Practicum Education Specialist

Purpose of Position

Provides senior-level leadership for clinical education operations, overseeing complex clinical placement strategy, compliance governance, and stakeholder relationships across undergraduate and graduate programs. Serves as the subject-matter expert for clinical systems and processes, resolves escalated issues, guides contract/affiliation coordination, and mentors junior coordinators to ensure quality, efficiency, and consistency in clinical experiences.

Essential Functions

• Leads high-value relationships with hospitals, clinics, and community agencies; stewards clinical capacity planning across sites and programs; aligns placements with program needs and agency requirements.
• Directs complex or high-volume matching and scheduling; exercises independent judgment to resolve escalated placement issues and ensure equitable distribution of opportunities.
• Oversees end-to-end clinical clearance, documentation, and audit readiness; establishes checkpoints and quality controls to meet agency, program, and institutional standards.
• Serves as the functional owner/SME for clinical placement and management systems; maintains data integrity, coordinates enhancements, troubleshoots, and delivers operational reporting.
• Partners with contracts/legal teams to identify agreement needs, facilitate execution, and support risk mitigation for clinical placements.
• Trains and mentors Clinical Experience Coordinator I/II staff; standardizes procedures, creates training materials, and serves as backup to lead or program managers.
• Serves as senior liaison to faculty, preceptors, and agency leads; contributes to handbooks, workflows, and continuous improvement initiatives across the clinical enterprise.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program with two (2) years of experience as a social worker or eight (8) years of an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Two (2) years of post-graduate experience in social work with adolescents or adults.
• One (1) year of supervisory experience in higher education.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to critically think and problem solve

Work Schedule

• Monday through Friday; 8:00am through 5:00pm
• Hybrid work environment (remote & in-office)

Benefits Information

Position is benefit eligible: Yes

We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to our employees at the University.