Career Connections

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

The Executive Director of Career Connections, housed within the Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs (EMSA), provides leadership, direction, and advocacy for career readiness outcomes for UTC students. In stewarding career development as the centralized career services office, the Executive Director will establish and maintain meaningful partnerships with multiple stakeholders to support students, including faculty, staff, alumni, employers, and community partners. This position is responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive career development programs that align with the university's mission and meet the evolving needs of a diverse student body. In addition, the director is responsible for staff management, fostering employer engagement, maintaining collaborative relationships with key partners, and managing assessment efforts.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Leadership and Collaborative Partnerships

Champion efforts across campus divisions and in the region that increase students': vocational identity exploration and articulation; career preparedness through experiential learning, internship opportunities, and technical skills such as resume writing, interviewing, and managing a job search; ability to connect and communicate the value of their curricular and extracurricular experiences to skills needed for their post-graduation career goals; achievement of full-time employment (degree-required) or graduate school acceptance; collaborate with key stakeholders, including but not limited to: Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Institutional Research, the Walker Center for Teaching and Learning, decentralized student success centers, and Alumni Affairs; cultivate and maintain strategic partnerships with community members and employers to serve the student body; maintain awareness of trends in higher education, career services, and employer relations through membership and active engagement in related state, regional, and national associations.

Administrative & Supervisory Responsibilities

Provides administrative oversight of a team of 5 professional staff members and approximately 6 to 8 undergraduate/graduate student staff; responsible for staff recruitment, retention, development, and evaluation processes; manage and promote student employment platform (Handshake) across campus and community; ensure compliance with related campus and system policies and procedures

Career Services Programming: Delivery & Student Support

Ensure student-facing resources, including career guides, website presence, social media strategy, are available and accurate; provide logistical and operational direction and support of large-scale career events (to include event promotion, logistics, set-up, marketing, etc.); oversee the development and implementation of career development programs, workshops, and events that meet the diverse needs of students, faculty, and alumni; ensure the delivery of high-quality, individualized career counseling and coaching to students at all stages of their academic and professional journey, including the administration/interpretation of vocational interest inventories; implement initiatives to support underrepresented student populations' career development and employment outcomes.

Data Management and Assessment

Build and maintain a data-informed culture through tracking and analyzing key metrics related to career readiness outcomes for students; collaborate with colleagues on understanding data trends and using information to adjust future resources and offerings; prepare reports and presentations for university stakeholders and accreditation agencies as needed.

Fiscal Management and Revenue Generation

Develop annual operating budget and monitor monthly activity in all career services' accounts; identify opportunities for securing additional funding through income revenue, grants, sponsorships, and other revenue streams.

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• Knowledge of contemporary career development theories & career counseling technique

• Knowledge of job/industry trends and career development skills in the higher education landscape

• Excellent verbal and written communication & networking skills, including public presentations to a wide range of audiences
• Ability to utilize and leverage appropriate technology (hardware and software), including administering the campus-wide career services platform and navigating Microsoft Office products

• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with students, alumni, faculty, employers, and the community

• Strong organizational & planning skills and attention to detail

• Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret information and data as a part of the continuous assessment process

• Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills
• Skilled in communication through various modalities, including social media (such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter/X), email, and other student-facing technologies

• Proven skills in building strong partnerships within the business, industrial, and educational communities

Review of applications will begin September 23, 2024 and continue until the position is filled. Applications received by this date will receive priority consideration. In order to be considered for candidacy, applicants must submit a cover letter and resume in addition to the online application.

Minimum Qualifications: Master's degree required; 3 years of professional experience in career services or a closely related area in a higher education setting; 3 years of supervisory experience; demonstrated professional experience in career services-related programming, including experience with employer relations, providing career readiness support to students, and coordinating large-scale events.

Preferred Qualifications: Master's degree or higher in Student Affairs/Higher Education, Human Resources, Counseling or related field; experience with data analysis and assessment methods to measure program effectiveness; evidence of engagement within national and/or regional professional communities related to career readiness and college student development, such as NACE; experience with effective budgeting and fiscal oversight.

The University of Tennessee Chattanooga is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status.