Social Work Field Coordinator, MSW Program

Job Details

Carlow University is currently accepting applications for our Field Coordinator role within our Master of Social Work (MSW) program.

Position Summary:

The Field Coordinator serves as the operational lead for the MSW Program’s field education component. Working under the leadership of the MSW Program Director and Director of Field Education, this position is responsible for managing the full lifecycle of student field placements, supporting agency/field instructor relationships, ensuring program compliance with accreditation standards and university policies, and optimizing the field experience for students, faculty, and community partners.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage and execute the student placement process from intake to completion, including student eligibility assessment, agency site review, matching students with placements, onboarding, and tracking of field hours.
• Maintain and cultivate relationships with community partner agencies and field instructors, negotiate and track affiliation agreements, ensure site eligibility (including supervision quality, learning opportunities, agency policies) in alignment with program and accreditation standards.
• Ensure compliance with field education policies, accreditation standards (e.g., Council on Social Work Education [CSWE] 2022 EPAS), university and departmental protocols, student licensing requirements, and liability/risk management practices.
• Serve as liaison and support resource for students, field instructors, program faculty, and agency supervisors—supporting onboarding sessions, orientation/training, site visits, troubleshooting student or site issues, and monitoring progress toward competency achievement.
• Maintain and oversee placement tracking databases, field education records, student and agency documentation (e.g., learning contracts, evaluations, site visit reports), and generate reports for program leadership, accreditation, and institutional data needs.
• Support field education seminars or workshops (in collaboration with program faculty), participate in student advising related to field placements, and assist in data collection and assessment related to field outcomes.
• Collaborate with the Director and faculty in strategic development of the field program: expanding placement capacity, diversifying agency partners, optimizing placement logistics (especially in response to enrollment growth and program scale).
• Provide oversight of workflow related to student concerns, field site issues, and corrective actions—escalating to the Director as needed, and maintaining records to support defensible decision-making.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of the field education program: review and update field manuals/policies, monitor placement capacity and quality trends, propose and implement process improvements, and support accreditation self-study/maintenance efforts.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Field Education or Program leadership.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Master of Social Work (MSW) from a CSWE-accredited institution (or equivalent if joint BSW/MSW program)
• Minimum of 2 years of post-MSW social work practice experience
• Demonstrated strong organizational, project management, and communication skills
• Experience working with students, adults in higher education settings, and/or community agencies
• Proficient computer/technology skills (student placement tracking systems, Excel, Word, Outlook, database systems)
• Ability to develop and maintain strong professional relationships with students, faculty, and external agencies

Preferred:

• Licensed Social Worker (LMSW, LCSW, or equivalent)
• Experience in field education or social work education administration
• Knowledge of CSWE accreditation standards, field education pedagogy, and placement/liaison best practices
• Experience with risk management, liability issues, student supervision or agency supervision
• Ability to work independently, adapt to changing workload volumes, and engage in innovative problem-solving

Supervisory & Workload Expectations:

• 12-month contract, full-time (1.0 FTE)
• Expected to coordinate high volume of placements (e.g., 100+ students, 50+ agency sites) in alignment with program growth trends
• Hybrid/On-campus and remote flexibility as determined by the Director and university policy
• Travel to agency sites may be required for site visits and relationship-building