Partnership Manager, Clinical Placements & Rural Healthcare Workforce
RI Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner seeks to hire a partnership manager, clinical placements & rural healthcare workforce, who will be responsible for developing, coordinating, and sustaining strategic partnerships between Rhode Island Nursing Education Center, institutions of higher education, healthcare organizations, rural healthcare providers, workforce organizations, and other community partners.
This position will serve as a primary liaison and relationship manager for the Rural Health Transformation Program and related clinical placement and workforce initiatives. The partnership manager will oversee the development and maintenance of clinical placement opportunities, support implementation and growth of a clinical placement registry, recruit and engage consortium members, coordinate partner onboarding, and facilitate communication among healthcare employers, academic institutions, students, and other stakeholders.
The position will play a key role in identifying workforce needs, expanding clinical education capacity, strengthening rural healthcare partnerships, and developing sustainable systems that support the education and placement of healthcare students throughout Rhode Island.
The partnership manager will work collaboratively with RI Nursing Education Center leadership and internal staff, higher education institutions, healthcare organizations, state agencies, workforce partners, and community organizations to ensure program goals, grant deliverables, and partnership activities are successfully achieved.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Partnership Development, Stakeholder Engagement & Workforce Initiatives
- Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with rural healthcare providers, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, workforce organizations, and community partners to expand clinical education and workforce development opportunities
- Serve as the primary liaison and relationship manager for assigned healthcare, academic, and community partners, maintaining regular communication and addressing partnership needs, challenges, and opportunities
- Recruit, onboard, and engage consortium members, including healthcare organizations, educational institutions, workforce partners, and community stakeholders, while coordinating meetings, workgroups, communications, and follow-up activities
- Lead communication and outreach activities, including partner meetings, presentations, site visits, informational sessions, community events, and professional activities that promote RINEC programs and strengthen stakeholder engagement
- Coordinate partner onboarding and compliance, including required documentation, organizational requirements, affiliation agreements, memoranda of understanding (MOUs), renewals, and other partnership-related agreements
- Identify healthcare workforce needs and develop new initiatives in collaboration with RI Nursing Education Center leadership and partners, including opportunities to expand clinical education capacity, workforce training, and rural healthcare pipelines
Clinical Placement Coordination
- Coordinate clinical placement opportunities by facilitating communication between academic programs and healthcare organizations regarding student needs, placement capacity, schedules, requirements, and expectations
- Manage and support the clinical placement registry, ensuring accurate and timely information regarding student demand, organizational capacity, placements, requirements, and outcomes
- Identify and address barriers to clinical placement, working collaboratively with academic and healthcare partners to improve placement availability, efficiency, communication, and overall experience
Data, Reporting & Grant Support
- Collect, manage, and analyze program data related to partnerships, clinical placements, consortium participation, workforce needs, and program outcomes to support evaluation and continuous improvement
- Support grant management and reporting, including tracking goals, objectives, milestones, performance measures, deliverables, and documentation required for the Rural Health Transformation Program and other funding initiatives
Operations & Administrative Support
- Maintain organized operational systems and records, including databases, tracking tools, calendars, reports, and project documentation, while managing multiple priorities and supporting the overall goals and activities of RI Nursing Education Center
- Maintain an agenda of concerns that can be presented to both the director and staff to ensure timely management of the issue
- Handle information of a sensitive and confidential nature
Other Duties
Perform other duties as assigned in support of RI Nursing Education Center operations and institutional goals
Qualifications
Required
Education: Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, education, public health, business administration, nursing, workforce development, social sciences, or a related field
Experience
- Minimum of three years of professional experience in healthcare, higher education, workforce development, clinical education, project coordination, partnership development, or a related field
- Experience working with multiple organizations, institutions, or community stakeholders
- Experience coordinating projects, programs, partnerships, or similar initiatives
- Experience maintaining databases, tracking systems, or program documentation
- Experience working in a culturally diverse environment
- Experience establishing and maintaining strong professional relationships with diverse stakeholders
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills
- Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
- Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records
- Ability to independently manage projects while also working effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Strong problem-solving, critical-thinking, and decision-making skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365, including Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint, and related applications
- Ability to develop and maintain spreadsheets, databases, tracking systems, and reports
- Familiarity with online survey, registration, scheduling, and data collection tools
- Ability to analyze program data and communicate findings to diverse audiences
- Ability to communicate professionally with healthcare executives, educators, faculty, students, community partners, and state and local stakeholders
- Cultural competence and ability to work effectively with diverse populations and organizations
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive organizational and student information appropriately
- Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment
- Ability to travel throughout Rhode Island to healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and community partner locations.
- Ability to work occasional evenings or early mornings to accommodate partner meetings and events
- Ability to travel throughout the state as needed to perform job duties, including access to reliable transportation
Preferred
- Master’s degree in a related field
- Experience working in healthcare, higher education, or workforce development environments
Environmental Conditions
This position is primarily performed in a professional office and educational environment but requires regular travel to healthcare organizations, educational institutions, community organizations, and other partner locations throughout Rhode Island.
All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
This position is limited to December 31, 2027 with anticipated renewal based on funding. This is a non-union, non-classified, full-time position with a pay grade of 10 and a starting salary range of $70,000 – $75,000 commensurate with qualifications and experience. This position is an exempt, 35-hours/week position which may involve non-standard hours as required.
This role reports to the director of RI Nursing Education Center and supervises a part-time clinical placement & partnership coordinator at RI Nursing Education Center.
This position is full-time and is funded through the Rural Health Transformation Program, subject to the availability of grant funding and applicable program requirements.
The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to improve the health and healthcare services of rural Rhode Islanders. Rhode Island is working towards a connected, community-based system that ensures every rural resident has timely, coordinated, high-quality care where they live. This program will build lasting infrastructure that empowers communities to lead their own health transformation.
Stevens Amendment: This project is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $156,169,931.19 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CMS/HHS or the U.S. Government.
This posting will remain open until the position is filled. Applications received by October 19, 2026 will receive first consideration. Applications received after October 19, 2026 may be reviewed depending on the status of the search process.