Associate Director, Internships & Work-Based Education

Emerson College•Boston, MA

4d•$74,500 - $91,350•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Director, Internships and Work-Based Education serves as the institution’s central coordinator, strategist, and collaborative partner for internships and work-based learning. This role supports the development of a cohesive, high-quality ecosystem of experiential learning opportunities—both credit-bearing and non-credit—that are 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 Associate Director helps to strengthen and expand opportunities for applied learning across the curriculum while respecting the central role of faculty in shaping academic content and learning outcomes. The Associate Director provides institutional leadership in areas such as policy development, infrastructure, data, and external alignment, ensuring that internship and work-based learning practices are consistent, compliant, and student-centered. As a campus-wide thought partner, the Associate Director collaborates with departments and programs to support faculty-led innovation in experiential learning, share relevant industry insights, and help scale effective models across the institution. This role also co-leads governance structures (e.g., internship committees) and works to ensure that all students have access to meaningful, well-supported experiences that contribute to their academic and professional development.

Requirements

A Master’s degree in Counseling, Higher Education, Human Resources, or a related field required.
5-7 years of experience in experiential learning, internships, academic program development, and/or career services leadership required.
Demonstrated expertise in internship program design, policy development, and compliance required.
Experience working collaboratively with faculty and academic leadership required.
Demonstrated success in leading cross-functional initiatives and governance structures required.
Experience using data to inform program design and institutional strategy required.
Strong understanding of work-based learning models, including internships, project-based learning, and co-op frameworks
Excellent communication skills and ability to influence across diverse stakeholder groups
Familiarity with labor laws and regulations related to internships (U.S. and/or international).
Strong relationship building and influencing skills
Strong knowledge of system thinking and program design
Strong knowledge of policy development and governance
Expert knowledge of market and industry trends and emerging opportunities
Familiarity with academic governance and ability to collaborate with faculty
Ability to make data-driven decisions
Knowledge of fairness-oriented approaches to access and opportunity
Ability to innovate and develop experiential learning programs
Strong data analysis and assessment skills

Nice To Haves

Experience in arts, media, communications, or creative industries preferred.
Experience designing programs for nonlinear, freelance, or portfolio-based career pathways preferred.
Experience with experiential learning technologies and platforms preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as an institution-wide leader and coordinating partner for internships and work-based education, helping shape shared vision, strategy, and guiding practices.
In collaboration with academic and institutional partners, develop and support implementation of a comprehensive framework for experiential learning.
Ensure alignment between internship strategy and institutional priorities related to student success, equity, and post-graduate outcomes.
Partner with the Director, Industry Relations to ensure strong alignment between employer pipelines and internship opportunities, while supporting alignment across academic, operational, and policy dimensions.
Serve as the central coordinating resource for internship policy and shared institutional practices.
Advocate for and educate about institutional policies related to academic credit and learning outcomes, compensation and labor compliance (e.g., FLSA considerations), risk management and liability, and international internships and regulatory considerations.
Develop clear, accessible guidelines for students, faculty, and employers about internship policies.
Co-chair the cross-college internship committee, bringing together stakeholders from academic departments, academic affairs, legal, risk management, and career services, among others.
Partner with relevant stakeholders to support alignment of internship programs with legal, ethical, and accreditation standards
Support faculty and academic units in exploring and expanding high-impact embedded work-based learning opportunities, including credit-bearing internships, capstone and project-based courses, and industry-sponsored courses or studios.
Support faculty in developing learning outcomes, assessment frameworks, and reflective components for experiential learning.
Collaborate with faculty and partners to develop and help scale new work-based learning models
Expand access to experiences through micro-internships and short-term projects, on-campus and campus-affiliated experiential roles, and alumni and industry-sponsored projects.
Help align models with the realities of freelance, gig-based, and portfolio-driven careers common in arts and media industries.
Pilot and scale programs that address barriers to access, including funding, location constraints, and unpaid work.
Promote broad access to high-quality internships and work-based learning opportunities by helping to identify and reduce structural and logistical barriers to participation.
Partner with institutional stakeholders to expand paid internship opportunities, financial supports such as stipends or micro-grants to reduce barriers to participation, and employer practices that support fair, transparent, and skills-based recruitment:
Monitor participation and outcomes to identify trends and opportunities to improve access and student success across the institution.
Oversee the day-to-day management and strategic oversight for the EMTERN program.
Develop and manage systems to track internship participation rates, credit vs. non-credit experiences, employer engagement in experiential learning, and internship conversion outcomes.
Use data and assessment to drive continuous improvement and strategic decision-making.
Produce reports for institutional leadership on impact, trends, and areas for growth.
Benchmark against peer institutions and national standards (e.g., NACE).
Ensure a cohesive, end-to-end student experience from preparation through placement and reflection.
Other duties as assigned.