreflection.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A Master's degree in Counseling, Higher Education, HumanResources, or a related field required.
• 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience inexperiential learning, internships, academic program development,career services, and/or related higher education leadership required.
• Demonstrated expertise and leadership in internship andwork-based learning strategy, program design, policy development,and compliance required.
• Demonstrated success building trusted partnerships withfaculty, academic leadership, and senior institutional stakeholders required.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functionalinitiatives, governance structures, and institution-wide changerequired.
• Demonstrated experience using data, assessment, andbenchmarking to inform institutional strategy and executive-leveldecision-making required.
• Experience in arts, media, communications, or creativeindustries preferred.
• Experience designing programs for nonlinear, freelance, orportfolio-based career pathways preferred.
• Experience with experiential learning technologies andplatforms preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Expert knowledge of work-based learning models, includinginternships, project-based learning, and co-op frameworks
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and executive-levelinfluencing skills across diverse stakeholder groups
• Familiarity with labor laws and regulations related tointernships (U.S. and/or international).
• Exceptional relationship-building, consultation, andinfluencing skills
• Advanced knowledge of systems thinking, organizational change,and program design
• Advanced knowledge of policy development, governance, andcross-functional implementation
• Expert knowledge of market and industry trends and emergingopportunities
• Strong understanding of academic governance and demonstratedability to partner effectively with faculty and academicleaders
• Ability to translate complex data and institutional prioritiesinto strategic decisions and actionable recommendations
• Knowledge of fairness-oriented approaches to access andopportunity
• Demonstrated ability to lead innovation and scale experientiallearning programs across an institution
• Advanced data analysis, assessment, and program evaluationskills

PHYSICAL ABILITIES

• Position is generally sedentary, requiring movement throughoutthe area as needed.
• Ability to sit and concentrate for long periods of time.
• Continuous oral and written communication with co-workers,students, and supervisors.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• General office conditions
• Exposed to moderate noise levels

Compensation: $82,150.00 - $102,650.00 annually, commensurate withexperience.

Grade of Position: 23-10E

Employment Category: Regular

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 36.25

In addition to a competitive salary, Emerson College is committed to the health and well-being of our employees and family members. We offer a generous benefits package to regular staff scheduled to work 20+ hours per week. Emerson EmploymentCategories influence work schedules, benefits eligibility,and time off policies. Benefits include outstanding health plans with limited out-of-pocket expenses, dental plans, generoustime-off programs, and a 403(b) retirement benefit with a 9%employer contribution once eligible. Additional benefits, such aslife and disability coverage and commuter offerings, are available. Please refer to our benefitswebsite for a full list of benefits and eligibilityrequirements.