Director of Career Education

About Csumb

California State University, Monterey Bay is a mid-sized university in California’s Central Coast that grants undergraduate and graduate degrees. Powered by an inspiring Founding Vision Statement, CSUMB is part of the nation’s largest four-year public university system, California State University, which educates nearly 460,000 students every year. With a vibrant, diverse student body of over 7,000 students, CSU Monterey Bay is both a Minority Serving Institution and a Hispanic Serving Institution. Our staff and faculty transform students’ lives with a focus on student success and engagement through experiential learning, service learning, and a strong emphasis on multicultural and global perspectives. CSUMB’s sustainability goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030. The university’s Strategic Plan prioritizes inclusive excellence through recruiting and investing in developing a diverse body of faculty, staff and administrators. Many appreciate living and working close to the shores of beautiful Monterey Bay, with easy access to recreational areas from Big Sur to Santa Cruz. Nearby opportunities for collaborative research include working in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Silicon Valley, and with colleagues at local research universities, including UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University.

About the role

Under the general direction of the Executive Director of the Center for Experiential Learning and Innovation, the Director of Career Education serves as a strategic leader who advances initiatives to advance career readiness, student career development, internship preparation, and integrated career education initiatives. The Director of Career Education leads career education programming, embedded career success outcomes, career-related instructional design initiatives, and the development of accessible, online career resources that enable students to explore careers, build skills, and take action. The position leads a team of career educators, career coaching professionals, and peer advisors, and collaborates with faculty, academic departments, and campus partners to integrate career readiness into the student experience. The position provides strategic leadership for the design, implementation, and improvement of EAB/Navigate career strategy, including career-related workflows, student engagement campaigns, and an annual campaign calendar that aligns timely outreach, appointment, and events with key student milestones. The Director develops scalable and innovative approaches to career education that support student engagement, persistence, and successful transition to internships, employment, graduate education, and lifelong career development.

Responsibilities

• Leadership & Supervision
  • Lead, supervise, mentor, support, and evaluate the performance of a team of career educators, career coaching staff, and related personnel.
  • Provide strategic leadership for the design, implementation, and improvement of EAB/Navigate career strategy, including career-related workflows, student engagement campaigns, and an annual campaign calendar that aligns timely outreach, appointment, and events with key student milestones.
  • Establish team priorities, performance expectations, accountability measures, and professional development plans.
  • Ensure consistency, quality, and effectiveness in career coaching, workshops, classroom engagement, and student support services.
  • Facilitate ongoing staff training, collaboration, and alignment with institutional career readiness goals and student success priorities.
  • Develop and implement assessment practices, operational procedures, and service standards to support continuous improvement.
  • Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and student-centered team culture.
  • Utilize data, assessment findings, and student feedback to guide strategic planning and program enhancements.
  • Contribute to departmental planning and strategic initiatives.
• Career Success Outcomes & Instructional Design Leadership
  • Lead and participate in the design, implementation, and assessment of embedded career success outcomes across campus.
  • Collaborate with faculty, academic departments, and campus partners to integrate career readiness competencies into curriculum and co-curricular experiences.
  • Develop scalable instructional strategies, assignments, toolkits, online resources, and learning modules that support career readiness and workforce preparation.
  • Design and facilitate career education, workshops, presentations, and instructional content aligned with institutional learning outcomes.
  • Support the implementation of innovative and inclusive career education practices using technology and evidence-based instructional design.
  • Evaluate and refine instructional materials and student learning outcomes using assessment data and best practices.
  • Stay informed on emerging trends in career development, workforce preparation, student engagement, and experiential learning.
• Peer Advisor Training & Supervision
  • Recruit, train, supervise, and mentor student peer advisors, career ambassadors, or related student staff.
  • Develop peer advisor training materials, department-specific onboarding processes, and professional development opportunities.
  • Provide ongoing coaching and support to ensure high-quality peer-to-peer student engagement and service delivery.
  • Assess peer advisor effectiveness and contribute to leadership development opportunities for student employees.
• Career Education & Student Support
  • Support the facilitation of workshops, presentations, classroom sessions, and career programming for students and campus partners.
  • Support career coaching and guidance to students on career exploration, internships, job search strategies, graduate school preparation, and career readiness.
  • Support initiatives that advance equitable access to career development opportunities for diverse student populations.
  • Collaborate with employers, alumni, faculty, and community partners to strengthen career development programming and experiential learning opportunities.
• Perform other job-related duties and special projects as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Knowledge of:
  • Career development theory, student learning and development, employer relations, and career readiness frameworks.
  • Preparing students to apply for and succeed in internships.
  • Employer relations and hiring practices; industry and labor-market trends; how employers evaluate candidates; and how to communicate with employers.
• Skilled In:
  • Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities; working effectively as part of cross-functional teams.
  • EAB Navigate or other student success analytics systems.
  • Using online career development platforms and developing relevant programming for staff and faculty.
• Ability To:
  • Design and deliver engaging educational programming and instructional content.
  • Build partnerships and work effectively with faculty, staff, employers, and students.
  • Lead and motivate teams in a collaborative and evolving environment.
  • Effectively supervise and manage staff performance.
  • Analyze data and implement evidence-based improvements.
  • Foster an inclusive and equitable environment that supports diverse student populations.
  • Work effectively in a multicultural and multilingual environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in counseling, higher education, human resources, or a relevant field.
• Five years of progressively responsible experience in career education, career coaching, higher education student development, or related areas.
• One to three years of staff supervision, team leadership, or program management experience.
• Experience teaching or facilitating career development courses, workshops, presentations, or curriculum-based instruction.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with faculty, academic departments, and campus partners.
• Experience designing or implementing career-related learning outcomes, instructional content, or student success initiatives.
• Knowledge of the student career development lifecycle, including career exploration, experiential learning, career readiness, internship preparation, and transition to employment or graduate education.
• Strong communication, presentation, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and student success.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in counseling, higher education, student affairs, education, organizational leadership, or a related field.
• Experience leading career education initiatives in a college or university setting.
• Familiarity with National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) career readiness competencies and best practices in career education.
• Experience cultivating employer partnerships and developing internship opportunities that support student career development.
• Knowledge of employer engagement strategies, workforce trends, and internship program development.
• Experience with instructional design, learning management systems, online learning tools, or other educational technologies.
• Experience using assessment, program evaluation, data analysis, and reporting tools to support continuous improvement.
• Experience supervising professional staff and student employees in a collaborative environment.
• Working knowledge with Oracle/PeopleSoft, CSU Common Management System or equivalent student information system; Microsoft Office Professional Suite; and Google mail and calendaring programs.

Pay

Anticipated Hiring Salary Range: $8,869 to $9,167 per month (CSU Salary Schedule). The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined on factors such as the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, and CSU systemwide pay for comparable jobs.