Director of Education

Socket.dev; Waterbury (CT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Porter and Chester Institute is seeking a Director of Education to lead academic operations and ensure high-quality, industry-relevant training. You will guide faculty, oversee curriculum updates, and coordinate accreditation readiness with regulatory standards.

The role requires strong leadership, experience in career-focused education, and the ability to manage scheduling, SAP/student progress, and program development.

Qualifications

• Associate degree, post-secondary diploma/certificate equivalent, or higher required
• Minimum 3 years of direct or indirect supervisory and/or leadership experience required
• Minimum 3 years of teaching experience required
• Strong knowledge of academic policies, student progress monitoring, and instructional best practices
• Experience supporting accreditation, compliance, or regulatory standards
• Strong leadership, organizational, and decision-making skills
• Excellent communication, coaching, and conflict-resolution abilities
• Proficiency with learning management systems (LMS), student information systems (SIS), and standard office software

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and day-to-day oversight of academic programs, instructional staff, curriculum, and education operations in partnership with the Campus Director and Program Coordinators.
• Lead faculty recruitment, onboarding, mentoring, training, evaluation, observations, and professional development while fostering a collaborative, student-centered learning environment.
• Ensure curriculum, instruction, and instructional methodologies align with institutional goals, industry standards, workforce needs, accreditation requirements, and regulatory standards.
• Oversee curriculum development, program updates, courseware, Program Management Plans, and continuous improvement initiatives to support instructional quality and student outcomes.
• Monitor student academic progress, attendance, SAP status, retention, completion, graduation, and satisfaction outcomes; coordinate at-risk student interventions, Academic Plans, academic recovery, re-enrollment, and student success initiatives.
• Serve as the campus coordinator for retention and student success, facilitating retention meetings, maintaining action plans, monitoring intervention effectiveness, and communicating trends and recommendations to campus leadership.
• Partner with Admissions, Student Services, Career Services, Program Coordinators, and other campus departments to support student onboarding, engagement, persistence, completion, re-entry, and overall student success.
• Oversee academic policies and processes related to grading, attendance, SAP, academic standing, student conduct, and other academic requirements while ensuring appropriate documentation and follow-up.
• Oversee academic scheduling, calendars, classroom and laboratory utilization, instructor coverage, instructional staffing plans, and related budget considerations.
• Support accreditation, regulatory, and institutional compliance efforts, including preparation for audits and accreditation visits and maintenance of required academic, faculty, and student success documentation.
• Monitor academic and student success data, generate required reports through SAP and Learning Management Systems, and use data to identify trends, inform resource allocation, and drive continuous improvement.
• Support New Student Orientation, graduation ceremonies, student recognition events, Program Advisory Committee meetings, and other campus engagement activities.
• Represent the campus within the external academic and professional community and collaborate across departments to advance institutional and student success goals.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Teaching experience

LMS proficiency

SIS proficiency

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Decision-making

Coaching

Conflict resolution

Data-driven

Education

Associate degree or higher

Tools

Learning management systems (LMS)

Student information systems (SIS)

Job description

Director of Education – Leading Student Success and Academic Excellence

Are you a strategic leader who is passionate about education, workforce development, and student outcomes? Do you thrive in roles where you can guide faculty, strengthen programs, and shape the future of career-focused education?

This is your opportunity to lead the academic vision of a mission-driven trade school while helping students gain the skills needed to build meaningful careers.

We’re looking for an experienced educational leader who values quality instruction, compliance, and continuous improvement. If you’re someone who enjoys building strong teams, improving curriculum, and ensuring students receive exceptional training — we’ll support your success.

What You’ll Be Doing

As Director of Education, you will assist with the oversight of the academic operations of the institution, ensuring programs deliver high-quality, industry-relevant education while maintaining compliance with accreditor and regulatory requirements. You will serve as a key campus resource for instructional quality, retention initiatives, student support, accreditation readiness, and faculty training and development.

Must be flexible with shift hours due to position responsibilities, including flexing to evening hours minimum two evenings per week. Additional hours as needed.

• Provide strategic leadership and day-to-day oversight of academic programs, instructional staff, curriculum, and education operations in partnership with the Campus Director and Program Coordinators.
• Lead faculty recruitment, onboarding, mentoring, training, evaluation, observations, and professional development while fostering a collaborative, student-centered learning environment.
• Ensure curriculum, instruction, and instructional methodologies align with institutional goals, industry standards, workforce needs, accreditation requirements, and regulatory standards.
• Oversee curriculum development, program updates, courseware, Program Management Plans, and continuous improvement initiatives to support instructional quality and student outcomes.
• Monitor student academic progress, attendance, SAP status, retention, completion, graduation, and satisfaction outcomes; coordinate at-risk student interventions, Academic Plans, academic recovery, re-enrollment, and student success initiatives.
• Serve as the campus coordinator for retention and student success, facilitating retention meetings, maintaining action plans, monitoring intervention effectiveness, and communicating trends and recommendations to campus leadership.
• Partner with Admissions, Student Services, Career Services, Program Coordinators, and other campus departments to support student onboarding, engagement, persistence, completion, re-entry, and overall student success.
• Oversee academic policies and processes related to grading, attendance, SAP, academic standing, student conduct, and other academic requirements while ensuring appropriate documentation and follow-up.
• Oversee academic scheduling, calendars, classroom and laboratory utilization, instructor coverage, instructional staffing plans, and related budget considerations.
• Support accreditation, regulatory, and institutional compliance efforts, including preparation for audits and accreditation visits and maintenance of required academic, faculty, and student success documentation.
• Monitor academic and student success data, generate required reports through SAP and Learning Management Systems, and use data to identify trends, inform resource allocation, and drive continuous improvement.
• Support New Student Orientation, graduation ceremonies, student recognition events, Program Advisory Committee meetings, and other campus engagement activities.
• Represent the campus within the external academic and professional community and collaborate across departments to advance institutional and student success goals.

Minimum Requirements

Required:

• Associate degree, post-secondary diploma/certificate equivalent, or higher required
• Minimum 3 years of direct or indirect supervisory and/or leadership experience required
• Minimum 3 years of teaching experience required
• Strong knowledge of academic policies, student progress monitoring, and instructional best practices
• Experience supporting accreditation, compliance, or regulatory standards
• Strong leadership, organizational, and decision-making skills
• Excellent communication, coaching, and conflict-resolution abilities
• Proficiency with learning management systems (LMS), student information systems (SIS), and standard office software

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Experience in career-focused, technical, or trade school education
• Experience with curriculum design and program development
• Experience supporting accreditation reviews or institutional audits

Why Work With Us?

As Director of Education, you will shape the learning experience that prepares students for real-world careers. You’ll lead talented instructors, strengthen programs, and ensure that education remains practical, relevant, and aligned with industry demand.

Supported by Admissions, Student Services, Career Services, and Compliance teams, you’ll play a key leadership role in ensuring students not only enroll — but succeed, graduate, and enter the workforce with confidence.

If you’re passionate about education, leadership, and helping students build better futures — this is the role for you.

About Our Company:

Porter and Chester Institute, a trade school in Connecticut and Massachusetts for 75 years, adheres to one basic vision: to educate and train our students to the level that will make them competent employees. With 9 campus locations throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts, we offer training in such trades as Automotive Technology, HVAC-R, CAD, Electrician, Plumbing, as well as Medical Assisting, Dental Assisting, Practical Nursing and Computer & Technology.

Our support staff, including Admissions, Financial Aid and other administrative professionals, to our qualified Instructors are focused on making the students' experience a fulfilling and enriching one, both professionally and personally.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.