Assistant Director of Employee Engagement

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Haverhill, MA

2d•$108,000 - $118,000•Onsite

About The Position

Northern Essex Community College (NECC) serves more than 5,000 students annually across its campuses in Haverhill and Lawrence, Massachusetts. Recognized as one of the 2026 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges by NISOD, NECC's success is driven by a mission-centered culture and a highly engaged workforce. As the first federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution in New England, NECC remains committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace that reflects and supports the communities it serves. Rooted in the Merrimack Valley, NECC plays a vital role in strengthening the region through workforce development, expanded access to affordable higher education, increased degree attainment, and strong partnerships with businesses. NECC employees are united by a shared commitment expanding access to educational opportunities, supporting students in completing their academic journey in a timely and equitable manner, and preparing graduates for long-term success in the workforce. The college invests in its people through ongoing professional development opportunities, collaborative leadership, and a supportive work environment. The Assistant Director of Employee Engagement is responsible for advancing a culture of engagement, development, and organizational effectiveness that supports Northern Essex Community College's mission, values, and strategic priorities. Working within the College's strengths-based leadership philosophy, this position develops and implements initiatives that foster employee engagement, leadership effectiveness, professional growth, and workplace satisfaction across the institution. The role collaborates extensively with leaders, managers, Human Resources, and Professional Development to create innovative onboarding, supervisory training, leadership development, recognition, and engagement initiatives that support a high-performing, inclusive, and strengths-focused workplace. The ideal candidate possesses demonstrated experience utilizing Gallup's Q12 Employee Engagement framework and strengths-based leadership principles to support employee engagement, leadership development, team effectiveness and organizational success.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or related field
5+ years of experience in employee engagement, internal communications or employee relations roles
Proven ability to develop and implement successful engagement strategies
Demonstrated experience administering, interpreting, utilizing Gallup Q12 employee engagement data to develop strategies that improve employee engagement, leadership effectiveness, and organizational performance
Strong project management and organizational skills
Knowledge of employment laws and HR Best Practices
Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
A passion for creating a positive and productive work environment that supports employee growth and development

Nice To Haves

Experience with Gallup Q12, or other strengths-based leadership and employee engagement methodologies.
Certification in employee engagement, organizational development, leadership development, strengths-based coaching, or related disciplines.
Experience in Higher Education
Bilingual (Spanish/English)
Experience working with and supporting a culturally diverse population

Responsibilities

Develop and implement comprehensive employee engagement strategies aligned with College's Strategic Goals and Values
Identify key engagement metrics and monitor employee satisfaction levels utilizing the Gallup Q12 Employee Engagement framework, focus/advisory groups, and other tools.
Develop and implement college-wide strategies to increase retention and cultivate employee engagement and satisfaction.
Assess organizational training and development needs and identify opportunities to strengthen employee engagement, leadership effectiveness and management practices.
Design, develop, and implement employee and management development programs that build leadership capacity, supervisory competencies, workplace effectiveness, and organizational performance.
Deliver training and professional development programs focused on communication, employee engagement, leadership, employee relations, performance management, coaching, accountability, customer service, and workplace culture.
Create and maintain training materials, learning resources, toolkits, and other development tools that support ongoing employee leadership growth.
Coordinate training initiatives in partnership with institutional stakeholders to ensure alignment with strategic priorities, workforce development needs, and organizational goals.
Evaluate the effectiveness of training management development programs through participant feedback, engagement metrics, and organizational outcomes, and implement continuous improvements based on assessment results.
Champion a culture of inclusivity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Create and manage internal communication initiatives to promote transparency and enhance employee connection.
Collaborate with members of the executive team/Presidents' Cabinet to ensure that people-related issues are integrated into the overall strategy and decision making-processes.
Collaborate with the office of professional development to design and implement complimentary programming that aligns with the strategic goals and expectations of NECC.
Plan and execute engagement activities and team-building programs.
Recommend, develop, and implement appropriate employee recognition programs.
Develop innovative programming including onboarding, department orientation, supervision best practices, performance management and leadership development.
Create programs, events, or opportunities for employees to connect and cultivate the sense of belonging.
Manage annual Gallup Q12 Employee Engagement framework and demonstrate ability to interpret, analyze, and apply employee engagement data to support organizational effectiveness and workplace culture initiatives.
Address engagement challenges proactively, ensuring an open and responsive feedback culture.
Support managers with implementing action plans based on employee feedback.
Analyze engagement data to inform engagement strategy, identifying trends, strengths and opportunities.
Prepare and present reports on employee engagement efforts and outcomes to stakeholders.
Practice and promote continuous improvement through evaluation of HR procedures and recommend enhanced efficiency and customer service.