Associate Director-Coaching & Operations

Reporting to the Director, this role leads the career coaching team that supports students and recent graduates in exploring careers, securing internships and jobs, and accessing virtual and in-person 1:1 and group services. The Associate Director-Coaching Operations provides operational guidance to coaches, shapes student-facing resources, and serves on the center’s executive leadership team.

About the role

This position is based on the UW Seattle campus with eligibility for up to 40% (2 days) telework per week, depending on staff, employer, and student needs. An initial training period will be primarily in-person.

Responsibilities

• Management of Coaching Operations (65%)
  • Personnel: Supervise a team of approximately 4 staff career coaches and oversee 1–4 peer career coaches. Foster a community of practice for shared learning and lead hiring, onboarding, and training.
  • Vision & Direction: Establish and execute the overall vision for coaching operations, determining service offerings based on student need and staff capacity. Adapt coaching services to meet the needs of a diverse student body and evolving labor market.
  • Logistics: Manage scheduling and calendaring for workshops/webinars, delegate workshop requests from campus partners, troubleshoot Handshake’s Appointments module, ensure accurate service recording, and analyze student usage reports. Design and implement assessments of coaching team effectiveness.
  • Resources: Stay current with labor market trends and coaching best practices. Create and update online content (blogs, resources, recordings) and ensure student-facing web pages are discoverable, current, dynamic, and accessible.
• Center Leadership (20%)
  • Collaborate with the center director and associate director to establish vision, create policies, and make funding decisions.
  • Provide thought partnership and critical input during executive leadership discussions.
  • Facilitate collaborations between the coaching team, other office areas, and campus partners.
  • Integrate career concepts into various facets of the undergraduate experience.
• Direct Service (15%)
  • Cover coaching appointments during unexpected absences or peak times, including 15/30-minute sessions on career topics.
  • Facilitate workshops, class talks, panels, and orientations.
  • Contribute to the instruction and management of the Career Exploration & Planning course.
  • Assist with front desk coverage, career fairs, and other center operations as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Four or more years of career coaching experience, preferably in a higher education setting.

Qualifications

• Two or more years of experience supervising staff (strongly preferred).
• Ability to foster an inclusive and psychologically safe work environment.
• Skill in delivering constructive feedback to support individual and team growth.
• Openness to seeking, receiving, and implementing feedback from others.
• Clear, concise, and professional communication in writing and one-to-one settings.
• Experience building collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience facilitating virtual and in-person presentations for adults.
• Proficiency in producing educational content (e.g., webpages, infographics).
• Familiarity with computer applications and online platforms (e.g., MS Office, Zoom, shared cloud storage, databases, Handshake).
• Analytical skills to inform decision-making using staff needs, center data, campus developments, and national trends.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience developing new programs or solutions to meet identified needs.
• Strong planning, time management, and deadline adherence.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and Saturdays.

About the team

The Career & Internship Center at the University of Washington (UW) Seattle Campus supports students from all backgrounds in exploring careers, developing professional skills, securing career-related experiences, and launching post-graduation plans. Learn more about the center’s vision and work at careers.uw.edu/resources/cic-vision-more.

Pay

Annual pay range: $84,000 – $92,004.

Benefits

For information about benefits for this position, visit https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/.