Assistant Director - Program Development

Northeastern University•Boston, MA

2d•$60,315 - $85,193

About The Position

The Assistant Director, Program Development supports the Associate Dean for Graduate Education in building a portfolio of academic programs that meet the college’s goals for high-quality programs and strong enrollment. The role supports traditional and non-traditional educational products developed by college departments and academic units for rollout across Northeastern’s campuses. Programs are developed to meet prospective student demand while drawing on current and emerging faculty teaching expertise, college enrollment and teaching goals, teaching capacity, and graduate employers’ needs. The Assistant Director works with the Dean’s Office and Central Enrollment Management to understand enrollment goals, priorities, trends, and opportunities. The role engages employers to understand hiring needs, organizes marketing and survey data, and partners with Innovation Planning and Development on job-market and technology trends and market research. It also collaborates with Experiential Digital Global Education on online program development. In partnership with department chairs, graduate associate chairs, and program directors, the Assistant Director develops master’s and doctoral programs, identifies opportunities, connects faculty in emerging areas, and facilitates curriculum and proposal discussions. The role ensures programs comply with governance, accreditation, and licensure guidelines and works with other colleges on interdisciplinary programs. It also identifies opportunities to roll out existing programs across network campuses and supports non-traditional educational products, including employer-focused modules and badges. The position also supports cross-college course opportunities and assists the Associate Director of Graduate Education with program development activities, communication, and coordination.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
3–5 years of experience with academic and administrative projects; experience in higher education, with adult learners, or in a high customer-service environment is preferred.
Strong project management and organizational skills, attention to detail, and commitment to quality.
Ability to consistently produce high-quality work under tight deadlines.
Effective interpersonal, oral presentation, and written communication skills.
Strong analytical skills, including ability to interpret market research, enrollment data, and trends to inform program development decisions.
Ability to balance multiple demands, navigate ambiguity, and independently drive projects forward.
Ability to work effectively as part of a team in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, with flexibility and initiative to navigate shifting priorities.
Ability to work across the organization with students, faculty, academic managers, program office personnel, and Deans.
Responsiveness to feedback and commitment to continuous improvement.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Experience with academic coordination.
Familiarity with academic governance, accreditation, and program approval processes.

Responsibilities

Organize and interpret data on enrollment trends, student program interests, and employer hiring needs across campuses.
Develop new master’s and doctoral programs in collaboration with department chairs, graduate associate chairs, and program directors.
Identify 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 offerings in coordination with Experiential Digital Global Education.
Assist the Associate Director of Graduate Education with program development activities, communication, and coordination.
Ensure compliance with governance, accreditation, and licensure requirements.
Engage employers to understand hiring needs and identify interest in employer-focused educational products.
Organize marketing and survey data and partner on market research, job-market trends, and technology trends.