Career Center

Reporting to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs, the Executive Director of Career and Professional Development provides strategic, innovative, and collaborative leadership to support career exploration, career decision-making and development, work-based experiences, and successful planning and transition to post-graduation employment and graduate/professional school matriculation for Virginia Tech students, both undergraduate and graduate. The Executive Director develops collaborative relationships and partnerships with campus stakeholders and local, national, and international employing organizations to accomplish Career and Professional Development’s mission. Further, the Executive Director leads a team of more than 30 employees and stewards fiscal and physical resources (Smith Career Center building) in compliance with university business practices. It is an expectation of the Executive Director to participate in university committees, working groups, and initiatives and represent the university with external stakeholders and partners in support of employment of graduates and workforce initiatives aligned with Virginia Tech’s land-grant mission.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have a master's degree in higher education, student affairs administration, counselor education, or related field and demonstrated leadership within a comprehensive career services operation, including career counseling, experiential education, and employer recruiting services. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience building collaborative relationships with academic departments and colleges to support career exploration, professional development, and first-destination success for undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, demonstrated experience building relationships with employers on behalf of students, knowledge of strategic planning and data-informed decision-making, fiscal management, assessment, and supervision, and a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are all required qualifications. To be successful in this fast-paced work environment, candidates should be energetic, organized, capable of handling details effectively, and possess strong interpersonal, communication, and team skills.

Preferred qualifications include a doctoral degree in higher education, student affairs administration, counselor education, or related field and significant experience leading a comprehensive career services operation, including career counseling, experiential education, and employer recruiting services. Demonstrating data-informed decision-making experience to promote continuous improvement and innovation is highly desirable.

About Virginia Tech - Career and Professional Development

Virginia Tech is a public land-grant university, committed to teaching and learning, research, and outreach to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world. Building on its motto of Ut Prosim (that I may serve), Virginia Tech is dedicated to InclusiveVT—serving in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence. We seek candidates who adopt and practice the Principles of Community, which are fundamental to our on-going efforts to increase access and inclusion, and to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members. Virginia Tech actively seeks a broad spectrum of candidates to join our community in preparing leaders for the world. Career and Professional Development is a centralized office of 32 staff dedicated to educating and supporting students as they explore and choose academic majors and career options, obtain and reflect upon career-related experiences, develop professional presence and essential skills for workplace success, and launch post-graduation career plans, including graduate/professional school and employment.

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