Director OF Communications

Position Title:Director for the Office for Field Education and Community OutreachCompensation:$80,000 - $85,000Department:Interprofessional Community ClinicsAbout this opportunity:Join us in shaping the future of health, education, and community impact.Ball State University is seeking an innovative and collaborative leader to serve as the Director for the Office for Field Education and Community Outreach within the College of Health. This is a unique opportunity to help advance our newly launched Ball State Health initiative, an integrated health platform dedicated to improving health outcomes through clinical care, education, community engagement, workforce development, and research.The Director provides strategic leadership for field education, experiential learning, and community partnerships while fostering collaborations that expand clinical education opportunities, strengthen the healthcare workforce pipeline, and improve community health throughout East Central Indiana. As Ball State Health grows, this position will also play an important role in supporting the development of a future Community Engaged Research Center, helping cultivate partnerships that advance community-engaged research and translate knowledge into meaningful community impact.The successful candidate will be a relationship builder, strategic thinker, and collaborative leader who thrives at the intersection of higher education, healthcare, and community engagement. Working closely with faculty, students, healthcare organizations, nonprofit agencies, government partners, and community leaders, the Director will help create innovative partnerships that prepare future healthcare professionals while strengthening the health and well-being of the communities we serve.If you are passionate about building partnerships, advancing experiential learning, supporting community-engaged scholarship, and creating lasting impact, we invite you to join us in helping shape the future of Ball State Health.Candidates for searches must have current authorization to be employed in the U.S. without employer sponsorship.What you'll do and what you'll bring:Position Function:The Director for the Office for Field Education and Community Outreach (OFECO) provides strategic leadership for Ball State University's field education and community engagement enterprise while advancing Ball State Health. The Director develops and strengthens partnerships that expand experiential learning opportunities, support workforce development, improve community health, and advance community-engaged research throughout East Central Indiana. Serving as a collaborative leader across the University and with external healthcare, education, government, nonprofit, and community organizations, the Director oversees centralized field education operations, affiliation agreements, and strategic initiatives that connect education, clinical practice, research, and service. This position plays a key role in advancing the Ball State Health pillars of Prepare Future Health Professionals, Improve Community Health, and Advance Knowledge through innovative partnerships, operational excellence, and a commitment to meaningful community impact.Duties & Responsibilities:Lead College-wide field education operations including contracts, affiliations, student compliance, placements, site acquisition, and partner relations.Develop Ball State Health's community engagement strategy through collaborative partnerships that support community-engaged research and the translation of research into improved community health outcomes.Serve as the Associate Director of Community Engagement for the Healthy Lifestyle CenterDevelop and maintain a regional network of strategic partnerships with hospitals, health systems, schools, employers, nonprofits, and community organizations that strengthens clinical education opportunities and community engagement.Establish and monitor key performance indicators for student placement capacity, clinical partner satisfaction, community partnership engagement, community-engaged research activity, and Ball State Health impact metricsSupport workforce pipeline development through employer engagement, grant opportunities, continuing education partnerships, and regional workforce initiatives.Supervise relevant staff members and oversee operational effectiveness of OFECO.Provide relevant data and reports to support accreditation and the College’s strategic planningPerform other related duties as assignedMinimum Qualifications:Bachelor's degree in a health-related, education, public health, healthcare administration, or related fieldAt least three years of related work experience with progressively responsible leadershipDemonstrated ability to build and sustain collaborative partnerships across diverse organizations and stakeholder groupsPreferred Qualifications:Master's degree or higherExperience in academic health centers, community partnerships, community-engaged research, strategic planning, clinical practice, clinical education, workforce development, grant development, and collaborative research initiatives involving community partnersDemonstrated experience building collaborative partnerships among universities, healthcare organizations, governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, and/or community stakeholdersHow to apply:Applicants should upload the following materials with their application:A cover letter of interest (1-2 pages) that describes how your education and experience have prepared you for this position.A current résumé or curriculum vitae.Questions regarding the position may be directed to:Blair MatternAssociate Dean for Clinical Affairs, College of HealthSearch Committee View email address on click.appcast.io must be received by 12:01AM on September 1, 2026.What we offer:At Ball State University, we understand the importance of balancing professional responsibilities with personal well-being. That's why we offer paid 24 vacation days, 12 sick days and 10 holidays a year. Plus, our paid parental leave (6 weeks) is there for life's most significant moments. We offer affordable health and dental insurance, robust long-term disability and life insurance plans, as well a range of retirement benefits to provide financial security to you and your family. These benefits ensure that you can focus on your work and personal growth without worrying about the unexpected.When you work for us, you are family. And to show our support of your family, we will cover 90 percent of your child's (or children's) undergraduate college tuition at Ball State. We do the same for you. In fact, we'll cover 100 percent of the tuition costs for you to earn your undergraduate degree and 80 percent of your graduate tuition. This offer is good from the very first day you start. It's just one way we do our part to uplift you.Let's fly together toward a secure and prosperous tomorrow.Curious about our excellent benefits package?We have developed a calculator that shows you the value of our core benefits. Select the Total Compensation Calculator - Professional and download the spreadsheet. If you are applying for a 10-month position or one with Burris or Indiana Academy, please select the corresponding calculator. #J-18808-Ljbffr