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 CoachingProvide 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 TypeStudent Services
Additional InformationNortheastern 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.
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.
