Assistant Director of Career Development

University of Massachusetts Amherst; Amherst (MA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Massachusetts Amherst is seeking an Assistant Director of Career Development in the Dean - Engineering to provide career advising and placement support for Riccio College of Engineering students pursuing internships and professional roles. The role develops programs and workshops and builds relationships with employers across industries.

The position requires strong advising and organizational skills, collaborative work, and the ability to guide students in targeted job searches

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in a related field with professional experience in career development or advising
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with diverse populations
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and maintain accurate records

Responsibilities

• Develops advising programs and learning tools for focused career searches.
• Researches industry hiring trends and shares findings with students and faculty.
• Partners with industry segments and professional organizations for programming.
• Reviews resumes, conducts practice interviews, and helps students target employers by industry.
• Leads in teaching career development skills and job search strategies.
• Identifies employers to expand internship and employment opportunities for engineering students.

Skills

Career advising

Resumes/interview coaching

Relationship management

Public speaking

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in education, counseling, engineering, or related field

Master's degree in education, counseling, engineering, or related field

Tools

Outlook/Calendar

Word processing (MS/Google Docs)

Spreadsheets (Excel/Sheets)

OneDrive/Drive

Job description

Title: Assistant Director of Career Development

Executive Area: Academic Affairs

College/School/MBU: Engineering

Department: Dean - Engineering

Work Location: Amherst

Schedule: Full Time

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Job Summary

The Assistant Director performs career advising and placement duties with Riccio College of Engineering students seeking professional-level internships and/or permanent placement career outcomes, in a wide variety of corporate and non-profit organizations.

Essential Functions

• Develops effective advising programs and learning tools for focused career searches, deploying these programs in one-on-one and workshop/small group settings. Maintains and distributes information regarding current employer placement opportunities.
• Researches key industry hiring trends and opportunities and provides information to students, and upon request, to faculty and administration.
• Partners with targeted industry segments and professional organizations in planning and delivering career-related activities or programming.
• Supports student preparation for job search by reviewing student resumes, conducting practice interviews, and helping students learn to target potential employers by industry.
• Facilitates individual career development skills including self-assessment, business correspondence, professional networking, business etiquette, interviewing, negotiations, and other professional skills.
• Counsels students to develop, refine, and implement an appropriate and realistic job search strategy for different industry segments.
• Identifies targeted employers to market Riccio College of Engineering as an institution of choice for recruitment with the goal of increasing the number of employment and internship opportunities available for our students.
• Utilizes interpersonal skills to source job/internship leads from social media, professional associations, alumni, and professional job boards.

Other Functions

• Participates in, supports, and delivers Career Development & Experiential Learning Center programs, workshops, job search advising activities, and college-wide events, upon request.
• Performs related duties as assigned or required to meet College, Executive Area/Division, and University goals and objectives.
• Understands responsibilities with respect to Title IX, Clery, and other compliance requirements.
• Works collaboratively with other campus stakeholders to fulfill the mission of Student Affairs and Campus Life.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (preferably in education, counseling, engineering, or related field) and two (2) years of related professional experience; OR a Master's degree in education, counseling, engineering, or related field.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact effectively, and create and maintain harmonious relationships with a diverse population of staff, faculty, students, and outside constituents.
• Demonstrates capacity, skill, and willingness to engage students and contribute to student success.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong presentation skills.
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to independently prioritize work and handle multiple tasks. Ability to maintain accurate and detailed records. Must have the ability to stay on task and work productively with a minimal amount of supervision or guidance.
• Ability to work both independently and to be part of an effective team with a highly cooperative and collaborative work style.

Strong Computer Skills Including At Least Intermediate Expertise With

• Email
• Calendar systems such as Outlook or Google
• Word processing software such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs
• Spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets
• Electronic filing and sharing systems such as OneDrive or Google Drive
• Ability and willingness to travel, on an infrequent basis, to and attend off-campus meetings in MA and surrounding states.
• Ability and willingness to work occasional nights and weekends as required for events and initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated understanding of employment market trends and the ability to develop tactics to expand employment opportunities for students.

Additional Details

Reports to the Director of Career Development & Experiential Learning Center.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in a standard office or indoor university environment and involves minimal physical exertion.

Work Schedule and Work Arrangement

Monday - Friday within standard working hours.

This is a 43-week position.

This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position falls within the Professional Staff Union, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the Professional Staff Union collective bargaining agreement.

Salary Information

Pay Grade: PSSAP Grade 26