Associate Director of Career Services

Point Loma Nazarene University; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 72,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, tuition benefits

Competitive retirement matching

15 paid holidays

Job summary

Point Loma Nazarene University is seeking a strategic and collaborative Associate Director of Career Services to enhance career readiness for students. This full-time role emphasizes partnership development and aligning initiatives with workforce trends.

The successful candidate will have a Master's degree, relevant experience, and strong communication skills. This position offers a salary range of $72,000–$75,000 along with comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of experience in career services or related areas.
• Ability to lead projects and implement strategic initiatives.
• Experience with career services technologies.

Responsibilities

• Support PLNU’s Career Ecosystem strategy.
• Develop employer and strategic partnership strategy.
• Implement career advising programs and workshops.

Skills

Student career development

Employer engagement

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

Master's degree in relevant field

Tools

Career services technologies

CRM systems

Job description

Benefits: We provide health, dental, tuition benefits for employees and dependents, competitive retirement matching, vacation and sick time, and 15 paid holidays per year. In addition, we offer staff chapel and a robust wellness program.

Job Summary

PLNU is seeking a strategic and collaborative Associate Director of Career Services to help advance the university’s Career Ecosystem strategy and strengthen career readiness outcomes for undergraduate and graduate students. This full‑time position offers a salary range of $72,000–$75,000, and includes benefits described above.

What We’re Looking For

• Passion for student career development, workforce readiness, and creating meaningful post‑graduate pathways
• Experience building and maintaining strategic partnerships with employers, alumni, faculty, and community organizations
• Strong understanding of career development, employer engagement, workforce trends, and experiential learning practices
• Ability to lead projects, implement strategic initiatives, and support scalable student engagement efforts
• Excellent relationship‑building and communication skills with the ability to collaborate across diverse stakeholder groups
• Strong analytical and organizational skills; experience using data to support decision‑making and continuous improvement
• Experience utilizing career services technologies, CRM systems, and workforce‑related platforms
• Ability to think strategically while also supporting operational execution and student engagement efforts
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to mentor and support professional staff and student employees
• Knowledge and experience working with a diverse population (preferred)

What You’ll Be Doing

• Support implementation and expansion of PLNU’s Career Ecosystem strategy across undergraduate and graduate programs
• Develop and implement a comprehensive employer and strategic partnership strategy
• Develop and strengthen employer, alumni, and industry partnerships that create career‑connected learning opportunities for students
• Collaborate with faculty, academic departments, Student Affairs, Advancement, and campus partners to align career readiness initiatives with workforce trends and institutional priorities
• Serve as a liaison between PLNU and industry partners to support experiential learning, internships, mentorship, and employment pathways
• Support employer‑facing events, networking opportunities, industry panels, and recruitment initiatives
• Assist in integrating career education and labor market trends into academic and co‑curricular student experiences across multiple modalities
• Develop and support career advising programs, workshops, presentations, and student engagement initiatives
• Lead initiatives that increase student awareness, participation, and engagement with Career Services resources and programming
• Develop systems and processes for tracking employer engagement, student participation, and career outcomes data
• Utilize assessment and reporting practices to evaluate program effectiveness and support strategic planning efforts
• Support optimization of career technologies and employer relationship management systems including Career Forge, Indeed, and related platforms
• Assist the Director of Career Services with strategic planning, operational management, and implementation of departmental initiatives
• Provide mentorship, training, and support to professional staff and student employees
• Contribute to the development of operational systems, communication strategies, policies, and procedures that support departmental effectiveness and scalability
• Perform additional duties and projects in support of departmental and university priorities

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, Counseling, Business, Human Resources, Student Affairs, or a related field
• Minimum of 4–6 years of progressive professional experience in career services, employer relations, workforce development, student success, experiential education, or related areas
• Demonstrated experience developing strategic partnerships and collaborating with diverse stakeholders including faculty, employers, alumni, and university leadership
• Experience leading strategic initiatives, managing projects, and implementing scalable programs or systems
• Strong understanding of career development, workforce trends, employer engagement, and student career readiness
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem‑solving abilities with experience using data to inform strategy and decision‑making
• Experience with career services technologies and platforms such as Handshake, Career Forge, CRM systems, or related tools
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, access, student success, and inclusive excellence
• Evidence of Christian commitment and active church involvement; staff agree to live in agreement with PLNU’s Community Life Covenant
• The job offer is contingent on the successful completion of a background check

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience implementing or supporting a Career Ecosystem model within higher education
• Experience supervising and developing professional staff
• Experience managing budgets, contracts, and operational systems
• Familiarity with accreditation, workforce alignment initiatives, and career outcomes reporting
• Experience developing employer engagement strategies that scale across multiple academic disciplines

Physical Requirements

• Primarily sedentary; may require sitting for extended periods
• Use of computer equipment: keyboard, mouse, monitor
• Ability to read documents, email, and other correspondence, and reports on paper and computer monitor
• Ability to communicate effectively with others in person and by phone
• Ability to stand, stoop, push, pull, and lift up to 10 lbs
• Position operates in a hybrid environment and may require occasional evening or weekend work
• Occasional travel to employer or partnership sites and participation in university events may be required

Point Loma Nazarene University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures.

In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Act, PLNU’s current annual crime statistics are available at the PLNU Annual Security Report.

E‑Verify: Right to work in the United States. All employees of PLNU are required to provide proof of lawful admission.

For current employees, please log in to Workday and browse jobs to apply through the internal posting system.

Posted by Point Loma Nazarene University.