Career Center

The Career Center, a unit within Student Affairs, exists to empower career choice and action by coaching and supporting Illinois students, while connecting them to opportunities, as they make career decisions and learn lifelong career management skills. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a world leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. We serve the state, the nation, and the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and addressing critical societal needs through the transfer and application of knowledge. Illinois is the place where we embrace difference. We embrace it because we value it. Illinois is especially interested in candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching, and/or service, to the diversity and excellence of the Illinois community. The administration, faculty and staff embrace diversity and are committed to attracting qualified candidates who also embrace and value diversity and inclusivity.

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability or veteran status. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.

Primary Position Function/Summary:
The Associate Director serves as a member of the Center’s Executive Leadership team and contributes to all major decisions impacting the Center. This role is responsible for strategic visioning, planning and prioritization; management of budgets, personnel, and operations; development of strategic partnerships and new initiatives; and assessment and reporting of outcomes and impact. They must be passionate about student success and career services within a higher education environment, build and foster meaningful relationships, thrive in a team environment, and be committed to advancing all forms of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

The portfolio of this specific executive leadership position is centered on preparation and transition of Illinois students to post-graduation opportunities.  This role oversees the Pre-Health Advising and Graduate School team, as well as the Employer Relations and Professional Connections team. It is responsible for overseeing assessment of learning outcomes and impact of programs and services provided by The Career Center. The Associate Director also provides significant leadership for the collaborative campus-wide first destination initiative to assess and report post-graduate outcomes of Illinois students in partnership with senior campus leaders to ensure the initiative meets the needs of campus stakeholders.

Senior Management, Administration, and Leadership (60%)

• Serve as a member of the Center’s executive leadership team to lead strategic planning processes, develop action plans, and to create frameworks for accountability and performance reporting systems
• Provide guidance to 1) Pre-Health Advising and Graduate School, 2) Professional Connections and Employer Relations, and 3) Assessment Teams by framing the vision, mission, and values of the Center, establishing goals and developing strategies in alignment with the strategic plan
• Provide strategic leadership, craft organizational priorities/objectives, and set policies and procedures for the following functional areas: pre-health advising, graduate/professional school preparation and application, job/internship search and application, and engagement of employers and admissions representatives, including recruitment activities and use of [email protected] across the career services community
• Manage and distribute allocated resources to teams and programs
• Lead the development, coordination, and implementation of innovative services and programs to empower career choice and action and enhance the career readiness of Illinois students; define metrics and performance goals
• Oversee assessment and evaluation practices to determine impact and outcomes and facilitate continuous improvement and refinement of programs and services in collaboration with team leads
• Contribute to the development and implementation of unit policies and operational processes
• Hire, onboard, and supervise 3-4 direct reports and support supervision of indirect reports and paraprofessionals
• Guide initiatives, policies, and action of the broader career services community as a contributing member of the Career Services Council and associated committees, task groups, and knowledge communities 

Assessment (20%)

• Lead the design and implementation of unit-wide plan and effort to assess and report impact and reach of The Career Center, including learning outcomes assessment, program evaluation, and needs analysis
• Lead campuswide effort to collect, analyze, and report data related to graduation outcomes in collaboration with colleagues from the Division of Management Information, Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, and Office of the Provost 

Stakeholder Engagement (10%)

• Represent the Center in developing and fostering relationships and strategic partnerships with on-campus stakeholders and external constituents
• Lead integration and inclusion of alumni, employers, admissions representatives and other professionals in services and programs
• Represent the university or unit with the ability to make commitments / finalize resolution without consulting the supervisor
• Serve on The Career Center, Student Affairs and/or campus committees, task forces, work groups, and advisory committees
• Actively participate in and contribute to professional organizations associated with the field of career development, student success, and/or higher education 

Direct Service to Students (10%)

• Advise and coach students one-on-one and in groups regarding career exploration, planning and preparation, including engagement in experiential learning, internships, and other experiences that connect students’ education to their career and professional aspirations
• Advise and coach students through the employment/internship search process, including review of resumes, cover letters, and online profiles; interview preparation and practice; and offer evaluation and negotiation
• Advise and coach students as they prepare and apply for graduate/professional school, including course requirements, co-curricular experiences, application strategies and preparation, review of application materials, and decision making 

Required Education:  Bachelors degree

Preferred Education:  

• Master’s or Doctoral degree
• Advanced degree in counseling, higher education, student affairs, or related field
• Credentialed as a career coach or counselor through one of the national career development organizations  

Required Experience:

• Six years of professional work experience in career services, student services, or higher education that includes progressive leadership, administrative, or management responsibilities
• Demonstrated experience assessing learning outcomes and/or post-graduation outcomes, including collection and statistical analysis of quantitative and/or qualitative data 
• Demonstrated experience planning, implementing, and managing educational programs, as well as use of quantitative and/or qualitative data to determine impact and outcomes 
• Demonstrated experience working with diverse populations and across cultural differences.  

Preferred Experience:

• Experience that demonstrates understanding of career and student development theory and practice
• Experience establishing goals, executing strategies, leading innovation, and managing change
• Experience developing and fostering strategic initiatives, partnerships, and professional relationships
• Experience supervising full-time professional staff
• Experience working in a collaborative team environment
• Experience that demonstrates knowledge of college recruiting practices, hiring practices, and career services management systems.  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:  

• Excellent verbal, public speaking, writing, and listening skills with ability to clearly articulate thoughts and ideas
• Openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity to cultural differences, and the ability to interact with all people, understand individual differences, and relate with a diverse student population
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills with ability to exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues and make data-informed decisions
• Demonstrate personal accountability, effective work habits, and ability to handle multiple work priorities
• Ability to work within a team structure while leveraging the strengths of others to achieve common goals
• Ability to build and sustain relationships with colleagues and stakeholders
• Confirmed collegial style of leadership and ability to build consensus and collaboration utilizing strong interpersonal and listening skills