Director, Career Center - 140218

Reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Retention and Success, the Director of the Career Center provides strategic leadership, vision, and operational oversight for a complex, campus-wide career services organization serving undergraduate students, graduate and professional students, recent alumni, and campus partners.

The Director leads a comprehensive portfolio that includes career education, advising, employer and industry engagement, graduate and professional school preparation, experiential learning connections, career readiness programming, career outcomes assessment, and technology-enabled service delivery. The incumbent is responsible for setting strategy, leading organizational change, allocating resources, supervising professional and managerial staff, and ensuring the Career Center delivers inclusive, high-impact, and data-informed services that advance student success and equitable outcomes.

This position serves as a campus leader and collaborative partner in designing and implementing transformational student success strategies that integrate curricular and co-curricular learning, strengthen student engagement and belonging, and prepare students for lifelong career development and meaningful post-graduate pathways. The Director builds strong relationships with academic divisions, colleges, faculty, student support units, employers, alumni, graduate and professional schools, and community and industry partners to expand access to opportunity and improve student and alumni outcomes.

The Director exercises a high degree of independent judgment in managing a multifaceted unit, including policy and program development, strategic planning, assessment, budget oversight, staff leadership, change management, partnership development, and continuous improvement.

~A cover letter is required for a complete application.

• Advanced degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.

• Ability to design and oversee comprehensive career development programs and services for students and recent alumni, including career readiness, advising/coaching, employer engagement, and post-graduate preparation.

• Advanced knowledge of career development theories, adult development theory, counseling processes, career decision making, learning styles, and job search techniques.

• Strong knowledge of needs assessment theory, processes, and practice, workshop and program design. Advanced knowledge of student development and equitable student support practices, and the ability to apply them in a highly diverse higher education environment.

• Advanced knowledge of UC programs, career services, employer, alumni, and faculty needs and expectations, recruiting and staffing methods, and employment trends. Demonstrated ability to lead a complex career services or student success organization, including strategic planning, program development, operations, and continuous improvement.

• Well developed management skills to lead a large professional and administrative staff.

• Strong ability to design and modify computer applications and to meet program needs, problem identification, presentation skills, verbal communication, written communication, organizational skills, leadership skills, and program development skills. Knowledge of technology platforms and digital tools relevant to career services and student engagement, including student-facing systems, virtual service delivery, data systems, and communication tools.

• Strong partnership-building and relationship management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across academic affairs, student affairs, employers, alumni, faculty, graduate/professional schools, and community partners.

• Knowledge of state and national labor markets and marketplace trends. Ability to translate those trends into relevant student programming and institutional strategy.

• Demonstrated ability to use assessment, outcomes data, and evidence-based decision-making to evaluate effectiveness, identify equity gaps, and improve services and student outcomes.

• Strong budget and resource management skills, including planning, forecasting, prioritization, stewardship, and operational decision-making.

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with diverse internal and external audiences and represent the unit with credibility and professionalism.

• A cover letter is required for a complete application.

• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on Background Check results.

• Must be willing and able to travel.

• Will be required to hold valid driver's license and have a driving record that is in accordance with local policies/procedures.