[Hiring] Adjunct Faculty - Professional Communication for Life Sciences @Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Role Description

The School of Professional Studies is seeking an adjunct instructor to teach Professional Communication for Life Sciences, a course designed for students in the Biopharmaceutical Industry Fundamentals certificate and BS in Life Sciences programs. This course supports learners in developing the communication skills required for success in biopharmaceutical and biomanufacturing settings.

Offered in an online, synchronous, semester-based format, the course serves part-time, adult undergraduate students. Weekly live sessions are held via Zoom from 6-9pm ET during the fall term. The ideal candidate will be comfortable facilitating engaging, interactive online instruction and fostering a supportive learning environment.

The course focuses on building practical, career-ready communication skills for entry-level professionals. Students learn to:

• Produce clear, concise written materials such as emails, reports, and SOPs
• Evaluate and respond to professional communications
• Deliver brief presentations using PowerPoint

Emphasis is placed on:

• Audience awareness
• Effective use of industry terminology
• Responsible use of AI tools in workplace communication

This course has been developed and piloted. The selected instructor will:

• Deliver the existing curriculum while enhancing the learning experience through applied examples, guest speakers, meaningful practice, and timely feedback
• Emphasize real-world scenarios, interactive exercises, and reflection to ensure students can immediately apply skills in professional contexts
• Deliver weekly synchronous online instruction via Zoom, fostering an engaging, inclusive, and interactive learning environment
• Guide students in developing clear, concise professional writing
• Facilitate interactive learning through real-world scenarios, role-play exercises, and guided discussion
• Support learners in practicing and refining communication techniques through structured activities and peer interaction
• Leverage and deliver existing course materials, including recorded content and activities, with targeted enhancements to increase depth and engagement
• Identify and implement opportunities to strengthen course content, including adding more nuanced scenarios, practical frameworks, and real-world examples
• Provide constructive, actionable feedback to learners on participation and applied exercises
• Incorporate relevant, current examples or insights from professional experience to keep content fresh and applicable
• Create an inclusive and psychologically safe learning environment that encourages participation, reflection, and skill-building
• Incorporate insights from professional experience to ensure relevance to healthcare and life sciences contexts
• Review learner feedback and engagement data to support continuous course improvement
• Adhere to MCPHS academic policies, including academic integrity expectations and grading standards

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., communications, organizational leadership, or related discipline) preferred
• Professional experience in roles requiring strong communication skills in the life sciences
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively across diverse audiences, including technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Strong facilitation skills, with the ability to lead interactive discussions, guide role-play exercises, and provide meaningful feedback
• A commitment to learner success and to engaging learners in an online environment
• Comfort with ambiguity and effective problem-solving in the context of launching and refining a new course offering

Requirements

• Experience with a learning management system, such as Blackboard