Director of Externship and Employer Relationships (62356)

IEC CORP GROUP•Montclair, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

US Colleges is a leader in post-secondary career education. Working at our employee-owned company is more than just a great career - it’s an investment in yourself. Our mission is to drive personal and community transformation by empowering students to make a positive and enduring life change. We are consistently searching for like-minded compassionate professionals who strive to be the best in their respective fields. Our top candidates share our commitment to helping students build the skills to create a future of which they can be proud. We are currently looking for a Director of Externship and Employer Partnerships to join our US Colleges team at our Montclair Campus. In this position you will be responsible for the strategic design, execution, and continuous improvement of externship outcomes for students enrolled in Phlebotomy and Clinical Medical Assistant programs for all 6 US College campuses. This role leads the full student lifecycle from career readiness to externship placement to externship completion, to employment placement and retention, with a strong emphasis on building a high-performing externship pipeline that directly converts into employment opportunities. The Director serves as the primary architect of employer partnerships, extern-to-hire strategies, and extern services infrastructure, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements. This position oversees the externship services staff, including the site developers and the externship assistants and ensures seamless collaboration with Education, Compliance, and other college Leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, Clinical Management, or related field preferred
Minimum 3–5 years of experience in Externship development, Clinical Services, workforce development or Healthcare Employer partnerships
Minimum 2 years of leadership or management experience preferred
Familiarity with California healthcare regulations and workforce landscape highly desirable
Strong knowledge of healthcare environments, including phlebotomy practice settings in California
Working knowledge of BPPE, CDPH and healthcare compliance expectations
Proven ability to build and maintain employer relationships
Strong leadership, coaching, and team development skills
Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
Data-driven decision-making and performance management
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
High level of organization and attention to detail
Strong Proficiency in Microsoft Office (especially Excel and Outlook)
Ability to travel locally to externship sites and employer locations throughout California
Valid California driver’s license required
Ability to work both on-campus and off-site as needed
Physical and mental demands consistent with administrative and field-based leadership roles.

Responsibilities

Design and execute a scalable externship strategy that ensures consistent availability of high-quality clinical sites for Phlebotomy and CMA students.
Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of externship partners including hospitals, clinics, laboratories, urgent care centers, and other approved healthcare facilities within California.
Drive Extern-to-Hire conversion strategies.
Oversee externship lifecycle management including site development, consistent seat and slot availability at affiliated locations, student readiness assessments, site matching and placement, ongoing student progress monitoring, employer engagement and completion and transition to employment.
Ensure externship programs align with California Department of Public Health (CDPH) requirements for phlebotomy training, curriculum objectives, licensing requirements, and industry standards.
Establish and enforce standards for site approval, supervision, safety, and student experience, ensuring all externship sites meet California compliance and liability requirements.
Lead continuous improvement efforts to maintain a high percent of on-time program completions, active extern sites, reduce extern drop rates and increase completion rates.
Build and sustain long-term relationships with California-based healthcare employers to support both externship and hiring pipelines.
Expand employer network through active business development, community engagement, and workforce partnerships.
Conduct regular employer visits and maintain strong commitment to ensure student satisfaction, employer satisfaction, and hiring opportunities.
Ensure all externship agreements comply with California labor laws, liability standards, and non-compensation externship guidelines where applicable.
Lead Advisory Board initiatives to align training programs with workforce needs.
Monitor California labor market trends and recommend program or strategy adjustments.
Strategize to achieve and exceed placement rate targets and run-rate goals in accordance with institutional and regulatory expectations.
Host Professional Development Workshops
Ensure students are fully prepared to transition from externship to employment in California healthcare environments.
Track, analyze, and report on key metrics
Partner with Compliance to ensure accurate, audit-ready documentation.
Directly manage staff.
Provide training, coaching, and performance management to ensure high productivity and accountability.
Establish clear performance metrics aligned with extern site development, student outcomes and employer engagement.
Ensure Site Developers activities meet expectations including site development and maintenance, weekly site visits and student support, and accurate externship documentation tracking.
Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, compliance, and student-centered service.
Ensure students receive individualized guidance throughout their externship and employment transition.
Oversee interventions for at-risk students, students struggling during externship, students returning to the program
Ensure students meet all clinical readiness requirements (e.g., immunizations, background checks, certifications such as CPR/BLS where required in California) prior to externship placement.
Promote equitable outcomes for a diverse student population.
Ensure compliance with all Federal, State of California and institutional requirements.
Oversee externship documentation, ensuring audit readiness.
Ensure adherence to FERPA, HIPAA, and workplace safety standards (OSHA) as applicable to student placements.
Manage departmental budget, staffing, and resource allocation.
Maintain accurate records and reporting systems to support BPPE annual reporting, accreditation reviews, and internal audits.