Career Services Associate Director

Job Summary:

The Associate Director of Career Services provides the vision and direct operational oversight for the office to serve its stakeholders. This position is responsible for managing the daily operations of Career Services, including workflows, staff supervision, operational planning, and service delivery, to ensure consistent, high-quality support for students, internal campus partners, and external employer relations.

In addition to unit level operations, the Associate Director for Career Services is responsible for developing comprehensive career readiness and professional development opportunities and resources for undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni, developing, and conducting workshops on job search techniques and related topics, and performing outreach to employers and external constituents. The Associate Director of Career Services will strive to create a vibrant, welcoming, collaborative, robust and rigorous work environment that offers growth opportunities for the staff.

Job Responsibilities:

Strategic Unit Leadership

• Provides oversight of daily Career Services operations, including workflows, staffing coverage, event coverage, programming, and other strategic initiatives

• Supervises professional Career Services staff, including hiring, onboarding, training, performance evaluation, and professional development

• Assists in the development and implementation of short-term and long-term operational and strategic plans to align with institutional priorities for both the Whitewater and Rock County locations

• Creates the infrastructure to collect, track, and analyze workforce data including post-graduation, job placement, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities

• Serves as a primary operational lead for Career Services and represents the Director in cross-divisional initiatives and decision-making when needed

• In collaboration with staff, develop and maintain strategic relationships with key internal stakeholders (deans, associate deans, department chairs, program coordinators, directors, staff, and faculty) to support ongoing needs assessment, track and promote non-credit-bearing internship processes, and advance the effective delivery of professional development opportunities for students and alumni

•  Other duties as assigned

Career Education & Consultation

• Develop staff to serve as subject matter experts who support students and alumni across campus in designing and navigating their career and professional development pathways

•  In collaboration with the Career Services team, plan and deliver educational in-person and virtual workshops, programs, specialized office hours, content, and digital resources that support students and alumni in career exploration, personal branding, networking, interviewing, and job and internship search strategies

• Collaborate with program directors, faculty, and administrators to integrate career competencies and develop training programs and resources to effectively prepare undergraduate and graduate students for employment

• Lead staff to continue and expand departmental services and programs for students through collaboration with other departments, employers, and workforce organizations

• Enhance programs and initiatives by staying current on trends and emerging issues in career services and higher education through actively participating in professional associations (ex: the National Association of Colleges and Employers, state-level and regional-level

Employer Relations, Partnerships, & Outreach

• Lead the Employer Relations staff to develop and manage ongoing relationships with companies, agencies, and organizations

• Manage the Career Services Employer Sponsorship program and Employer Advisory Board

• Support assessment and data initiatives, including but not limited to the First Destination Survey, Senior Outcomes Assessment Survey, internship and experiential learning tracking, and other related data efforts

• Collaborate with and strengthen the partnership with academic advising across campus to support continued exploration initiatives, programming, and activities

• Develop collaborative partnerships and opportunities within individual Colleges to support student career readiness and professional development

Department Summary

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Career Services serves undergraduate and graduate students as well as alumni from all majors. The mission of Career Services is to assist students and alumni in developing career readiness skills to find gainful experience and professional employment by partnering with employers, faculty, and staff. UW-Whitewater Career Services empowers students to navigate their career paths with confidence by connecting them to personalized support, experiential learning, and resources that strengthen their career competencies. Through inclusive support and strong partnerships across campus and beyond, we integrate career growth into every stage of the student journey. There are eight professional staff employed by Career Services. The Associate Director of Career Services reports to the Director of Retention, Student Success, and Advising

Compensation:

Well-qualified candidates can expect a starting annual salary within the range of $68,000 - $78,000 commensurate with the candidate's education, related experience, and qualifications.

UW System employees receive an excellent benefit package. To learn more about the UW System's comprehensive benefit package, review the UW System Employee Benefits Brochure.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree from an accredited institution

• Minimum of three years of progressive administrative management experience in college career services, student services, or similar experience in career development in a business or community environment

• Successful leadership and/or supervisory experience

•  Excellent relationship-building skills, including the ability to foster professional relationships proactively and successfully with various stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications:

• The ability to work in a diverse environment and serve constituents from diverse backgrounds

• Excellent public speaking skills, process improvement, training, and other leadership skills

•  Knowledge of relevant career services software programs and database systems that support career services functions

• Experience with external revenue generation

• Proven fiscal management skills with the ability to successfully manage a departmental budget and make budget decisions that impact staffing, programs, and services

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to interact respectfully with people with diverse socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds

• Willingness and ability to be an active participant in following applicable safety rules and regulations including necessary training and drills

• Demonstrated excellence in written and verbal communication, with strong attention to detail

• Strong organizational, customer service and problem-solving abilities