Associate Director for Leadership Development & Education

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $82,000 - $92,000

Position Summary

University Life is a central division that cultivates an inclusive, connected University community across Columbia’s campuses and 17 schools. We serve as a hub for student engagement, cross-school collaboration, and coordinated University-wide initiatives that strengthen the student experience. Our work is grounded in building trusted relationships across the institution so that students can access the resources, opportunities, and support systems they need to succeed.

We strive to ensure that every Columbia student experiences a deep sense of belonging and community, empowering them to have a meaningful impact at the University through their relationships, contributions, and engagement. Guided by our core values of connection, integrity, respect, service, and continuous learning, we are committed to creating environments where students feel welcomed, supported, and equipped to succeed throughout their academic journeys.

Through close collaboration with students, faculty, and staff, University Life champions a Columbia defined by inclusion, community citizenship, and holistic support. We work toward a Columbia where every student can grow, connect, and thrive.

This position sits within the Strategic Student Engagement unit and is part of the Engagement & Education Department (E&E). E&E advances vibrant and inclusive cross-school communities by creating opportunities for students to build meaningful connections, engage across differences, and strengthen their sense of social responsibility. We see ourselves as educators and approach co-curricular engagement as an intentional part of student learning and development. This work is guided by our educational priority that, through their engagement with E&E programs,  students will deepen their ability to courageously connect and co-create inclusive communities as engaged global citizens. 

The Associate Director for Leadership Development and Education is expected to understand how their work advances the E&E educational priority and to apply the curriculum, learning goals and outcomes, student feedback, and assessment practices in ways appropriate to the position.

Reporting to the Director of Student Engagement & Education, the Associate Director for Leadership Development & Education supports the day-to-day management and implementation of the Education & Training portfolio, including student leadership development, educational programs, and onboarding initiatives offered by University Life to first-year students across Columbia. The Associate Director works within the department’s vision, curricular framework, priorities, and standards established by the Director to implement effective programs, learning experiences, facilitation approaches, and processes that support consistent and effective delivery.

The Associate Director applies the E&E Curriculum, student feedback, and assessment practices to strengthen learning experiences that are developmentally appropriate and responsive to student needs. This includes applying backward design and incorporating opportunities for practice, reflection, and application to support meaningful learning outcomes.

Responsibilities

Portfolio and Team Management

• Prepare program proposals and coordinate program calendars in support of departmental priorities across the Education & Training portfolio, for review and approval by the Director.

• Manage the day-to-day operations of the portfolio, ensuring that projects and programs are well-coordinated and delivered effectively.

• Supervise assigned professional staff and/or graduate assistants, providing direction, delegating responsibilities, and supporting their professional development in alignment with department expectations for a collaborative, inclusive, accountable, and high-performing team.

• Independently manage complex initiatives such as the Community Citizenship Initiative and the Pre-Orientation Tutorial, working closely with multiple Columbia schools, central offices, students, and external vendors and/or partners.

• Serve as a thought partner to the Director by bringing forward emerging student, team and partner needs, as well as implementation considerations, assessment findings, operational challenges, and recommendations for program improvement.

• Coordinate with other E&E teams to support consistent implementation of department priorities and effective cross-team collaboration.

Program Management

• Build, adapt, and deliver workshops, leadership programs, multi-session learning experiences, facilitator resources, and other educational offerings in support of E&E learning goals and department priorities.

• Manage and maintain effective systems for responding to student and school inquiries and resolving issues related to University-wide trainings for first-year students

• Collaborate with Columbia's schools, student populations, and campus partners to identify training gaps, emerging needs, and opportunities to strengthen connections across pre-orientation and orientation, leadership development, student engagement, and community-building initiatives.

• Facilitate learning sessions on complex, challenging, and sensitive topics that require thoughtful discussion and specialized facilitation. Develop facilitator resources and support staff and graduate assistants through training, coaching, observation, and feedback to ensure established offerings are delivered consistently and effectively.

• Maintain the department’s workshop catalogue, reusable curricula, educational resources, content review cycles, accessibility requirements, and quality standards. Adapt the workshops for school-specific audiences while preserving intended learning outcomes and educational quality. Incorporate learning technologies, online resources, external expertise, and varied instructional methods when they strengthen student learning, accessibility, reach, or program effectiveness.

Signature Educational Initiatives

• Manage the implementation of University Life’s student onboarding and training programs for all first-year students, including Pre-Orientation, orientation programming, and the Community Citizenship Initiative.

• Manage Campus Conversations and related dialogue-based learning initiatives, including curriculum implementation, facilitator preparation and support, partner coordination, program operations, and continuous improvement.

• Manage the Legacy of New York series, including planning, curricular alignment, program and assessment, as well as partner and vendor coordination, logistics, facilitation, or debriefing.

• Partner with Columbia's schools and central offices to strengthen leadership development opportunities and create pathways for students to engage meaningfully across the University.

Cross-School Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the primary Education & Training liaison to designated school-based student affairs teams, central administrative offices, and University Life partners.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with school and central administrative partners to identify emerging needs, coordinate implementation, and promote consistency and quality across university-wide initiatives.

• Provide consultation and subject-matter expertise on leadership development, facilitation, learning design, and student engagement.

Assessment, Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement

• Develop and implement assessment plans, learning measures, and feedback processes within the E&E assessment framework; analyze qualitative and quantitative evidence to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.

• Use assessment findings, participation data, partner feedback, and program evaluations to revise student training materials, strengthen delivery models, inform planning, and develop recommendations for the Director.

• Prepare program reports, briefing materials, program summaries, and resource considerations for the Director.

• Stay current on research, professional standards, and emerging practices related to student development, leadership education, facilitation, instructional design, inclusive pedagogy, experiential learning, and co-curricular assessment.

Other Duties

• Provide back-up support to the Director for other University Life functions and initiatives as needed.

• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 4–6 years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, student affairs, student leadership development, education and training, student engagement, orientation, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, facilitating, and evaluating educational or student development programs.
• Demonstrated experience developing learning experiences and curricula for diverse student populations, including in-person and virtual formats.
• Strong facilitation, presentation, writing, interpersonal communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex projects, coordinate multiple stakeholders, establish priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, or providing significant project leadership to professional staff, graduate assistants, student employees, or other team members.
• Strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with sound judgment and attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree strongly preferred.
• Experience applying outcomes-based educational practice, including defining learning outcomes, assessing student learning and program effectiveness, and using assessment findings to improve programs
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and collaborate effectively across organizational boundaries.
• Demonstrated ability to engage students, colleagues, and partners across differences with cultural humility, respect, curiosity, and attention to access and belonging.
• Formal training in instructional design and program design methodology.
• Experience designing programs for graduate and professional students and working within a complex university with multiple schools, colleges, campuses, or constituent units.
• Experience training, coaching, and evaluating facilitators and developing systems for consistent facilitation quality.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.