Placement Director - Graduate School of Counseling and Social Work

Merrimack College is a selective, private college in a beautiful,residential setting — just minutes from Boston,Massachusetts. Position Overview The PlacementDirector provides strategic leadership and operational excellencefor field education across Clinical Mental Health Counseling(CMHC), School Counseling (SC), and Social Work (MSW) master’sprograms. This 12-month position supervises placement coordinators,ensures accreditation standards and compliance, and cultivatescommunity partnerships that deliver high-quality, equitable fieldexperiences. The Director champions innovation in field educationwhile fostering collaboration across disciplines and stakeholdergroups. Responsibilities Leadership & Team Development: Supervise and mentorInternship Coordinator (CMHC), Field Placement Director (MSW), andField Placement Coordinator (SC); foster cross-programcollaboration while honoring discipline-specific standards; leadprofessional development for placement staff. Strategic Planning & Quality Assurance: Develop andimplement a comprehensive field education strategic plan; establishquality standards for placement sites; create policies ensuringaccreditation standards, compliance, ethical and legal practices;use data to assess and enhance field experiences. Partnership & Site Development: Cultivaterelationships with community agencies, schools, and healthcarefacilities; recruit, evaluate, and approve placement sites; developaffiliation agreements; conduct site visits as needed and maintainongoing communication with field supervisors. Student-Centered Placement Coordination: Overseeequitable placement processes for all graduate students; developmatching systems that align student learning goals with siteopportunities; address complex placement challengescollaboratively; monitor student progress and interveneproactively. Training & Field Educator Support: Coordinateorientation and ongoing training for site supervisors acrossprograms; develop resources for field instructors and preceptors;collaborate with faculty to integrate classroom and fieldlearning. Compliance & Accreditation: Maintain accuratedocumentation systems; prepare materials for accreditation reviews;stay current with evolving standards and Massachusetts licensurerequirements. Administrative Oversight: Manage field placementprocesses and technology systems; prepare reports for internal andexternal stakeholders; participate in Graduate School leadershipand strategic planning collaborating with key campus partners tocontinually improve processes, procedures, and institutionalcoordination. Required Qualifications Master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work, or relatedfield. Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in field education;at least 3 years of supervisory/management experience. Licensed mental health professional (LICSW, LMHC, psychologist,or equivalent) in Massachusetts or eligible for licensure. Demonstrated knowledge of accreditation standards incounseling, social work, and/or psychology. Demonstrated strong organizational, communication, andrelationship-building skills; proficiency with database managementsystems. Preferred Qualifications Doctoral degree (PhD, EdD, DSW, PsyD); higher educationadministration experience. Multi-disciplinary field placement coordination experience;familiarity with Massachusetts licensure pathways. Accreditation self-study and site visit experience; bilingualcapabilities. Work Location This is an on-campus position asemployees are essential in order to provide a fully on-campus,residential college experience for our students and thecommunity. This position is subject to the successful completion of a criminalbackground check. Statement on Our Mission Merrimack College is aCatholic Augustinian institution of higher education committed tobuilding an accepting and respectful community. Our mission is toenlighten minds, engage hearts and empower lives and is inspired byour Catholic faith and the Augustinian tradition of seeking truththrough inquiry and dialogue. Merrimack College seeks candidates who understand, respect, and cancontribute to Merrimack’s Catholic and Augustinian mission. Allcandidates should describe in their application how they willfoster a culture that supports our mission. About Merrimack College The only Catholic, Augustinianinstitution of higher education in New England, Merrimack Collegeis a private, independent, coeducational institution with more than4,100 undergraduate, 2,500 graduate students and 50 doctoralstudents from 48 states and 63 countries. The College features morethan 160 career-focused undergraduate, professional and graduateprograms, all taught by exceptional faculty who are passionateabout their subject and student success. The College has sixschools: arts and sciences, engineering and computational sciences,nursing and health sciences, education and social policy, theGirard school of business and the graduate school of counseling andsocial work. The College’s suburban 220-acre campus is just northof Boston in North Andover, Massachusetts. Merrimack is a Master’sColleges and Universities/Larger Programs (M1) institution in theCarnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.Merrimack is one of the fastest growing educational institutions inthe country and has steadily climbed up in the U.S. News &World Report’s ranking of Best Colleges, ranking 38th in theRegional Universities North category in 2026. Merrimack is a NCAADivision I athletic institution. Merrimack College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Salary Range $85,000 $100,000 #J-18808-Ljbffr