About the Opportunity
JOB SUMMARY:
The Associate Director of Health Professions & Life Sciences Career
Advising serves as Northeastern University's dedicated career specialist for
students pursuing roles in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, public health,
biotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences, clinical research, and adjacent health
and life sciences disciplines. As a core member of the Career Education Center's
sector-based advising team, this role brings deep, current knowledge of the
health professions and life sciences talent market to bear on every aspect of
student career development from first-year exploration through professional
school application support, fellowship pursuit, and full-time offer negotiation.
The Health Professions & Life Sciences Career Advisor designs and delivers
sector-specific programming, maintains active employer relationships with
hospitals and health systems, biotech and pharmaceutical companies, research
institutions, and public health organizations across scales and geographies, and
uses labor market data and AI-enabled tools to give students a competitive edge.
This professional understands how health and life sciences hiring and
professional school admissions are being reshaped by AI including changes to
application and screening processes, evolving competency expectations, and
emerging roles at the intersection of biology, data, and technology,
and translates that intelligence into practical, outcome-focused advising and
workshops. The role is ideal for someone who has worked in or alongside
clinical, research, or life sciences environments, speaks the language of health
professions advisors, hiring managers, and admissions committees, and is
energized by helping students land meaningful, high-quality internships,
research experiences, and full-time employment, or gain admission to the
professional or graduate programs that launch careers dedicated to health,
science and human well-being. This position will supervise 1 or 2 Assistant
Directors.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
* A bachelor's degree in a life sciences, health, or related field
is required; a master's degree or doctorate in higher education, counseling,
public health, a clinical discipline, or a related field preferred. A
health professions advising certification is a plus.
* Minimum of 4–6 years of experience in career services, health professions
advising, clinical or research recruiting, workforce development, or the
biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or healthcare industries, with demonstrated
understanding of health and life sciences hiring practices, professional
school admissions, and related ole landscapes.
* Substantive knowledge of the health professions and life sciences job markets
including familiarity with pre-med, pre-dental, pre-pharmacy, and pre-PA
advising pathways; professional and graduate school application processes;
biotech and pharma recruiting cycles; clinical research career tracks; and
the growing demand for professionals with combined biological and data
science competencies.
* Experience working with or advising students or early-career professionals in
health or life sciences fields, with the ability to translate complex
industry and admissions dynamics including application timelines, licensure
and credentialing norms, research experience expectations, and evolving
employer and program requirements into accessible, actionable guidance.
* Experience managing others, including regular coaching and feedback,
structured professional development, performance management, and engagement
support that cultivates a high-performing, student-centered advising
practice.
* Proficiency with career management platforms (e.g., Handshake), labor market
intelligence tools (e.g., Lightcast, LinkedIn Talent Insights),
pre-health advising platforms (e.g., Liaison/AMCAS familiarity), and
AI-enabled career development tools.
* Demonstrated ability to build and sustain employer relationships with
hospitals and health systems, biotech and pharmaceutical firms, research
institutions, and public health organizations, and convert those
relationships into internship, co-op, and full-time hiring opportunities for
students.
* Data fluency: ability to interpret employment outcome data, professional
school matriculation rates, labor market trends, and program metrics to
evaluate effectiveness and inform programming decisions.
* Strong presentation, coaching, and interpersonal skills; ability to engage
effectively with students at varying levels of clinical experience, research
background, and career and professional school readiness.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES:
1)Sector-Specialized Career Advising & Student Coaching
Provide individualized career advising and coaching to students and recent
graduates pursuing internships and full-time roles in healthcare, life
sciences, and/or related fields. Guide students through industry-specific job
search strategies, resume development tailored to health care science positions,
interview preparation, and offer evaluation. Managing up to 2 Assistant
Directors of Career Development, providing coaching, professional development,
feedback, and support. Maintain a current, deep understanding of how AI is
transforming early career hiring practices including AI-assisted screening and
shifting skill expectations and incorporate this intelligence into every
advising interaction.
2) Sector Programming Design & Delivery
Design, deliver, and continuously improve a calendar of sector-specific
programming that addresses the full arc of a job search: industry exploration,
networking in related communities, mock interviews, career fairs and employer
showcases, and salary negotiation in relevant industries. Develop programming in
partnership with faculty, student organizations, and employer partners. Evaluate
program effectiveness using attendance, engagement, and downstream employment
outcome data, and iterate accordingly.
3) Employer Engagement & Full-Time Hiring Pipeline
Cultivate and steward relationships with a targeted portfolio of health
professions and life sciences employers including hospitals and health systems,
biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, clinical research organizations,
public health agencies, and research institutions with the explicit goal of
generating internship and full-time job opportunities for Northeastern students
and graduates. Collaborate with the employer relations team to coordinate
on-campus recruiting, information sessions, and hiring events, as well as to
build pathways with health systems and research institutions that regularly hire
Northeastern talent. Track employer pipeline health and
proactively identify gaps in sector coverage, clinical specialty representation,
or geographic reach.
4) Labor Market Intelligence & Data-Informed Practice
Monitor related labor market trends including hiring volumes, emerging roles,
compensation benchmarks, and geographic hiring hubs, and synthesize this
intelligence into programming, advising content, and student-facing resources.
Maintain sector-specific employment outcome data, contribute to the center's
reporting cadence, and identify opportunities to improve student placement
rates. Share market insights with colleagues, academic partners, and students
through regular communications and resources.
5) Cross-Campus Collaboration & Sector Representation
Serve as the Career Education Center's embedded expert and representative for
the business sector in cross-campus partnerships. Build working relationships
with the College of Science and Bouve College of Health Sciences, and
other programs with significant healthcare-interested student populations.
Participate in relevant curriculum, advising, and student success initiatives.
Represent the related fields at career center team meetings, contribute to
strategic planning, and share sector expertise to strengthen team-wide
knowledge.
Position Type
Student Services
Additional Information
Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience,
education and skills when extending an offer.
Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible
employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition
assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation.
Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/
[https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/] for more information.
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration
for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age,
sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic
protected by applicable law.
Compensation Grade/Pay Type:
110S
Expected Hiring Range:
$76,335.00 - $107,823.75
With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several
factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and
expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated
employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are
subject to change.