Associate Director - Career & Experiential Learning (Engineering)

Vanderbilt; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanderbilt University in Nashville seeks an Associate Director of Career & Experiential Learning for Engineering & Technology to lead pathway-based career support for students across engineering, technology, computing, and data science. The role partners with the School of Engineering and Career Advancement & Engagement to connect academic preparation with professional outcomes.

You will drive career coaching, experiential learning, and industry engagement, helping students progress from

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required.
• Advanced degree in a related field preferred.
• 5–8+ years in engineering, technology, career development, or related field.
• Experience advising, mentoring, or developing students or early-career technical talent.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of career pathways for engineering, technology, computing, data science, and related fields.
• Provide high-level individual and group coaching to students.
• Integrate experiential learning, internships, and projects into career preparation.
• Collaborate with faculty and departments to align curricula with professional outcomes.
• Develop milestone-based programming to progress from exploration to placement.

Skills

Communication

Coaching

Program development

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

CRM systems

Handshake

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Summary

The Associate Director of Career & Experiential Learning for Engineering & Technology leads the development and delivery of pathway-based career and experiential learning support for students pursuing careers across engineering, technology, computing, data science, and related technical fields. Working in close partnership with the School of Engineering and Career Advancement & Engagement, the Associate Director integrates career coaching, experiential learning, faculty and academic engagement, and industry knowledge into a cohesive student experience. The position helps students understand the breadth of career possibilities available to them, develop industry-relevant skills and experiences, and progress intentionally from early exploration through internships and full-time employment. The Associate Director serves as a primary bridge between Career Advancement & Engagement and the School of Engineering, partnering with faculty, academic advisers, departments, alumni, employers, and student organizations to reduce fragmentation and create a more coordinated career-development experience for engineering students. A particular emphasis of the role is integrating career development and experiential learning earlier in the student journey. The Associate Director will help students use projects, research, employer engagement, internships, and other experiences to explore career possibilities, develop professional capabilities, and make informed career decisions well before graduation.

Key Functions and Expected Performance

Engineering & Technology Pathway Development

Lead the development and execution of career pathways supporting students across engineering, technology, computing, data science, and related technical fields. Develop pathway-specific career preparation strategies reflecting the different professional opportunities associated with Vanderbilt's engineering disciplines. Help students understand both traditional engineering careers and emerging opportunities in technology, product development, AI, entrepreneurship, consulting, and other fields employing technical talent. Monitor industry trends, recruiting practices, emerging occupations, and skill requirements and translate these developments into student preparation. Partner with academic departments to clarify career possibilities and strengthen connections between academic preparation and professional outcomes.

Career Coaching & Student Development

Provide high-level individual and group coaching to undergraduate and graduate engineering students. Help students explore career possibilities, articulate interests and goals, and develop intentional plans for gaining relevant experience. Support students in translating technical coursework, research, projects, leadership, and other experiences into compelling professional narratives. Prepare students for technical and behavioral interviewing, networking, recruiting processes, and other industry-specific expectations. Develop milestone-based programming that helps students progress from exploration through experiential learning, internship attainment, and full-time placement. Work particularly closely with students in disciplines where career pathways may be less visible or recruiting pipelines less established.

Experiential Learning Integration

Integrate experiential learning into engineering career development beginning early in the student lifecycle. Partner with faculty, academic programs, employers, alumni, and Career Advancement & Engagement colleagues to connect students with internships, projects, research, employer challenges, hackathons, company visits, and other applied experiences. Help students use experiential learning as a means of testing possible career directions and developing industry-relevant capabilities. Connect existing School of Engineering experiential opportunities to broader career development pathways. Collaborate closely with the Associate Director for Employer & Industry Development to identify student needs that can be addressed through new employer-sponsored experiences.

Faculty, Academic & School of Engineering Partnership

Build strong working relationships with School of Engineering faculty, academic advisers, program leaders, and department leadership. Serve as a Career Advancement & Engagement liaison and embedded partner to the School of Engineering. Partner with departments to identify gaps in student career preparation and develop coordinated solutions rather than duplicative programming. Engage faculty as important members of students' career ecosystems while ensuring they are supported rather than expected to serve as career advisers. Identify opportunities to integrate career exploration, Life Design, employer exposure, and professional development into existing academic and co-curricular experiences.

Employer, Alumni & Ecosystem Alignment

Collaborate closely with the Associate Director for Employer & Industry Development to ensure employer-development priorities reflect student interests and academic strengths. Engage alumni and industry professionals as mentors, speakers, advisers, and sources of career insight. Support employer-facing programs that connect students directly with practitioners and organizations. Help create a connected engineering career ecosystem involving students, faculty, alumni, employers, academic advisers, and Career Advancement & Engagement.

Outcomes & Assessment

Track student engagement, experiential-learning participation, internship attainment, and full-time placement outcomes. Identify gaps in outcomes by engineering discipline, degree level, career pathway, or student population. Use student, faculty, employer, and alumni feedback to continuously improve pathway programming. Monitor emerging career fields and changing skill requirements affecting engineering and technology students. Contribute to assessment and reporting on Engineering & Technology pathway performance and student success.

Supervisory Relationships

This position reports administratively and functionally to the Senior Director of Engineering & Technology Career Pathways and works in close partnership with leadership, faculty, and staff in the School of Engineering. The position collaborates extensively with the Associate Director for Employer & Industry Development, Career Advancement & Engagement colleagues, academic departments, alumni, employers, and other university partners.

Education and Certifications

Bachelor's degree is necessary. Advanced degree in business, engineering, technology, or a related field preferred. Experience and Skills: 5-8+ years of experience in engineering, technology, career development, experiential learning, university-industry engagement, student development, recruiting, or a related field is necessary. Demonstrated understanding of engineering and technology career pathways and the professional opportunities available to technically trained students is necessary. Experience advising, mentoring, teaching, recruiting, or developing students or early-career technical talent is necessary. Demonstrated ability to develop experiential learning or career-development programs is necessary. Ability to build effective relationships with students, faculty, academic leaders, alumni, employers, and university partners is necessary. Strong communication, facilitation, coaching, and program-development skills are necessary. Ability to operate effectively in a complex, highly collaborative environment is necessary.

Preferred Qualifications

Professional experience within engineering, technology, computing, data science, product development, or another technical environment. Experience working with engineering students or technically trained early-career professionals. Familiarity with engineering recruiting, technical interviews, portfolio/project-based hiring, and evolving technology talent practices. Experience developing internships, employer projects, research-to-career programs, or other forms of experiential learning. Familiarity with design thinking, Life Design, or other developmental approaches to career exploration. Experience using AI and emerging technologies in career development, education, engineering, or professional practice. Familiarity with CRM, Handshake, or similar student and employer engagement platforms.

ABOUT US

At Vanderbilt University, our work - regardless of title or role - is in service to an important and noble mission in which every member of our community serves in advancing knowledge and transforming lives on a daily basis. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, on a 330+ acre campus and arboretum dating back to 1873, Vanderbilt is proud to have been named as one of "America's Best Large Employers" as well as a top employer in Tennessee and the Nashville metropolitan area by Forbes for several years running. We welcome those who are interested in learning and growing professionally with an employer that strives to create, foster and sustain opportunities as an employer of choice. Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.