Associate Director, Student Transitions and Family Programs

Emerson College • Boston, MA

11h

About The Position

Join our community and experience Emerson College! The Associate Director of Student Transitions and Family Programs leads all family engagement initiatives for incoming and current families. This position oversees year-round communication, manages the Family Ambassador Program, and coordinates Family and Friends Weekend, Parent & Family Orientation, and other family-facing initiatives designed to strengthen family partnership in student success. The Associate Director serves as the College’s primary point of contact for family inquiries and collaborates closely with Enrollment, Institutional Advancement, and Student Affairs partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in Higher Education, Communication, Student Affairs, or related field preferred.
• 5-7 years of professional experience in family programs, orientation, student affairs, or related work required.
• Exceptional accuracy and attention to detail required
• Excellent communication skills with an understanding of family partnership in higher education.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive student success practices.
• Exceptional accuracy, attention to detail, and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, establish priorities, and follow through on tasks.
• Confident public speaking skills and the ability to present to large and small groups.
• Proficiency with computer software and ability to learn new systems.
• This position is generally sedentary in nature, movement throughout the area is required from time to time.
• Ability to have continuous oral and written communication with students, co-workers, and supervisors is essential.
• Repetitive movements, occasional lifting of up to 30 pounds, reaching, lifting, stooping and the ability to read a computer screen, detect color-coding and read fine print will be expected.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with parent/family communication systems (e.g., CampusESP) preferred.
• Experience planning large-scale events or family engagement programs preferred.
• Experience in family engagement strategies preferred.

Responsibilities

• Family Engagement & Communication Ensure that all family engagement initiatives support student learning, development, belonging, and persistence as outlined by the College’s mission and professional standards and best practice.
• Serve as the lead contact for all parent and family support, including responding to concerns and connecting families with appropriate resources.
• Manage all communication channels with families, including newsletters, email campaigns, social media, and CampusESP.
• Create and manage the Family Facebook groups including, admitting members and moderating posts. Coordinating with campus partners to respond to threads and questions.
• Serving as the Emerson lead for CampusESP. Fully utilizing the tool to engage Emerson families with useful content, customized newsletters, and helpful reminders. Working with a number of College partners to generate content for CampusESP including but not limited to Institutional Advancement
• Develop proactive communication plans to ensure families receive timely, accurate, and transparent information related to student success and campus resources.
• Maintain FERPA-compliant communication practices and educate families on privacy boundaries and institutional policies.
• Communicate critical updates and emerging concerns to divisional leadership.
• Develop family engagement strategies that promote student autonomy, appropriate family involvement, and shared responsibility for student success.
• Program Coordination Coordinate Parent & Family Orientation (Fall and Spring), including content development, scheduling, staffing, assessment, and follow-up.
• Coordinate the “Road to Emerson” program for families.
• Host virtual family orientation sessions and partner sessions throughout the summer and academic year.
• Oversee Family and Friends Weekend, including planning, logistics, campus partnerships, and evaluation.
• Provide guidance to families during student crises by connecting them to appropriate College resources while maintaining student-centered, developmentally appropriate boundaries.
• Partner on Post-Deposit messaging and events in collaboration with Enrollment and Communications.
• Educate families on college developmental milestones and how to support students while fostering independence.
• Use assessment data, benchmarking, and national best practices to inform program design, budgeting, and strategic decision-making.
• Design and implement assessment tools (surveys, focus groups, analytics) to evaluate family engagement initiatives and measure their impact on student success and belonging.
• Partnerships & Institutional Collaboration Serve as a campus-wide consultant on family engagement issues, advising departments on best practices for working effectively with families.
• Advocate for family perspectives in institutional planning while maintaining professional boundaries and student-centered decision-making.
• Serve as the liaison to Institutional Advancement and the Family Executive Council.
• Build partnerships with campus offices including Athletics, International Student Affairs, Cultural Engagement Center, Admissions, and Alumni Relations to develop family-specific programming.
• Support major College events, including Orientation, Commencement and Picture Yourself at Emerson (for admitted students).
• Supervision & Leadership Recruit, train, and supervise student staff and Family Ambassadors.
• Conduct regular program evaluation to assess impact and inform improvements.
• Ensure strategic and responsible management of the Parent & Family budget, prioritizing programs and services with demonstrated impact on student success and family partnership.
• Divisional and Institutional Responsibilities All Student Affairs staff are expected to actively participate in and support major divisional and institutional programs and events, including, but not limited to, student and staff training, Move-in and Move-out, Orientation, Family & Friends Weekend, Picture Yourself at Emerson, Commencement, the Student Organizations Fair, and other key community-building initiatives.
• Perform other miscellaneous duties as assigned.

Benefits

• In addition to a competitive salary, Emerson College is committed to the health and well-being of our employees and family members.
• We offer a generous benefits package to regular staff scheduled to work 20+ hours per week.
• Benefits include outstanding health plans with limited out-of-pocket expenses, dental plans, generous time-off programs, and a 403(b) retirement benefit with a 9% employer contribution once eligible.
• Additional benefits such as life and disability coverage as well as commuter offerings are available.
• Please refer to our benefits website for a full list of benefits and eligibility requirements.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director