Program Director - Welding

The Refrigeration School, Inc.•Phoenix, AZ

51d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Program Director - Welding is responsible for ensuring high levels of student and faculty satisfaction, compliance with academic policies and procedures, recruiting, training, retaining, and developing outstanding instructors, and focusing on student retention. This role involves direct supervision of employees in the Education Department and requires adherence to organizational policies and applicable laws. The work environment is primarily a temperature-controlled office, though some duties may be performed in a classroom or shop setting. The position requires the ability to sit for long periods, use office equipment, and may involve stooping, bending, twisting, and reaching.

Requirements

Direct field welding experience in structural, pipe, fabrication, industrial, manufacturing, or commercial welding environments.
Experience leading welding teams, apprentices, instructors, or shop operations.
Experience in technical training, workforce development, or skilled trades education.
Strong operational leadership and coaching abilities.
Comfort using technology platforms and CRM systems to track performance, communication, and student engagement.
Passion for developing future welders and supporting student success.
Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university and minimum two years’ experience in a related field.
For degree-granting institutions, the individual in this role must have an earned degree at least one level higher than the highest degree offered by the school.
For non-degree granting institutions, the individual in this role must have an educational background equal to or exceeding the maximum credential offered by the school.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of ten years related experience is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Ensuring high levels of student and faculty satisfaction.
Ensuring compliance with academic policies and procedures.
Recruiting, training, retaining, and developing outstanding instructors.
Focusing on student retention.
Ensuring syllabi goals and phase objectives are reached and that syllabi, lesson plans, and curriculum are followed.
Monitoring all handouts, videos, and text curriculum to ensure they are up to date, applied correctly, and followed consistently.
Coordinating PAC meetings with the Director of Education and the Campus President and assisting in implementing resulting changes.
Organizing with the Admissions Department, outside program in-services, program contests, competitions, and demonstrations for recruiting events.
Attending industry-related association meetings and serving as a board member or volunteer in the local chapter, if applicable.
Completing weekly and/or monthly reports.
Identifying potential problems and solutions through effective analysis of reports.
Attending all mandatory events, including graduation.
Ensuring faculty utilize Canvas to support hybrid instruction by posting instructor bios and contact information, delivering weekly motivational announcements, supporting threaded discussions and timely student responses, using Canvas communication tools for student messaging, and maintaining an online gradebook with feedback for assignments.
Ensuring appropriate academic advising is conducted by instructors, including completion of mid-phase advisement, advising students at risk or with inconsistent attendance, providing weekly updates on students under SAP to Student Services/DOE, advising students repeating courses and reporting progress, and addressing and documenting any safety concerns.
Monitoring and managing instructor performance metrics and development, including reviewing monthly metrics such as attendance, retention, and rephase rates, documenting and discussing results with faculty, following progressive discipline protocols, and ensuring faculty development plans and training requirements are met annually.
Leading faculty recruitment, training, and management efforts, including conducting interviews, hiring and onboarding for new faculty, ensuring completion of required training programs, training and monitoring attendance tracking using CourseKey, managing job postings and faculty load assignments within budget, evaluating and coaching existing faculty for growth and compliance, and completing timely instructor observations and performance reviews.
Conducting and managing quarterly End-of-Course faculty surveys, ensuring minimum 80% survey completion rate, and uploading completed surveys to designated folders.
Managing student retention and satisfaction by analyzing drop/re-enter data and identifying trends, creating strategies to improve retention month-over-month, participating in weekly LDA and re-entry meetings, and achieving retention goals and maintaining ACCSC completion standards.
Consistently attending curriculum meetings and contributing to updating curriculum to align with industry standards and emerging technologies.
Ensuring all established timelines and deadlines are met across assigned responsibilities.