Director of Partnerships and Placements

Position Information

Posting Number NC00856 Position Title Director of Partnerships and Placements Division Academic Affairs Division Department Name Feinstein School of Education and Human Development Position Type Staff - Non Classified

Position Overview

The Director of Partnerships and Placements provides strategic leadership for developing, managing, and evaluating partnerships with PK-12 schools, districts, and community organizations to support high-quality clinical experiences for students. The role oversees all field placements, student teaching assignments, internships, and related training programs, ensuring compliance with state, accreditation, and certification requirements. Working closely with faculty, academic leaders, and external partners, the Director strengthens collaborative relationships, supports professional development initiatives, and promotes equity-focused placement opportunities.

The position also supervises key staff, resolves placement-related challenges, and leads continuous improvement efforts through data analysis and program assessment. Additionally, the Director monitors candidate outcomes, partnership effectiveness, and regulatory requirements to enhance program quality and student success.

Primary Purpose

The Office of Partnerships and Placements (OPP) director works to create and support mutually beneficial partnerships with schools, districts, and community-based organizations as appropriate to FSEHD programs. The Director, consistent with the leadership and direction from the Associate Dean, leads and oversees the design and implementation of all policies and procedures related to establishing and maintaining mutually beneficial partnerships and placements.

The OPP Director reports to the Dean with direction from the Associate Dean, provides leadership and oversight of the OPP that supports the clinical component of the FSEHD programs, and ensures practices guiding the OPP are aligned with the FSEHD mission and vision and accrediting and licensing bodies.

Essential Duties

* The Director is responsible for coordinating, monitoring, and assessing partnerships and partnership agreements. The Director also oversees and coordinates all field experience placements, student teaching placements (Residency I and II), internships, and training for both undergraduate and graduate program placements.

* Establish and maintain mutually beneficial clinical partnerships with appropriate PK-12 schools and community agencies and organizations, including but not limited to Tier I and Tier II partnerships with schools/districts.

* Recruit, select, and support a diverse group of partner schools and organizations that prioritize educator and program diversity and develop equity-minded educators and professionals.

* Conduct regular visits to schools, community agencies, and organizations to create new and strengthen existing partnership agreements with schools and districts.

* In collaboration with Program Coordinators and/or Department Chairs and the Assistant Director, the Director will identify clinical placements that are implementing state-led initiatives (e.g., high-quality instructional materials) with integrity.

* Work closely with faculty, department chairs, the Assistant Director of OPP, and the Associate Dean to offer professional development for clinical educators and school administrators based on their needs and FSEHD expertise.

* Provide leadership to FSEHD committee work that supports diverse and mutually beneficial field experiences.

Supervision and Oversight

* Develop reports and maintain communication with department chairs, program coordinators, and faculty to identify appropriate practicum sites, college supervisors, and clinical educators and ensure that all requirements are met.

* Establish a system for managing placements and matching teacher candidates with clinical educators. Contribute to student teaching/internship seminars as appropriate.

* Collaborate with college supervisors, faculty, and clinical educators to resolve problems and implement solutions. Serve as the mediator between FSEHD personnel and teacher candidates when disputes arise regarding partnership and placement matters.

* In collaboration with the Associate Dean, design and conduct training for college supervisors and clinical educators about best practices for supervising and mentoring students during student teaching or internships.

* Direct updates to the Student Teaching Handbook.

* The Director oversees the Assistant Director of Partnerships and Placements and supervises the work of the department's Administrative Assistant to support the OPP.

Collaboration

* Working with the Assistant Director, coordinate and maintain the process for establishing observation, practicum, and student teaching placements.

* Work with program faculty to support consistent procedures, policies, and processes for establishing clinical and internship experiences for graduate-level placements.

* In collaboration with the Assistant…