Career Development Manager

Academic Staff | Regular

About the Role

The Career Development Manager serves as a key member of Career & Professional Development and is responsible for leading the planning, implementation, and assessment of employer engagement and professional skills programming that prepares students for career success. This position serves as the primary coordinator for career fairs, mock interviews, networking events, employer panels, classroom engagement opportunities, site visits, and other career readiness initiatives that connect students with employers, alumni, and industry professionals. The Career Development Manager supports student career readiness through career advising, assessment, and strategic outreach efforts, and serves as a liaison to designated academic programs and industry areas.

Responsibilities

• Academic Partnerships
  • Collaborate with faculty and academic departments to embed career readiness and career learning outcomes throughout the student experience.
  • Serve as the primary liaison between Career & Professional Development and assigned academic areas.
  • Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with faculty, instructional staff, advisors, and academic leadership.
  • Participate in departmental meetings, initiatives, and events to integrate career development concepts and career learning outcomes into courses and co-curricular experiences.
  • Support implementation of school-level career milestones and Career Everywhere initiatives.
  • Advise students and recent alumni individually or in groups about career exploration, self-assessment, skills, materials development, and career decisions.
• Career Events & Professional Skills Programming
  • Serve as the primary coordinator and lead manager for employer engagement and professional skills events.
  • Lead the planning, coordination, implementation, and assessment of career fairs, mock interviews, networking socials, employer panels, classroom engagement opportunities, industry meet-ups, site visits, and alumni networking programs.
  • Manage event logistics, timelines, registrations, communications, participant engagement, budgets, assessment activities, and event operations.
  • Supervise and mentor a student employee responsible for supporting event logistics, coordinating mock interview schedules, communicating with students and employers, tracking registrations, and collecting required event documents and materials.
  • Utilize event participation and assessment data to evaluate effectiveness and continuously improve programming.
  • Support evening and occasional weekend programs and events as needed.
• Industry Expertise & Career Pathways
  • Develop industry-specific knowledge, resources, and connections that support student career exploration and success.
  • Serve as the designated career resource for assigned academic majors and industry clusters.
  • Remain current on industry trends, labor market information, employment outlooks, graduate education opportunities, and workforce needs.
  • Build and maintain relationships with alumni, employers, and professionals willing to engage with students through mentoring, networking, informational interviews, job shadowing, and experiential learning opportunities.
  • Identify and maintain a professional network of employers or other stakeholders to facilitate career exploration and employment opportunities for students.
• Student Success & Assessment
  • Advance student career readiness and post-graduation success through assessment, outreach, and data-informed programming.
  • Support achievement of a First Destination Survey knowledge rate of 90% or greater annually.
  • Interpret and communicate career outcomes data to students, faculty, staff, and campus partners.
  • Provide individualized career advising to students regarding career exploration, career readiness, job search strategies, interviewing, networking, internship preparation, and graduate school planning.
  • Facilitate workshops, classroom presentations, group advising sessions, and career development programs.
  • Maintain expertise in employment and continuing education outcomes by major, college, and industry.
  • Maintain accurate student engagement and program records through departmental technologies and systems.
• Technology, Communications & Data Management
  • Utilize technology and communication strategies to increase student engagement and support departmental goals.
  • Utilize Handshake, Navigate, VMock, LinkedIn Learning, and other systems to support student engagement and employer relations.
  • Communicate opportunities, events, and resources through multiple communication channels.
  • Collaborate on marketing and promotional initiatives that increase participation and visibility.
  • Analyze participation, engagement, and outcome data to improve programs and services.

Requirements

• Minimum of two years of experience in higher education.
• Demonstrated ability to present information effectively to large audiences.
• Strong oral, written, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships with students, faculty, employers, alumni, and campus partners.
• Commitment to supporting student success and career readiness.

Preferred Qualifications

• One to three years of professional experience in career development, employer relations, recruiting, or workforce development.
• Demonstrated experience planning and implementing events, workshops, career fairs, or employer engagement initiatives.
• Experience utilizing career technologies such as Handshake, Navigate, VMock, LinkedIn Learning, or related platforms.
• Teaching experience.

Qualifications

• Minimum Degree Required: Bachelor's Degree
• Preferred Degree: Master's Degree

Pay

Starting at $48,000 commensurate with experience.