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Northeastern University

Program Manager, New Student Success

🇺🇸 Boston, Massachusetts 🕑 Full-Time 💰 $54K - $76K 💻 Project Management 🗓️ September 7th, 2026

Edtech.com's Summary

Northeastern University is hiring a Program Manager, New Student Success. The role involves developing and delivering workshops, individual student support, and community programming to enhance new and transfer student success, with a focus on students transitioning to Northeastern's Boston campus from other institutions or network campuses. The Program Manager also coordinates retention initiatives and supports the First-Year Academic Resource Center’s operations.

Highlights
  • Design and deliver workshops and events targeting transfer and new network students, including Transitions workshops and community meetups.
  • Provide individual advising to students to facilitate their successful transition and resource navigation.
  • Collaborate with academic advising and student life departments to coordinate support initiatives for transfer students.
  • Plan and execute community-building and educational programs that promote engagement and academic success.
  • Support proactive outreach to students flagged through success data, with emphasis on transfer and network students.
  • Manage communications, reception, and room bookings for the First-Year Academic Resource Center.
  • Assist in launching a student employment program to increase student involvement in the center.
  • Required qualifications include a master’s degree (preferred) in higher education or related fields and 1-3 years experience in student support roles.
  • Strong communication skills, ability to design educational programming, and comfort working with data tools such as Excel; familiarity with Navigate360 is a plus.
  • Salary range is $53,615 to $75,728.75 annually, reflecting candidate education, experience, and skills.

Program Manager, New Student Success Full Description

Program Manager, New Student Success
Boston, MA (Main Campus)
Full time

About the Opportunity
Position Summary:

The Program Manager, New Student Success plays a central role in delivering the First- Year Academic Resource Center's programming and student support day-to-day. This includes developing and delivering student success workshops, meeting individually with students to support their transition to and success at Northeastern , planning and facilitating community programming, and supporting retention and engagement initiatives designed to promote new student success and belonging. 
While the Program Manager will work with all populations served by the center, they will have a particular focus on supporting transfer students from other institutions and new students arriving on the Boston campus after spending their first year elsewhere in Northeastern's Global Network. 

The Program Manager will work under the direction of the Associate Director for the First- year Academic Resource Center
 
About the Resource Center 
The First-Year Academic Resource Center serves as a homebase for first-year and new undergraduate students on Northeastern's Boston campus. Our mission is to help new students navigate Northeastern, build the skills, confidence, and habits that support success, and explore opportunities and resources that further their academic, professional, and personal experience here. In addition to delivering programming for first-year and new students, the center runs a cross-functional proactive support initiative that uses student success data to identify students experiencing challenges and coordinate early outreach and support. 

The center launched in Fall 2025 supporting first-time first-year students in Boston and is expanding in Fall 2026 to support all new undergraduate students on Northeastern’s Boston campus – including first-time first-year students, traditional transfer students, and students moving to Boston after spending their first year of college at another campus in the Northeastern network.
 
Responsibilities:
i. Transfer & New Student Programming & Support
• Own the day-to-day design and delivery of workshops, community events, and outreach for transfer and new network students, including hosting the Transitions workshop series, Transfer Thursdays, and Network Meetups
• Meet individually with students seeking guidance on their transition to Northeastern, helping them navigate university resources, develop strategies for success, and connect with appropriate campus partners.
• Support the delivery of programming and events across the center’s first-year and new student populations, ensuring the needs of transfer and new network students are represented throughout
• Serve as the center’s primary point of contact for transfer student programming, collaborating with colleagues across academic advising and student life to coordinate shared initiatives and support

ii. Community & Student Success Programming
• Support the planning and execution of community-building events for first-year, new, and transfer students
• Assist in coordinating exploratory and educational programming that introduces students to university resources, helps them build skills for success, and encourages engagement in campus opportunities, including soliciting guest speakers, planning workshops, and coordinating drop-in tabling sessions in the center

iii. Proactive Support & Outreach
• Support the Associate Director with outreach and follow up to students flagged through the center’s proactive support process, with a particular focus on identified transfer and new students from the global network
• Provide individualized follow-up and support conversations with students referred through the center, helping students identify next steps and connect with appropriate campus resources.
• Ensure timely and accurate referrals and coordination with campus support
services
 
iv. Center Operations
• Assist the Associate Director in day-to-day center operations, including
managing communications channels (newsletters, social media), reception, and room bookings
• Assist the Associate Director in launching and growing a student-employment program to increase student awareness and presence in the center
• Serve as a warm and welcoming presence in the center

Qualifications:
Master's degree preferred, preferably in higher education, counseling, student affairs, human services, or a related field. One to three years of experience supporting college students through programming, student engagement, advising, orientation, residence life, academic success, or related areas preferred. Demonstrated commitment to supporting first-year, transfer, and new students as they transition to and thrive at Northeastern.

The successful candidate will possess:
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• The ability to design and facilitate engaging educational programs, workshops, and
student experiences
• A student-centered approach, with the ability to build welcoming, supportive relationships while helping students navigate challenges and connect with appropriate resources
• The ability to communicate effectively with diverse populations, and to exercise discretion and confidentiality around sensitive student information
• Comfort working with basic data tools (Excel, or willingness to learn); familiarity with Navigate360 or similar platforms a plus
• Excitement for joining a growing center and helping shape a new role as it takes form
• The ability to work in person at Northeastern's Boston campus five days per week, with some evening and weekend availability required, particularly during Welcome Week and other high-traffic programming periods

Position TypeAcademic Administration
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/ 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:107S
Expected Hiring Range:$53,615.00 - $75,728.75
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.