Microcredentials and Skills-Based Learning Program Director

Help shape the future of learning, achievement, and career readiness at Brandeis University. Brandeis University is seeking an innovative, strategic, and collaborative Microcredentials and Skills-Based Learning Program Director to lead the development and growth of a university-wide microcredential ecosystem. The Program Director will establish the strategy, infrastructure, standards, and processes that bring microcredentials from concept to implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

Shape and advance university-wide strategy for microcredentials, skills-based learning, digital badges, and alternative credentials; Identify opportunities for new credentials that reflect academic strengths, student interests, interdisciplinary opportunities, and evolving workforce needs; Establish clear guidelines, standards, and processes for proposing, approving, launching, assessing, and reviewing microcredentials; Ensure the quality, consistency, rigor, and relevance of credentials across the university; Build and maintain a comprehensive inventory of current and planned microcredentials; Develop assessment frameworks that verify students' mastery of competencies; Analyze program outcomes and assessment data to guide continuous improvement; Partner closely with the Office of the Provost to support faculty collaboration and microcredential development; Provide expertise and guidance on competency mapping, learning outcomes, assessment strategies, and evidence of student achievement; Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration across academic departments and schools; Develop outreach and marketing strategies that build awareness of microcredentials and encourage student participation; Collaborate with Career Services to connect credentials to career pathways and employer expectations; Help students communicate their accomplishments through resumes, LinkedIn profiles, digital portfolios, and credentialing platforms; Work with Career Services and other partners to understand emerging workforce trends and identify in-demand skills; Incorporate employer and industry perspectives into credential development and assessment strategies; Cultivate external relationships that strengthen the relevance, visibility, and recognition of Brandeis-issued credentials; Manage relationships with credentialing and digital badging platform providers, including Suitable; Partner with the Registrar, Institutional Research, Information Technology, and other teams to support accurate tracking of student progress and achievement; Establish effective processes for credential approval, issuance, verification, reporting, and analytics; Support the integration of microcredential data into student records, the second transcript, career platforms, and institutional reporting systems

Requirements

Master's degree; Eight or more years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, workforce development, professional learning, instructional design, career services, or a related field; Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives involving academic and administrative partners; Strong understanding of competency-based education, skills frameworks, alternative credentials, or related approaches to documenting learning and achievement; Exceptional communication, relationship-building, organizational, and project management skills; Ability to develop strategy while also managing the operational details required to bring complex initiatives to life

Nice to have

Direct experience developing or managing microcredentials, certificates, digital badges, or other non-degree credentials; Demonstrated success partnering with faculty and academic governance bodies; Familiarity with employer talent needs, workforce trends, and evolving skill requirements; Experience with learning management systems, credentialing platforms, and/or student information systems; Experience using data and assessment analytics to evaluate program effectiveness and guide improvement