Associate Director, Sustainability Career Advising

Stanford University School of Medicine; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability seeks an Associate Director of Sustainability Career Advising to deliver best‑in‑class career services. You will advise students and alumni, craft market insights, and develop programs in collaboration with Talent Partners and departments across Stanford.

Travel up to 15% to engage with alumni and employers. You will partner with academic units to integrate career development into student programming and help build a strong ecosystem for sustainability

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with relevant experience in sustainability or career services.
• Advanced degree preferred; track record in career advising and education.
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
• Experience building employer networks and partnerships.
• Knowledge of career development resources and self‑assessment tooling.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and operations for programs with significant challenges.
• Evaluate programs, identify issues, and propose improvements.
• Analyze trends to advise and shape program goals.
• Represent the program to internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop outreach strategy to expand internships and employment opportunities.
• Manage budgets, resources, and training needs as needed.
• Oversee staff and coordinate cross-functional teams.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Project management

Relationship building

Data analysis and reporting

Strategic planning

Multitasking / adaptability

AI-driven automation

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree in sustainability

Tools

AI tools for automation

Job description

Job Description

This position has been deemed critical by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Dean’s Office and is exempt from the hiring pause.

Job Description

This position has been deemed critical by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Dean’s Office and is exempt from the hiring pause.

About Us

The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability strives to create a future when humans and nature thrive in concert and in perpetuity.

The school is made up of a three-part structure to drive global impact: Our academic departments and programs educate students and create new knowledge across areas of research that are crucial for advancing the long‑term prosperity of the planet and people; Institutes bridge scholarship at Stanford and beyond, bringing multiple viewpoints to bear on urgent challenges; The Sustainability Accelerator drives new policy and technology solutions through a worldwide network of partners who work with our teams to develop solutions at a global scale.

The school is dedicated to creating and supporting a community with the richness of experience and background needed to create solutions that benefit all people, particularly those most affected by environmental damage and climate change.

For more information on the school, .

The Stanford Doerr Sustainability Career Studio (SCS) delivers career support to Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability students, to recent alumni, and to sustainability-interested Stanford students.

Through 1:1 advising, career workshops, employer and alumni engagement, and career pathway resources, we help students define and pursue fulfilling, high‑impact careers addressing the world’s climate and sustainability challenges and opportunities.

The Sustainability Career Studio partners with students and recent alums to find the work where their interests, skills and experience matter most; build the relationships that open opportunities; and develop the confidence and skills to pursue them.

As part of the Career Studio, the Sustainability Pathways Internship Program connects students with mission-driven organizations offering summer internships.

The Stanford Doerr Sustainability Career Studio builds deep collaborations globally with employers in industry, government and civic organizations to create a strong ecosystem for careers in sustainability.

This is a rare opportunity to build an impactful and enduring career services organization from the ground up.

It calls for an entrepreneurial mindset: the ability to take initiative and ownership, move with flexibility, shape new programs, and create new relationships and infrastructure where none existed before.

We invite you to join our mission to inspire and enable students to pursue careers in sustainability.

The Sustainability Career Studio seeks an Associate Director, Sustainability Career Advising to support our students and our most recent alums. This person will deliver best-in-class career services through career advising, career education, content development to inform career pathways, job and market insights and strategic program planning in collaboration with other team members and departments we support. In addition, this position will work with Talent Partners to develop partnerships with alumni and hiring organizations, understand their talent needs and position them for successful recruiting. This position will report to the Founding Director of the Sustainability Career Studio. It requires 15% travel to meet alums, attend events and represent the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability in key forums.

Primary Responsibilities Include

• Serve as a trusted career advisor to students and recent alumni interested in sustainability, building strong relationships and partnering with them throughout their career journey.
• Manage and contribute to the development and execution of a global employer outreach strategy to build a strong careers-in-sustainability ecosystem by cultivating relationships with alumni and external organizations, and coordinating communications to expand internship and employment opportunities for students and alumni. Cultivate students' relationship with the alumni network throughout their career journey, encouraging them to become a future source of mentorship and support for current students.
• Work closely with the Career Studio’s Talent Partners to co‑develop insights into market trends and employer needs and expectations. Share insight with students through advising and career education.
• Develop and nurture relationships with Stanford’s sustainability-related network of faculty, staff, institutes and research centers to connect students with available resources and to align and leverage efforts.
• Design and deliver high‑impact in‑person and virtual career programs for students and alumni, including operational oversight of programs such as, Peer Coaching and Alumni Career Expert programs. Deliver career education programming to facilitate self‑reflection and self‑awareness, provide exposure to sector/function career pathways, and build the practical skills to search effectively - positioning, job‑search strategy, market insight, interview prep, and networking and communication. Evaluate outcomes and operations, identify gaps, and implement updates to programs, policies, and processes.
• Work closely with student clubs and alumni groups supporting them with career education, networking opportunities and employer events. Maintain a finger‑on‑the‑pulse on student interests, sentiment and priorities.
• Develop and maintain content related to job search competencies (e.g. networking) and select career pathways to help students explore industries, job functions and organizational types relevant to assigned sustainability solution areas. This includes career guides, presentations, and online content.
• Work in collaboration with Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability’s academic departments and programs to integrate career development into existing student programming. Collaborate with Stanford CareerEd in the development and delivery of career education.
• Collect, manage and analyze student, employer and alumni data to understand career needs, optimize engagement, define career pathways and identify career service gaps and opportunities.
• Contribute to the development of the Sustainability Career Studio brand identity - its purpose, perception, personality, position, and promotion

In addition to the minimum qualifications listed below, our preferred requirements include:

• Advanced degree in a sustainability field or related field
• Passion for taking care of the planet and life on it
• Eight or more (8+) years of progressive professional experience with impact in sustainability
• Co‑Active or similar coach training or equivalent experience
• Knowledge of career development resources, including self‑assessment, networking, resumes, cover letters, interviews, offer evaluation, and negotiation strongly preferred
• Experience with and/or knowledge of sustainability‑related job functions relevant for our student population
• Exceptional interpersonal and verbal communication skills, including confidence in engaging with students, alumni and external and internal stakeholders
• Entrepreneurial mindset, with demonstrated ability to take initiative and ownership across a broad range of projects
• Demonstrated expertise in career management ideally within a higher education setting
• Exceptional presentation skills, including both development of high quality visual presentations and verbal presentation and facilitation skills.
• High level of attention to detail and follow‑through with the ability to multitask, meet deadlines, and work successfully in a fast‑paced environment
• Demonstrated ability to maintain accurate, up‑to‑date relationship management records
• Experience with data analysis, reporting, and survey tools to develop insights
• Experience using AI to automate repetitive tasks, generate insights and content
• Ability to own projects from start‑to‑finish, defining and executing new or improved business processes
• Ability to manage differing interests of stakeholders and foster collaborative relationships
• Embrace of innovation and creativity: Experiment with new ways of thinking about how to best connect talent with opportunity and serve our students’ career needs
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams and competing priorities in a fast‑paced environment
• Willingness to contribute to a team culture of psychological safety, collaboration, creativity, commitment to excellence and fun

Working Conditions

This position requires 15% travel to meet alums, attend events and represent the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability in key forums.

This position requires 15% travel to meet alums, attend events and represent the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability in key forums.

The expected pay range for this position is

$120,000 to $155,000 per annum.

Responsibilities

Core Duties

• Lead the planning and operations for programs or functions that have significant business, regulatory and/or technical challenges requiring subject matter expertise.
• Evaluate programs or functions, policies and procedures. Identify issues, and develop alternative solutions which may include changes to programs, policies and procedures.
• Review and analyze trends to advise and develop recommendations to achieve or modify the goals of the program or function.
• Represent the program or function within the department, unit or school. Commit resources and provide information and/or training. Represent the program or function at the university level and/or to external/internal stakeholders and constituencies.
• Manage and contribute to the development of outreach strategy that may include relationship development, communications and compliance.
• May develop and/or oversee budgets; manage finances including monitoring, analyzing, forecasting, and reporting.
• Assess training needs and may develop associated training.
• May direct and/or supervise staff.

Minimum Education And Experience

Bachelor’s degree and five years of relevant experience, or combination of education and relevant experience.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to establish priorities, manage shifting priorities, and handle numerous time‑sensitive projects with multiple deadlines.
• Ability to accomplish goals working through formal and informal channels, with diplomacy and tactfulness.
• Demonstrated creativity, problem solving, critical analysis, initiative, judgment and, decision‑making skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and meet budget goals.
• Demonstrated solid planning and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated experience working independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
• Strong relevant subject matter knowledge.
• Ability to direct the work of others, for jobs requiring supervision.