Career Center

Bethel University is a leader in Christ-centered higher education with approximately 6,300 students from 48 states and 32 countries enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, seminary, and adult education programs. Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, Bethel offers bachelor's and advanced degrees in nearly 100 fields. Educationally excellent classroom-based and on-line programs equip graduates to make exceptional contributions in life-long service to God and the world.  

The Director of Vocation, Pathways, and Partnerships will lead the envisioning of how to connect people, ideas, and opportunities, for the purpose of relevant and meaningful vocational development and service - for God’s glory and our neighbors’ good. The emerging system will intentionally shape the vocational formation and exploration of students (traditional and non-traditional undergraduate, graduate, and seminary), and will also create cohesion for the strategic inclusion of alumni, university stakeholders, and external partners toward professional growth and collaborative engagement.

Job Summary

The Director of Vocation, Pathways, and Partnerships leads the work of envisioning and executing vocational pathways for Bethel students. The Director oversees the Career Development and Calling Office and is responsible for strategic and intentional collaboration with academic departments and offices across campus. Additionally, the Director of Vocation, Pathways, and Partnerships will strategically identify and cultivate external relationships for the purpose of creating a bridge to industry partners and network of opportunity for students, including for career content input and speakers, professional mentors, internship placements, and employment pipelines. This work will occur in collaboration with the Associate Provost of Innovation & Partnerships, Alumni Services, and University leadership. The Director will lead efforts to nurture purposeful relationships with faculty, staff, alumni, parents, employers, and industry partners, providing resources and experiences that help students and alumni use their Bethel University education for God’s glory and our neighbor’s good.

Leadership

• Lead the office of Career Development & Calling, elevating the student experience, office services, and inter-departmental integration and collaboration.
• Coordinate with every academic and co-curricular unit to audit and understand the existing internship, mentoring, coaching, leadership development, and career readiness work in place within the various academic departments/majors.
• Coordinate with University academic advising units to reinforce and embed vocation formation/ exploration, career development services, internships/practical/shadowing/networking, etc.
• Develop formal plans for assessment of the unit and for communication throughout the year to institutional and community stakeholders.

Innovation

• Develop in collaboration with academic departments a comprehensive support structure for increasing the opportunities and university-wide consistency of internship experiences. 
• Evaluate and prototype hosting coordinated programs (Bethel Biz, The 25, Alumni, Advancement, Center for Academic Innovation, etc.) to evaluate the optimal options to bring industry partners/employers to campus for a range of events, from career fairs to more focused experiences for students.
• Develop in collaboration with other Bethel units compelling career pathway maps, suitable for the public website, for each major in College of Arts & Sciences that may include academic, co-curricular, and nonacademic off-campus activities for students to explore. 

Partnerships

• In collaboration with the Associate Provost of innovation and Partnerships, develop a network of Bethel alum and friends who desire to contribute to the vocational formation and professional and leadership development of Bethel Students
• In coordination with the Associate Provost of Innovation and Partnerships and University Advancement, develop sponsorship and fund-raising opportunities related to the functions and services of the department.
• In collaboration with the Associate Provost of Innovation and Partnerships, develop industry partnerships, along with a process and templated MOU for these types of external relationships.

• Interpersonal skills - including communication, collaboration, and team building skills.
• Knowledge of academic environment, experiential learning practices, career education best practices, and employment market strongly preferred. 
• Ability to develop relationships internally and externally. 
• Excellent public speaking, writing and communication skills. 
• Ability to work in and navigate various data platforms (including Handshake) preferred. 
• Willingness to travel when necessary.

• Managerial experience, ideally involving professional engagement with students or recent college graduates, with demonstrated ability to lead a team.  
• Previous experience with change management, strategic planning and/or vision casting aimed at program development/re-structure and departmental collaboration
• College-level teaching, academic support, academic advising, or student services experience beneficial
• Previous experience in a higher education context or academic environment; career services experience preferred.

Master's degree required. 

• Applications must be submitted by May 13, 2022. Candidates will need to submit resume and cover letter
• Initial contract to be 18 months (ideally beginning June 2022)
• Contract may be extended, and/or an evolved position is expected for phase two