Director of Student Programming

Columbia University; New York (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia Law School’s Center for Law and the Economy (CLE) is seeking a Director of Student Programming to lead a nationwide student network, expand education, and provide mentorship and professional development opportunities.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director will lead strategic planning, manage staff and fellows, supervise budgeting, and act as the primary liaison to law schools and student organizations nationwide.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; JD or advanced degree preferred.
• 5–7 years of work experience in legal, academic, or organizing fields.
• Experience owning strategic programs and evaluating portfolios.
• Proven personnel management and budgeting experience.
• Independent decision-making authority; strong professional judgment.
• Ability to establish partnerships with law schools and student organizations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; detail-oriented and collaborative.

Responsibilities

• Lead nationwide student-programming portfolio and set annual priorities.
• Make independent decisions on day-to-day program administration and awards.
• Manage relationships with a nationwide network of law schools and student groups.
• Develop and oversee the student-programming budget and resource allocation.
• Supervise program staff, fellows, externs, and student workers.
• Establish evaluation frameworks and track portfolio outcomes.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Budget management

Relationship management

Personnel leadership

Independent decision-making

Written and verbal communication

Program ownership

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Juris Doctor or advanced degree

Job description

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $140,000 - $170,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Columbia Law School’s Center for Law and the Economy (CLE), founded by Associate Professors of Law Lina M. Khan and Lev Menand, is seeking a Director of Student Programming to lead, direct, and expand the Center’s Law and Economy Student Network, a nationwide student-facing education and engagement program that provides students with access to virtual and in-person events with leading scholars and policymakers, research and project ideas, opportunities to submit original research for consideration for awards, and select mentorship and professional development opportunities.

Reporting directly to the Center’s Executive Director, the Director holds primary strategic, operational, financial, and personnel leadership for student engagement, mentorship, and substantive legal research opportunities across the country. The Director establishes annual program priorities, manages resources, engages and manages Center staff and fellows involved in student-facing programming, evaluates portfolio outcomes, and serves as the Center’s primary liaison to a nationwide network of law schools, faculty, and student organizations. This role is ideal for an entrepreneurial, strategic leader with a passion for cultivating the next generation of scholars and policymakers.

Responsibilities

• Leading and directing the Center’s nationwide student-programming portfolio; establishing annual program priorities, operational plans, and strategic goals in consultation with the Executive Director; and advising leadership on emerging student needs, resource requirements, and long-term strategy.
• Exercising independent decision-making authority over day-to-day program administration, curriculum design, event execution, and selection criteria for student awards, fellowships, externships, pro bono opportunities, and student speaker series.
• Serving as the Center’s principal relationship manager for its nationwide network of law schools, academic centers, and student organizations, with direct responsibility for developing high-impact institutional partnerships.
• Developing and managing the student-programming budget, monitoring forecasts and expenditures, tracking funding parameters, and making independent resource-allocation decisions within approved guidelines.
• Directly supervising program staff, policy fellows, externs, and student workers, including assigning work, setting performance expectations, providing guidance, monitoring outcomes, and evaluating performance.
• Establishing evaluation frameworks to measure portfolio effectiveness, analyzing outcomes to guide program expansion or modification, and directing student-facing communications and network data-tracking systems.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Juris Doctor (J.D.) or relevant advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of work experience in the legal, academic, or organizing fields.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in strategic program ownership, setting priorities, and evaluating overall portfolio outcomes.
• Proven personnel management experience, including assigning work, setting expectations, guiding, and monitoring performance of staff, fellows, or student workers.
• Direct experience developing and managing budgets, monitoring expenditures, and making resource-allocation decisions within approved parameters.
• Proven independent decision-making authority and strong professional judgment.
• Skilled at serving as a principal relationship manager and establishing partnerships across law schools, academic institutions, and student organizations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Detail-oriented with a creative and problem-solving mindset.
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills with a collaborative approach.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and excel in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Must be able to work with diverse constituencies and support an inclusive work environment.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.