Northeastern University London
Executive Director, U.S. Degree Programs, Northeastern University London
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About the Opportunity
Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and a world leader in experiential learning. The same commitment to connecting with the world drives our use-inspired research enterprise. The university offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in nine colleges and schools. Our campuses across North America and in the UK are platforms for undergraduate and graduate learning and collaborative research. Northeastern's signature cooperative education model integrates rigorous academic study with professional experience, producing graduates who are career-ready from day one.
Summary
Reporting to the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Programs, the Executive Director of U.S. Degree Programs, Northeastern University London is a transformational senior leader charged with reimagining and repositioning the London campus as a premier American university in one of the world's great cities — a bold institutional identity modeled on the tradition of other American universities in international settings, but distinctly Northeastern in character.
This is a significant leadership opportunity in Northeastern's global network: a chance to build a flagship international campus that draws on the full power of the university's experiential learning model, its global employer partnerships, and its NECHE accreditation to serve a new generation of students for whom London is not a study abroad destination, but a degree destination.
The Executive Director will lead a strategic repositioning of NU London from its current profile toward a campus that primarily awards US-accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees — infused with the industry-integrated, co-op-based experiential learning that defines Northeastern's identity worldwide. The primary student body will consist of:
- US students seeking a globally mobile, career-accelerating alternative to traditional domestic programs, and
- international students drawn to a US-accredited degree in the world's leading financial and innovation hub.
Degree offerings will include BS Business Administration, BS International Business, and combined majors with Computer Science, AI/Data Science, and Economics, with London concentrations in Finance & Fintech, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Marketing, Global Business & Strategy, and Tech & AI Leadership.
At the same time, the Executive Director will work in close partnership with the existing UK College Executive Principal to coordinate and optimize resources with the campus's UK-sanctioned academic portfolio — including degree apprenticeships, UK undergraduate programs serving a qualifying domestic student body, and doctoral programs — as required to meet Office for Students conditions of registration.
This collaborative responsibility demands a leader of rare sophistication: someone who can simultaneously build something boldly new while nurturing the institutional relationships and working closely with the valuable UK-founded enterprise.
The ideal candidate is a visionary academic leader with deep experience in American higher education, a genuine entrepreneurial instinct, and the presence and credibility to represent Northeastern at the highest levels of London's academic, business, and civic communities. They understand what it takes to build institutional culture and academic identity from the ground up, and they are energized by the opportunity to create something that does not yet exist — a world-class American university experience, delivered in the heart of London.
Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Doctorate required, in business, higher education leadership, or a closely related field
- Significant senior academic leadership experience in a university setting, with demonstrated responsibility for institutional strategy, academic operations, faculty leadership, and budget oversight.
- Demonstrated experience building, launching, or significantly transforming academic programs or campuses, with a strong preference for candidates who have led major program innovation in experiential, industry-integrated, or globally mobile educational models
- Experience operating in an international higher education environment, preferably including direct familiarity with UK or European regulatory structures
- Track record of building high-value industry partnerships and employer engagement at a senior level, particularly in global financial, technology, or professional services sectors
- Experience navigating complex multi-stakeholder governance environments, including working across institutional, regulatory, and governmental bodies
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Technical Knowledge & Skills
- Deep understanding of US higher education accreditation standards (NECHE or comparable) and the operational requirements of delivering a US-accredited degree program internationally
- Familiarity with UK higher education regulatory structures, including Office for Students conditions of registration, student visa and work rights frameworks, and the requirements for maintaining a qualifying UK student body and UK-credit program portfolio
- Knowledge of competency-based and stackable credentialing models, industry-integrated curriculum design, and experiential learning delivery at scale
- Understanding of the competitive landscape for internationally positioned American higher education, including institutions such as the American University in Paris, and the market dynamics driving growing US and international student demand for London-based degree programs
- Experience with the financial modeling and business development required to sustain a self-supporting international campus at a premium price point
Leadership & Management
- Visionary leadership presence with the ability to articulate a compelling institutional identity and inspire faculty, staff, students, partners, and donors around a shared mission
- Proven ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder organizations through significant institutional change while maintaining operational stability and stakeholder trust
- Experience building and sustaining senior-level partnerships with major employers, professional associations, civic institutions, and government bodies in major global cities
- Ability to work effectively in a matrixed environment, including a co-leadership relationship with the UK College Executive Principal and accountability to Northeastern's central academic and administrative leadership
- Demonstrated track record of faculty recruitment, development, and retention in an international context
- Strong financial acumen and experience managing complex institutional budgets within a self-supporting model
- Exceptional communicator and relationship builder, with the interpersonal range to engage credibly with C-suite industry partners, UK regulators, government officials, prospective students and families, and Northeastern's Board and senior leadership
- Demonstrated commitment to belonging efforts and to building an inclusive, globally diverse academic community
- Flexibility for significant international travel; ability to operate effectively across US and UK institutional cultures
Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities
Institutional Vision & Strategic Leadership (25%)
- Develop and execute a multi-year strategic plan to reposition NU London as a leading American university in London, with a clear institutional identity, a distinctive academic model, and a compelling value proposition for US and international students.
- Establish the campus's culture, values, and academic standards in a manner that is authentically Northeastern while responsive to the London context.
- Build and sustain relationships with Northeastern's central leadership, the D'Amore-McKim School of Business, Khoury College, and other relevant academic units to ensure the London campus is fully integrated into the university's global academic network.
- Represent the campus to Northeastern's Board of Trustees, senior leadership, and external stakeholders.
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US Academic Program Development & Delivery (25%)
- Oversee the design, launch, and continuous improvement of NU London's US-accredited undergraduate and graduate degree portfolio, ensuring the highest standards of academic quality and Northeastern's signature experiential learning are embedded throughout.
- Champion the program's innovative educational model — including industry-infused project work every semester, two interdisciplinary Professional Practicums, competency-based stackable credentials, and flexible 3- or 4-year degree pathways including accelerated US and UK Master's options.
- Work in close collaboration with Boston-based academic leadership to adapt NECHE-accredited curriculum for London delivery and to develop new London-specific concentrations.
- Oversee faculty hiring, development, and quality assurance to ensure a Northeastern-caliber educational experience.
UK Academic Portfolio & Regulatory Stewardship (20%)
- Work in close partnership with the UK College Executive Principal to maintain and develop the campus's UK-sanctioned academic portfolio, including degree apprenticeships, UK undergraduate programs, and doctoral programs, as required to meet Office for Students conditions of registration and sustain the campus's standing within the UK higher education system.
- Ensure the campus maintains a qualifying UK student body and complies with all relevant UK regulatory requirements, including student visa frameworks and conditions of registration.
- Serve as a senior institutional interlocutor with the Office for Students, UK Visas and Immigration, and other relevant regulatory bodies.
- Navigate the governance and operational complexity of running parallel US and UK academic programs within a unified campus.
Industry Partnership & Employer Engagement (15%)
- Build and lead a high-accountability portfolio of named industry partnerships that power the program's experiential learning model — ensuring every semester includes at least one live industry project from a named employer partner, and that students have access to professional mentorship, co-op placements, and career networks across London's finance, technology, consulting, and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
- Develop partnerships at multiple levels, from companies contributing project briefs and mentorship to deeply integrated partners who co-invest in curriculum, employ students during co-op rotations, and engage in long-term talent pipeline development.
- Cultivate relationships with London's leading institutions across finance, technology, and entrepreneurship, including major banks, global technology firms, and the London startup ecosystem.
Financial Leadership & Resource Development (10%)
- Achieve annual revenue targets within a self-supporting campus model at a premium price point, continuously justified through program quality, employer engagement, and student outcomes.
- Develop and manage the campus operating budget, oversee expenditures across academic and administrative functions, and maintain fiscal responsibility achieving break-even or surplus.
- Identify and pursue external funding opportunities including corporate sponsorships, philanthropic support, and strategic partnerships.
- Ensure financial sustainability across both the US degree portfolio and the UK program portfolio.
- Prepare and present budget and performance reports to Northeastern's central leadership on a regular cadence.
Enrollment, Marketing & External Relations (5%)
- Lead the development and execution of a recruitment and marketing strategy targeting both US students seeking a globally mobile, career-accelerating alternative to traditional domestic programs and international students drawn to a US-accredited degree in London.
- Build and communicate a compelling institutional brand that differentiates NU London from competitors, including other American-style programs in London.
- Represent the institution in London's
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