Assistant Director of Tutoring & Writing Job at Merrimack College in North A

Position Overview

The Merrimack College Writing Center seeks an Assistant Director. The Center is writing-in- the-disciplines and social constructionist-based, with a staff of approximately thirty undergraduate peer tutors, and is part of a certified CRLA Level 1 learning center. Our approach to writing support is grounded in the idea that writing is a complex social activity and is best realized among peers. To promote such recognition, the Writing Center provides writing consultations that employ a collaborative dialogue between a learner and a peer tutor, focusing on the learner’s goals and concerns.

The Writing Center is a part of Merrimack’s collaborative and team-oriented Academic Success Center. The ASC is a community of professionals who operate around the goal of enhancing student success. This position is a 12-month staff position that reports to the Director of the Writing, Tutoring & Math Center.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Coordinate the administration of campus tutoring programs (Writing and Math Center services, Study Partners program, etc.) as part of the Writing, Tutoring & Math Center leadership team;

• Assist with the day-to-day operations of a vibrant and growing writing center (~1000 tutoring sessions per semester) serving Merrimack College’s undergraduate and graduate student populations, possibly including directing operations one evening per week;

• Introduce and assist tutors and students in the use of generative A.I. to enhance the writing process;

• Develop and present writing and literacy-related content to students in coursework as diverse as freshmen introductory business courses and graduate health science courses;

• Support and lead, as appropriate, additional student success and writing initiatives, including collaborations with academic departments and degree programs across campus;

• Perform Writing, Tutoring & Math Center website and scheduling platform administrative maintenance;

• Teach or co-teach Writing Center theory and practice course each year;

• Commit and desire to participate in continued professional development, growth, and innovation in writing center pedagogy and practice;

• Create, implement, and monitor annual staff and event operational budgets for the Writing Center and related programs;

• Hire, train, observe, and evaluate student tutors in a way that is consistent with CRLA Level 1 standards and institutional needs;

• Update and enhance writing tutor training syllabi and other materials to maintain CRLA Level 1 certification for the Writing, Tutoring & Math Center’s tutor training program;

• Build plans of academic support for students struggling in writing and writing-related coursework;

• Identify emerging student and institutional needs and formulate strategies to address them;

• Tutor graduate and undergraduate students as-needed during the regular academic year, and offer regular graduate writing tutoring sessions during summer terms;

• Perform other duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications:

Required

• MA in composition, TESOL, literacy, linguistics, technical writing, or a related area

• Writing Center tutoring experience

Preferred

• Expertise with content area writing (e.g. STEM, publishing, social sciences, education)

• Familiarity with composition theory and pedagogy

• Technological proficiency in Google suite applications (Sheets, Docs, etc.)

• Comfort in growing and sustaining professional relationships

• A growth mindset approach to students’ abilities to improve as writers and communicators
  
  

Application Materials Should Include:

• Cover letter stating motivation and interest in the position, citing experience relevant to the qualifications and including experience with, and commitment to, our Catholic Augustinian mission, our values, and our desire to be a more diverse, equitable and inclusive institution of higher learning.

• Resume
  
  

This position is subject to the successful completion of a criminal background check.

Vaccinations and Work Location

This is an on-campus position as employees are essential in order to provide a fully on-campus, residential college experience for our students and the community.

The COVID-19 vaccine and booster for which an individual may be eligible are highly recommended for students, faculty and staff. Merrimack College does not require proof of COVID vaccination for enrollment, employment or to be a guest on our campus.

Statement on Our Mission

Merrimack College is a Catholic Augustinian institution of higher education committed to building a culturally and racially diverse community. Our mission is to enlighten minds, engage hearts and empower lives and is inspired by our Catholic faith and the Augustinian tradition of seeking truth through inquiry and dialogue.

Merrimack College seeks candidates who understand, respect and can contribute to Merrimack’s Catholic and Augustinian mission and values and advance our work in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion. We strongly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups. All candidates should describe in their application previous experience related to equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as how they will engage in fostering a culture that supports our Catholic and Augustinian mission and our values of diversity, equity and inclusion.

About Merrimack College

The only Catholic, Augustinian institution of higher education in New England, Merrimack College is a private, independent, coeducational institution with more than 4,000 undergraduate and 1,700 graduate students from 43 states and 42 countries. The College features more than 160 career-focused undergraduate, professional and graduate programs, all taught by exceptional faculty who are passionate about their subject and student success. The College has five schools: arts and sciences, engineering and computational sciences, nursing and health sciences, education and social policy and the Girard school of business. The College’s suburban 220-acre campus is just north of Boston in North Andover, Massachusetts. Merrimack is a Master’s Colleges and Universities/Larger Programs (M1) institution in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Merrimack is one of the fastest growing educational institutions in the country and has steadily climbed up in the U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of Best Colleges, ranking 37th in the Regional Universities North category in 2025. Merrimack is a NCAA Division I athletic institution.

Merrimack College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.