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 Director, monitor, maintain, and modify clinical experience practices in accordance with school district, school, and community organization requirements.
- Collaborating with the Associate Dean, develop and implement a plan to support teacher candidates in successfully passing Praxis exams. Monitor Praxis pass rates for teacher candidates during and following student teaching.
- Contributing member of the Deans Cabinet, attends Dean’s Leadership Committee meetings.
Assessment
- The Director, in collaboration with the Assistant Director of Partnerships and Placements and the Director of Assessment and Accreditation, is responsible for analyzing teacher candidate data and outcomes to improve candidates’ clinical experience continuously, the quality of the partnership, and the FSEHD program improvement.
- In collaboration with the Director of Assessment and Accreditation and the Associate Dean, implement and maintain a system for annual monitoring and evaluation of field placements, cooperating teachers, college supervisors, and school/district partnerships. Communicate evaluation results to school partners, faculty, and the Dean’s Leadership Committee. Modify and/or establish procedures as necessary.
- In collaboration with the Director of Assessment and Accreditation and the Assistant Director of OPP, analyze data on annual accomplishments, progress, and areas for improvement in developing and supporting partnerships and field placements to improve candidates’ clinical experiences and the quality of partnerships. Share findings with the Dean, the Associate Dean, the Dean’s Cabinet, and the Dean’s Leadership Committee and produce an annual report for the Office of Partnerships that aligns with the FSEHD and the College’s strategic compass.
- In collaboration with the Associate Dean and Assistant Director, monitor and provide documentation on how the FSEHD meets RIDE standards, state-level initiatives, and accreditation requirements regarding partnerships and placements.
- In collaboration with FSEHD faculty and PK-12 Cooperating Teachers/Field Supervisors, ensure that pre-service field experiences and placements meet college and school needs and RIDE certification requirements.
- The Director, in collaboration with the Assessment Director and Assistant Director of OPP, will utilize the collected data to contribute to the biannual Title II reporting due to the U.S. Department of Education.
Occasional Duties
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Dean, FSEHD.
- Travel as required, in order to participate in meetings and conferences.
Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
- Ability to mediate disputes, resolve problems, and implement solutions. Knowledge of Rhode Island Standards for Educator Preparation.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality.
- Flexibility and creativity in problem solving with an ability to multi-task.
- Ability to manage and collaborate with a team of faculty, supervisors, teachers, and school administrators.
- Facility with the Microsoft Office suite.
- Ability to travel to schools throughout Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut and to attend conferences in other parts of the United States.
Required Qualifications
Education: Master’s degree in Education or related field from an accredited institution.
Experience:
- Prior education administration experience at the departmental, school, or district level.
- Minimum of three years’ experience working in PK-12 schools and higher education, developing relationships, creating partnerships, and conducting professional development.
Preferred Qualifications
Does this position have Direct Reports? Yes Environmental Conditions
- The employee is not exposed to known adverse environmental conditions.
Position Details
Full Time / Part Time
Full-time
Proposed Starting Salary Range
$90,000-$100,000
Work Schedule
Monday-Friday
8:30A-4:30PM
Benefits
Full-time employees enjoy an array of benefits including:
- Health and Wellness – Medical, Dental & Vision
- Wellness Incentives and Rewards
- Paid time Off – Vacation, Sick & Holiday
- Retirement Benefits
- Disability and Insurance Benefits
- Education Benefits – Tuition waivers for RIC, CCRI & URI
For a complete listing, visit Employee Benefits.
Reports To (Title)
Dean of the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development
Academic or Calendar Year
Calendar
Position Status
Continuing
End of Temporary or Limited Position
Collective Bargaining Unit
PSA
Posting Information
Number of Positions Available
1
Application Open Date
06/22/2026
Special Instructions
- Please be advised that the college is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position. Candidates must have authorization to work in the US without the need for employer sponsorship.
- References may be requested.
EEO Statement
Rhode Island College is an equal opportunity employer. The institution does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability religion, age, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law. Rhode Island College is committed to maintain a workplace and educational environment that supports equal opportunity, professionalism and respectful engagement for all community members.
