Director, Student Transitions and Family Programs

Emerson College • Boston, MA

10d • $92,400 - $115,600

About The Position

Join our community and experience Emerson College ! The Director, Student Transitions and Family Programs provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the College’s comprehensive orientation, transition, first-year experience, and family engagement initiatives. The Director ensures that programs and services foster belonging, resilience, and student success across the student lifecycle while building strong partnerships with families. This role directs departmental strategy, manages the departmental budget, supervises two professional staff members, and represents the unit on divisional and institutional committees.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree or in Higher Education, Student Affairs, College Administration, Counseling or a related field required.
• 7-10 years of progressive experience in higher education administration required, including supervision and budget management required.
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• 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.
• Demonstrated success in developing assessment plans and using data for strategic decision-making.

Nice To Haves

• Experience leading large-scale programs or committees, preferred.
• Experience supporting special populations (transfer, international, commuter, off-campus, etc.), preferred.
• Experience in family engagement strategies, preferred.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Vision Provide leadership, long-term planning, and strategic direction for the Office of Student Transitions and Family Programs ensuring alignment with divisional and institutional priorities related to belonging, student success, retention, and persistence.
• Develop and implement a strategic plan aligned with the divisional and institutional priorities.
• Ensure orientation and transition programs are mission-aligned and grounded in best practices and professional standards.
• Oversee the department's operations, including staffing, programming, and communications.
• Lead the department’s strategic planning, assessment, and data collection efforts.
• Develop strategy for supporting special populations (transfer, off-campus, Global Bachelor of Fine Arts (GBFA), commuter, international, etc.) across the student lifecycle.
• Lead a comprehensive orientation and transition strategy that supports students across identity groups (first-year, transfer, international, off-campus, special populations), and entry points of the onboarding process (prospective, admitted, pre-arrival, orientation to first-year experience).
• Administrative & Operational Management Develop and administer the departmental budget, including allocations for Orientation, Family Engagement, Transfer/Off-Campus programming, and special population initiatives, ensuring responsible fiscal management and compliance with College financial guidelines.
• Provide direct supervision, training, and development for two professional staff members and oversight of student staff supporting office initiatives.
• Establish and maintain clear supervision, training, and evaluation structures for student and professional staff engaged in orientation and transition work.
• Provide ongoing professional development and performance coaching to professional staff, and student leaders supporting orientation, family engagement, and transition programs.
• Guide the development, implementation, and continual refinement of orientation, transition, and family engagement programs.
• Ensure compliance with institutional policies and external standards.
• Establish and assess student learning outcomes for orientation and transition programs, ensuring alignment with divisional and institutional learning frameworks.
• Partnerships & Representation Represent STFP on divisional and institutional committees, including those related to first-year experience, student success, and major campus events.
• Build collaborative partnerships with Admissions, Enrollment Management, Advising, Institutional Advancement, Alumni Relations, Housing & Residence Education, Office of International Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Financial Aid and other key stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary liaison to divisional leadership regarding student and family trends, emerging concerns, and opportunities for improved support.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with Emerson Los Angeles and Kasteel Well campuses to ensure consistency and connection across sites.
• Serves on and takes an active role in the Commencement Committee.
• Program Oversight Provide leadership support to Orientation planning, Family Engagement initiatives, and Transfer/Off-Campus support structures.
• Ensure programs are evaluated regularly and use assessment results to inform improvements.
• Support all major College events led by the department or involving the department (e.g., Commencement, Family Weekend, major welcome programming).
• Lead efforts to eliminate barriers to participation in orientation and family engagement programs, including cost, language, disability access, and scheduling needs.
• Develop a comprehensive annual assessment plan for orientation, family engagement, and transition programs using surveys, focus groups, benchmarking, and analytics.
• Use data to identify trends, improve program effectiveness, drive strategic decisions, and report outcomes to divisional and institutional leaders.
• Communications & Content Oversight Maintain and develop content that reflects the department’s mission, programming, and initiatives.
• Ensure consistency, accuracy, and compliance in all communications content for the Office of Student Transitions and Family Programs
• Oversee the review and approval process for emails, social media, and website updates in coordination with Student Affairs Communications and Marketing & Communications, with responsibility for time-sensitive and crisis communications, including those requiring responsiveness beyond standard business hours.
• Provide strategic leadership for the development and ongoing evolution of the parent and family portal, partnering with campus stakeholders to curate, create, and disseminate timely, relevant, and engaging content that supports families throughout the student lifecycle.
• 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.
• Evening and weekend participation is expected for campus events and student engagement activities.
• Some domestic travel expected for Road to Emerson/Summer Send Off programs
• Perform other 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