Director of Experiential Learning

Position Overview

The Director of Experiential Learning serves as the strategic and operational leader responsible for implementing, scaling, and overseeing the university-wide Experiential Learning for All initiative. This position collaborates across academic and administrative units to develop centralized infrastructure, establish systems and processes, implement quality measures, and coordinate university-wide tracking to ensure equitable student access while supporting college ownership of learning. The Director also partners with internal and external stakeholders to integrate high-impact experiential opportunities into degree requirements, academic advising, career mentoring, and the broader Boldly Butler strategic vision.

Responsibilities

- Strategic Integration: Lead the university-wide integration of the Boldly Butler Strategy's Experiential Learning for All initiative across all colleges and academic programs.
- Program Expansion: Scale existing high-impact practices—such as internships, study away, research, and treks—to build a robust, inclusive, and scalable experiential portfolio.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner with deans, department chairs, and faculty to align experiential opportunities with curriculum design, modern teaching pedagogies, and academic goals.
- Infrastructure and Process Design: Develop, refine, implement, and maintain centralized infrastructure, including operational processes, systems, and workflows necessary to support scalable growth and student onboarding.External Relations and Pipeline Development: Cultivate and maintain strategic relationships with alumni, corporate partners, non-profits, and regional entities to expand external project placement and networking opportunities.
- Barrier Reduction: Develop and administer equitable support initiatives to eliminate cost, travel, and structural barriers, ensuring all students can participate in off-campus or global programs in diverse experiences.
- Data Assessment & Reporting: Establish a robust data-informed ecosystem to track, assess, and report on the scale, efficacy, and career-readiness impact of experiential initiatives.
- Team Management: Provide operational and professional leadership to a dedicated team of direct reports managing day-to-day experiential programming and operations.
- Fiscal Stewardship: Manage operational budgets and carefully allocate philanthropic gifts or grant funds to optimize student-facing experiential programming.

Required Qualifications

- Education: Master’s degree in a relevant field or experiential-focused field. A terminal degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., J.D.) is preferred.
- Equivalent executive leadership experience and demonstrated impact on higher education strategy may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree.
- Experience: 5+ years of progressive leadership experience overseeing high-impact student outcomes, experiential learning programs, career development, or strategic academic/administrative initiatives in higher education or complex organization settings.
- Highly Organized Strategic Implementer: Translate institutional vision into effective action by executing complex initiatives, developing implementation plans, and anticipating operational challenges before they arise.
- Flexible Systems Thinker: Demonstrate strong systems thinking, recognizing connections across the institution, understanding the complexity of organizational systems, identifying opportunities for alignment, and balancing institution-wide consistency with the flexibility needed to meet the unique needs of individual colleges, departments, and programs.
- Relationship Management and Influence: Cultivate relationships and build trust to facilitate cross-functional collaboration, ensuring decisive action and forward progress when navigating competing priorities among diverse stakeholders.
- Data-Informed Decision Making: Skilled in data and assessment, using evidence to inform decisions through data collection, analysis, dashboard development, and institutional assessment practices.
- Exceptional Execution: Demonstrates project management and organizational skills that enable meticulous attention to detail, robust documentation, and rigorous follow-through.
- Communication Skills: Effectively engages faculty across colleges, academic leadership, administrative leaders, community partners, and executive leadership, serving as a bridge between academic and operational perspectives to ensure shared understanding and successful implementation.

The successful candidate will demonstrate experience in:

- Leading complex institutional initiatives
- Project management and prioritization
- Organizational change
- Higher education administration
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Data analytics and reporting
- Continuous improvement
- Strategic implementation
- Process design
- Stakeholder engagement – internal and external
- Continuous improvement mindset

Preferred Qualifications

- Ph.D. or Ed.D. in a relevant field or experiential-focused field
- Established track record of utilizing donor-backed funds or successfully implementing large-scale comprehensive campaign goals (such as the Boldly Butler initiatives).
- Deep understanding of modern assessment methodologies regarding the scholarship of teaching and learning.
- Active involvement or volunteer leadership within national experiential education or career development associations.
- Evidence of interdisciplinary data management

BU Benefits and Perks

Please check out Butler’s Total Rewards website to learn more about our benefit offerings, which include:

Paid Time Off and Holidays:

- 28 days of paid time off (vacation and PTO days) per Fiscal year
- 8 Paid Holidays In addition, a paid Winter Break between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day

- Paid Parental Leave (after 1 year of full-time employment)

Health:

- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans including disability and life insurance programs

Retirement:

- 10% employer contribution after 1 year of full-time employment

Tuition Assistance:

- Tuition Exchange Program for Dependents
- Remission of tuition for classes taken at Butler for employees, spouses, and dependent children. Eligibility after 9 months of full-time employment
- Employees & spouses- undergraduate/graduate degrees
- Dependents (under age 26)- undergraduate degree
- Covers tuition only

Butler Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks:

- Access to Butler’s on-site fitness facility and libraries for full-time staff and faculty
- LinkedIn Learning Courses
- Free premium subscription to the Calm App
- Free subscription to the WSJ, The Economist, and NYT
- Discount at the College Bookstore
- Discount on select Athletic and Arts/Events Center Performances