Assistant Director, Career Education and Coaching

Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University; Saint Davids (PA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Eastern University’s Center for Career Development seeks an Assistant Director to provide comprehensive career and professional development services to students and alumni across all schools. The role balances direct coaching with strategic faculty collaboration to embed career competencies in the curriculum, contributing to a thriving campus and virtual career ecosystem.

The position favors strong coaching and presentation skills, plus comfort with technology and multiple platforms, enabling

Qualifications

• Master's degree required.
• 3–5 years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, career development, or related field.
• Experience coaching, advising, or supporting diverse populations.

Responsibilities

• Provide hybrid (in-person and virtual) career coaching to students and alumni.
• Promote internships and experiential learning through campus partnerships.
• Maintain and update online career resources and track interactions in Handshake.
• Deliver workshops and presentations to students and employers.
• Collaborate with faculty to embed career readiness into curricula.
• Supervise student workers and coordinate internship/job referral programs.

Skills

Career coaching

Public speaking

Interpersonal skills

Cultural competency

Adaptability

Team collaboration

Tech literacy

Time management

Education

Master's degree

Tools

Colleague

Brightspace (D2L)

Zoom

Handshake

Big Interview

Parker Dewey

Career Everywhere (uConnect)

NACE Professional Competencies

Job description

Reporting to the Executive Director of the Center for Career Development, the Assistant Director provides comprehensive career and professional development services to Eastern University (EU) students and alumni across all schools and academic levels (undergraduate, adult undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral). This role balances direct student support—including one-on-one coaching, internship procurement, and workshop delivery—with strategic faculty collaboration to embed career competencies directly into the academic curriculum. The Assistant Director acts as a key champion for student success, fostering a thriving career ecosystem both on campus and virtually.

Direct Student & Alumni Support

• Career Coaching: Provide individual, hybrid (in-person and virtual) career coaching to traditional undergraduate, adult undergraduate, graduate students, and alumni (up to two years post-graduation) focusing on goal-setting, resume building, and application strategies.
• Internship & Experience Promotion: Guide students through internship procurement and practical experience pathways, actively supporting departmental internship initiatives.
• Resource Management: Maintain and update robust online career resources tailored to a diverse student body; track and document all student/alumni interactions within the Handshake platform.
• AI Career Readiness: Educate students and alumni on the responsible, ethical and effective use of AI in career exploration, resume and cover letter development, interviewing, networking, and lifelong career management.

Programming, Presentations & Marketing

• Workshop Delivery: Design, promote, and execute dynamic in-person and virtual presentations, webinars, and multimedia content (e.g., YouTube, Zoom) on career readiness. Collaborate with the Employer Relations Coordinator to incorporate employer engagement where applicable.
• Event Management: Plan, market, and execute a full calendar of career activities and networking events to connect students with professional opportunities; partner closely with the Employer Relations to drive robust student and employer engagement for major career fairs.
• Admissions & Campus Events: Represent the Center for Career Development at admissions, student success, career fairs, and university-wide events across various EU locations as required.

Faculty Collaboration & Curriculum Integration

• Academic Partnerships: Collaborate with the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology (CTLT) and faculty to integrate career education and NACE competencies directly into course content.
• Faculty Education: Present regularly at faculty workshops and departmental meetings to advocate for career readiness and build internal partnerships.
• Alumni & Advancement Relations: Partner with the Advancement and Alumni offices to engage alumni for panels, networking events, and internship/job referrals.

Operations, Assessment & Supervision

• Data & Reporting: Collect, analyze, and compile annual first-destination survey data for students into comprehensive institutional reports.
• Technology Management: Identify, onboard, train, and market relevant career services software and platforms to the EU community.
• Program Assessment: Evaluate the effectiveness of workshops and services regularly, utilizing outcomes to drive continuous programmatic improvement.
• Student Personnel Supervision: Manage the Center’s student worker program, overseeing the hiring, training, and performance assessment of undergraduate student workers and graduate assistants.

Institutional Mission

• Embody Eastern University’s core values of caring, compassion, justice, integrity, competence, and affirmation.
• Treat all members of the campus community with fairness, dignity, and respect, fostering unity and harmony in alignment with the university’s mission.
• Complete other duties as assigned.
• Education: Master's degree required.
• Experience: 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, career development, talent acquisition, employer relations, workforce development, student success or related field, including experience coaching, advising, or supporting diverse populations.
• Familiarity Platforms & Frameworks: Knowledge of (or ability to quickly learn) Colleague, Brightspace (D2L), Zoom, Handshake, Big Interview, Parker Dewey, Career Everywhere (uConnect), and NACE's Professional Competencies for Higher Education Career Services Practitioners.
• Mission Alignment: A visible commitment to the Christian faith and the educational mission of Eastern University.
• Interpersonal & Communication Excellence: Proven ability to build rapid rapport, earn trust, and communicate effectively with diverse student populations, faculty, administrators, and employers; strong cultural competency.
• Adaptability & Drive: A welcoming, flexible self-starter capable of managing a high workload and developing new programming in a fast-paced, student-centric environment.
• Presentation & Marketing Savvy: Exceptional public speaking skills with the ability to design, deliver, and market career programs quickly across multiple mediums.
• Technical Proficiency: Tech-savvy with a strong grasp of higher education software, social media, and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word). Demonstrated AI literacy and experiences applying emerging technologies ethically and effectively.
• Scheduling Flexibility: Ability to work select evenings and weekends as needed to support programming and campus events.