Director, Online Master of Social Work (MSW) Program

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Here is what we offer: 

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health support
• Work-Life Balance: PTO, paid holidays, flexible work arrangements
• Financial Wellness: Competitive salary, 403(b) with company match 
• Professional Development: Ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement paths
• Additional Perks: Wellness programs, commuter benefits, and a vibrant company culture

Join Howard University and thrive with us! 

https://hr.howard.edu/benefits-wellness

We are seeking a Director, Online Master of Social Work (MSW) Program provides strategic, academic, operational, and administrative leadership for the Howard University School of Social Work online MSW program. The position is responsible for ensuring that the online program maintains academic quality, student-centered delivery, enrollment and retention strength, accreditation readiness, field education integration, faculty engagement, and continuous improvement across a nationwide student population.

The Director advances an online graduate social work experience grounded in Howard University’s mission of Truth and Service and the School of Social Work’s Black Perspective. The role ensures that the online MSW program prepares students to serve individuals, families, organizations, and communities while addressing systemic inequities, advancing social justice, and strengthening outcomes for African Americans and other historically marginalized populations.

SUPERVISORY ACCOUNTABILITY:

The Director provides direct and functional supervision for assigned professional staff, program coordinators, student success support personnel, online program support staff, and other personnel who work with the online MSW program. The Director may coordinate and provide administrative oversight for adjunct faculty, instructional support resources, and vendor or partner support teams in collaboration with the Dean, Associate Deans, program leadership, and University offices.

NATURE AND SCOPE:

Internal contacts include the Dean of the School of Social Work, associate and assistant deans, program directors, faculty, field education leaders, admissions and enrollment management staff, student success teams, academic affairs, digital learning and instructional design partners, finance and budget personnel, the Office of Human Resources, the Registrar, compliance offices, and other University stakeholders as needed.

External contacts include prospective students, enrolled students, alumni, agency-based education partners, community organizations, licensure and regulatory bodies, professional associations, online learning partners, accrediting bodies, vendors, and social work agencies across multiple jurisdictions. The position requires sound judgment, strong cross-functional collaboration, data-informed leadership, and the ability to communicate effectively with diverse academic, administrative, student, and community stakeholders.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Strategic Program Leadership: Provide strategic direction for the online MSW program, including annual goals, operating plans, enrollment sustainability, student success priorities, and continuous improvement initiatives. Align program priorities with the School of Social Work’s mission, the University’s strategic priorities, and the needs of a national online graduate student population.

Academic Quality and Curriculum Coordination: Partner with faculty and academic leaders to support high-quality course delivery, curriculum assessment, online teaching effectiveness, and alignment with the School’s concentrations in Direct Practice and Community, Administration, and Policy Practice. Support integration of the Black Perspective across online learning experiences.

Accreditation, Assessment, and Compliance: Coordinate program assessment, documentation, evidence gathering, and reporting activities that support CSWE accreditation expectations, institutional effectiveness, state authorization considerations, licensure alignment review, and University policy compliance.

Student Success, Retention, and Engagement: Design and implement initiatives that strengthen student orientation, advising coordination, academic progress monitoring, retention, persistence, graduation, and alumni engagement. Use student feedback and performance data to identify service gaps and implement timely interventions.

Agency-Based Education and Partnership Support: Collaborate with field education leadership to support agency-based education for online students, including geographically distributed placement needs, student preparation, agency relationship development, and alignment of placements with concentration-specific learning goals.

Online Learning Operations and Technology Coordination: Oversee day-to-day online program operations, including communication workflows, online course support coordination, technology-related issue escalation, virtual engagement structures, program documentation, and collaboration with instructional design and digital learning teams.

Enrollment and Admissions Collaboration: Partner with admissions, enrollment management, marketing, and school leadership to support recruitment strategy, prospective student engagement, admissions review coordination, yield support, and accurate communication of program requirements, pathways, and expectations.

Faculty and Staff Coordination: Support onboarding, orientation, communication, training, and coordination for faculty and staff involved in the online MSW program. Promote consistent expectations for online student engagement, response standards, course readiness, and student-centered support.

Budget, Reporting, and Resource Stewardship: Assist in the development and monitoring of program budgets, resource needs, staffing plans, vendor coordination, and operational reports. Prepare analyses and recommendations for the Dean and school leadership regarding program performance, risks, opportunities, and resource requirements.

Community, Professional, and University Representation: Represent the online MSW program in school, University, professional, and community settings. Build relationships that enhance the reputation, reach, and social impact of Howard University’s online social work education.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Strategic leadership in graduate and professional education.

• Knowledge of social work education, CSWE accreditation standards, and program assessment practices.

• Understanding of online learning pedagogy, virtual student engagement, and instructional technology support models.

• Ability to lead complex academic operations across multiple stakeholders, functions, and jurisdictions.

• Demonstrated commitment to social justice, equity, inclusion, and the Black Perspective in social work education.

• Strong data analysis, problem-solving, and continuous improvement skills.

• Excellent oral, written, interpersonal, and executive communication skills.

• Ability to build productive relationships with faculty, staff, students, agency partners, vendors, and community stakeholders.

• Ability to manage budgets, timelines, projects, documentation, and competing priorities with accuracy and discretion.

• High level of professionalism, confidentiality, accountability, and service orientation.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Master of Social Work (MSW) from a CSWE-accredited institution required.

• Doctoral degree in social work, higher education, educational leadership, public administration, or a related discipline preferred.

• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in social work education, higher education administration, online program administration, academic program leadership, student success, field education, or a closely related area required.

• Experience supporting online or hybrid graduate programs strongly required

• Experience with accreditation, assessment, curriculum coordination, or academic compliance preferred.

• Experience supervising professional staff, coordinating faculty, and leading cross-functional initiatives required.

• Social work licensure, such as LICSW, LCSW, LMSW, or equivalent, preferred where applicable.

• Demonstrated experience using data to evaluate programs, improve student outcomes, and support executive-level decision making required.

• Demonstrated commitment to the mission of Howard University and the School of Social Work required.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work is primarily performed in a professional academic and administrative environment with significant use of virtual collaboration, online program platforms, student information systems, learning management systems, videoconferencing tools, and Microsoft Office applications. Evening or weekend engagement may be required to support online students, faculty meetings, recruitment events, agency-based education needs, and program activities. Occasional travel may be required for recruitment, accreditation, professional development, partnership development, or University business.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to work with students, faculty, staff, and agency partners across multiple time zones and practice settings.

• Ability to handle sensitive student, faculty, personnel, and program information with discretion and in accordance with University policy.

• Ability to maintain current knowledge of trends affecting online social work education, field education, licensure, and workforce preparation.

NOTE:

This position description should not be construed to imply that these requirements are the exclusive standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions and perform any other related duties as may be required. The University has the right to revise this position description at any time. This position description cannot be construed as a contract for employment.

Compliance Salary Range Disclosure

Compensation Range: $100,000 - $115,000