Career Center

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods. Swarthmore College was recently ranked number 3 in the 2021 US News Best National Liberal Arts Colleges rankings - https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/swarthmore-college-3370.

Who We Are:

As our name implies, the Center for Innovation and Leadership (CIL) operates in the world of creativity and design while also being a resource for students to practice leadership. We believe that these worlds are so connected that many of the skills that are learned through innovation (think: problem-solving, communication, failure resiliency) are essential in leadership development.

The CIL cultivates co-curricular opportunities at the intersection of leadership, entrepreneurship, and management for students to develop into creative, adaptable, ethical individuals. Our core values are central to who we are and how we work: Embrace Failure, Work Collaboratively, Dream Big, Get Stuff Done, and Have Fun! These values speak to our culture of work with one another, students, campus partners, and external constituents.

The CIL strives to give all Swarthmore students the individualized support they need to become strong creative leaders of tomorrow. We support students by creating opportunities to hone their leadership skills in capacities like team-based collaboration, the development of social and cultural capital, and human centered design and design thinking processes. We work with Students, staff, and faculty who are all welcome to bring forth new and interesting ideas under the umbrella of the CIL or ask for training and support in their work.

The opportunity:

The Associate Director assists in all aspects of the Center for Innovation and Leadership in event management, direction, and engagement with students and the campus community. They will actively seek out and maintain an understanding of the current environment and best practices surrounding creativity and design, student leadership development, and entrepreneurial processes. The Associate Director is responsible for the CIL student Intern program, communication and marketing efforts in the CIL, and assessment and evaluations of programming.

Supporting Strategic Directions of CIL

Creativity and Innovation

The Associate Director will use a creative and innovative approach to foster inventive thinking and action across the CIL. This perspective is essential in all aspects of the CIL’s work with students, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders. They will have knowledge and expertise in a human centered approach and understanding of the design thinking process and be familiar with current trends and methods of innovative and creative learning and leadership education. They will lead workshops and serve as a college resource for innovative processes like idea generation, creativity research, rapid experimentation, and personal student development.

Event & Program Development

The Associate Director will provide support in strategic planning and execution of programs, events, and partnerships to best support the CIL’s goals and objectives. These will create a range of opportunities for community stakeholders to engage in and practice innovation and leadership. In addition to program development they will also Identify and address any barriers to broad and diverse participation, implementation, and equitable outcomes.

College Service & Relationship Building

The Associate Director will build strong relationships on campus and support a network of stakeholders by creating strategic partnerships to foster awareness and practice of the CIL’s mission. They will participate in campus committees and working groups on behalf of the CIL and build strategic relationships with offices and departments across campus to advance the CIL and College initiatives.

Center for Innovation and Leadership Operations

Student Coaching and Advising

The Associate Director offers significant support to a range of student groups and individuals. This could include supporting students in leadership development and innovation practice, coaching and advising the CIL Leadership Fellow cohorts through the fellowship curriculum, and mentor individual students in their own identity development and personal challenges.

Marketing and Communication

The Associate Director is responsible for the execution of the CIL’s communication and brand strategy in line with the mission and vision of the CIL. This strategy should be inclusive of internal and external communication practices. They will develop and maintain communication strategies for all CIL programs and services that promote increased visibility of the Center including written and printed promotional materials, oversight of the CIL webpage content, and manage all social media accounts. They will maintain regular communication to campus via a weekly newsletter and create innovative pathways of information sharing for campus community through digital and print media.

Event Management & Execution

The Associate Director is responsible for daily operations of CIL programming and events. They assist with all CIL programs as needed with an emphasis in supporting leadership development practices, innovation, and entrepreneurship programs. They will initiate, plan, execute, and archive the work of the CIL to achieve goals related to the mission of the Center

Oversee and Manage CIL Intern Program

The Associate Director is responsible for all aspects of the student intern program to foster strong student leadership development and professional capacities and which aids in the overarching operations of the CIL. This includes but it is not limited to planning retreats, training, student professional development, and leadership development as well as building and maintaining structure around the program.

Assessment & Evaluation

The Associate Director is responsible for all assessment related tasks in the CIL to be used to support case making, learning outcomes, and future planning processes in the CIL.The will develop and manage comprehensive monitoring and evaluation tools and practices with a data driven focus to inform program improvement and understanding of student engagement patterns. They will oversee the Institutional Effectiveness processes with the Office of Institutional Research.

Who you are:

• Interested in working on a liberal arts campus in a new and growing space.
• Organized self-starter willing to work independently.
• Collaborative and team-oriented 
• Exceptional verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience providing leadership coaching and mentoring in an educational setting.
• Experience facilitating groups, especially groups that meet regularly over a long period of time.
• Ability to work in collaboration with and build relationships within a diverse community of students, faculty, alumni, and staff.
• Experience in integrating and applying current issues and best practices in higher education, student affairs, leadership development, creativity methods, design thinking, human centered design, innovation, and/or entrepreneurship.
• Strong presentation, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Attention to quality of output and detail along with adaptability and ability to tolerate ambiguity.
• Interest in joining a fun and creative team of colleagues who enjoy working with students.

What you bring:

• Bachelor’s degree with 3-5 years of job-related experience or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience in higher education is preferred.
• Excitement and passion for learning.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus. You’ll join a team of passionate, creative, and supportive people who work hard and have fun developing/delivering creative teaching & learning experiences to students, staff, and faculty. If you are excited about this role, we want to hear from you!

For full consideration, submit applications including resume and cover letter with salary expectations by July 27, 2022.

Swarthmore College actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.