Director, Industry Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives

Join our community and experience Emerson College!

The Director of Industry Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives serves as a senior leader within Emerson Los Angeles (ELA), reporting to the Dean, and plays a central role in advancing ELA’s industry integration, external partnerships, and strategic program development. The Director acts as a key advisor to the Dean and executive leadership team, represents ELA within the Los Angeles creative community, and collaborates across institutional units—including Emerson’s Career Development Office—to strengthen employer engagement and student opportunity pipelines.
This position operates at the intersection of industry engagement, experiential learning, and institutional strategy, with responsibility for cultivating high-level partnerships, developing signature initiatives, and aligning external relationships with ELA’s evolving academic model.
While working in close coordination with Career Development, which maintains primary responsibility for internship operations and placement systems, this role focuses on high- level employer strategy, curated experiential opportunities, and partnerships that require senior-level engagement and institutional alignment.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

Industry Partnerships & External Engagement

• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive industry engagement strategy aligned with ELA’s academic and institutional priorities.

• Cultivate and steward senior-level relationships with studios, networks, streaming platforms, agencies, production companies, and emerging media organizations.

• Serve as a senior external representative and ambassador for ELA within the Los Angeles creative industries.

• Identify, develop, and secure strategic partnerships that generate meaningful opportunities for students, faculty, and institutional visibility.

• Collaborate with Emerson’s Career Development Office on high-level employer engagement, ensuring alignment between ELA priorities and broader institutional partnership strategies.

Experiential Learning & Strategic Employer Engagement

• Provide strategic leadership in the development of high-impact experiential learning opportunities that extend beyond traditional internship models.

• Identify and cultivate marquee employer relationships that support curated, selective student placements and signature partnership initiatives.

• Serve as a liaison for high-level or complex employer relationships requiring senior- level coordination or institutional visibility.

• Support the development of innovative experiential models, including industry labs, project-based collaborations, mentorship programs, and cohort-based experiences.

• Provide strategic input into the evolution of ELA’s experiential learning ecosystem in coordination with Career Development.

Program Development & Curricular Integration

• Partner with the Assistant Academic Dean and faculty leadership to inform the development of industry-aligned curricular pathways and co-curricular programming.

• Translate industry trends into programmatic opportunities that enhance student learning and career readiness.

• Support the design of interdisciplinary, short-form, and industry-facing academic initiatives responsive to evolving media and entertainment sectors.

• Contribute to long-term academic and program planning by identifying emerging areas of growth and opportunity.

Strategic Initiatives & Institutional Leadership

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Dean on industry engagement, partnerships, and program innovation. - Lead the development of signature initiatives, including masterclasses, industry convenings, partnerships, and pilot programs that elevate ELA’s profile.

• Identify opportunities for new partnerships, external collaborations, and revenue- generating initiatives aligned with ELA’s mission.

• Support institutional planning efforts related to growth, differentiation, and competitive positioning within the higher education and media landscape.

• Prioritize initiatives that advance the strategic goals of the Dean’s Office and the broader ELA campus.

Team Leadership & Operations

• Supervise and mentor staff aligned with industry partnerships, strategic initiatives, and program development functions, including at least one direct report.

• Establish systems and processes to track partnerships, engagements, and program outcomes.

• Coordinate effectively across ELA departments and with Boston-based units to ensure alignment and execution of key initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS – Qualifications are deemed required or preferred and represent what is needed to effectively perform job.

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Communications, Film & Television, Journalism, Media Arts, or a related field required.

• 10+ years of progressive professional experience in the entertainment, media, or creative industries, including leadership or management responsibility required.

• Demonstrated success in developing and sustaining high-level industry partnerships and strategic relationships required.

• Experience leading or contributing to complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives from concept through execution required.

• Experience in higher education, workforce development, or academic-adjacent environments preferred.

• Experience collaborating with academic leadership or faculty on curriculum-informed initiatives preferred.

• Familiarity with experiential learning models, internship ecosystems, or employer engagement strategies.

• Established professional network within the Los Angeles or broader media and entertainment industries required.

• Experience advising senior leadership or contributing to institutional strategy required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES – May be representative, but not all-inclusive, of those knowledge, skills, and abilities commonly associated with the job.

• Deep familiarity with the Los Angeles creative industry landscape.

• Strong understanding of industry trends and their implications for workforce development and higher education.

• Excellent communication, relationship management, and public-facing skills.

• Ability to engage credibly with senior industry professionals, academic leaders, and institutional stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to translate industry insights into actionable programs and strategic initiatives. - Strong strategic thinking skills.

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.

• Entrepreneurial, collaborative, and adaptable work style.

• Proficiency with standard office and project management tools.

PHYSICAL ABILITIES – Activities commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job. The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Requires ability to lift and move light objects.

• Requires ability to move materials occasionally.

WORK ENVIRONMENT – Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.

• Standard office environment.

Disclaimer: This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees may be required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws. Certain job duties described herein may be subject to possible modification in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

Compensation: $116,950.00 - $146,250.00 annually, commensurate with experience.

Grade of Position: 23-13E

Employment Category: Regular

.

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 36.25

In addition to a competitive salary, Emerson College is committed to the health and well-being of our employees and family members. We offer a generous benefits package to regular staff scheduled to work 20+ hours per week.

Emerson Employment Categories influence work schedules, benefits eligibility, and time off policies. Benefits include outstanding health plans with limited out-of-pocket expenses, dental plans, generous time-off programs, and a 403(b) retirement benefit with a 9% employer contribution once eligible. Additional benefits, such as life and disability coverage and commuter offerings, are available.

Please refer to our benefits website for a full list of benefits and eligibility requirements.