AVP Career Innovation and Workforce Pathways

Roanoke College; Salem (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Roanoke College seeks an Assistant Vice President for Workforce Innovation and Career Pathways to lead the college's career ecosystem, alumni engagement, and industry partnerships. You will drive experiential learning, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic partnerships to enhance student success and post-graduate outcomes.

You will report to the Vice President for Enrollment Strategy and Student Success and collaborate with faculty, IT, and external partners to advance workforce readiness

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and significant progressively responsible professional experience in higher education or related field.
• Proven success developing and managing strategic partnerships with employers, community organizations, alumni, government agencies, or other external stakeholders.
• Experience leading complex initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and cross-functional collaboration.
• Strong strategic planning, project management, and organizational skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to analyze data and assess program outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Career Ecosystem Development: develop vision for workforce innovation and experiential learning.
• Career Technology Platform: oversee selection and integration of career tech platforms and related systems.
• Community and Industry Partnerships: cultivate partnerships with regional employers, nonprofits, government agencies, and regional partners.
• Alumni Career Network Development: engage alumni as mentors, advisers, recruiters, internship sponsors, project partners, donors, and advocates.
• Experiential Learning and Career Readiness: expand internships, applied learning, job shadowing, and related experiences.
• Student Success and Outcomes Assessment: set measurable goals and analyze data on engagement and outcomes.
• Student Employment Program Leadership: develop on-campus student employment aligned with career development.
• Collaboration and Institutional Partnership: coordinate with campus departments and lead cross-functional initiatives.

Skills

Higher Education

Strategic Partnerships

Stakeholder Collaboration

Data Analysis

Project Management

Education

Master's degree

Tools

CRM

Career tech platforms

Job description

About Roanoke College

Roanoke College is a place where every student who works hard has the opportunity to succeed. We champion potential, providing essential learning and leadership through innovative academic programs and transformative educational experiences, giving students the mettle, mindset, and empathy to pursue lives of purpose, build meaningful careers, and meet society’s most pressing needs. Located in scenic Salem, Virginia, Roanoke College is an intimate, welcoming community that has served the local region and beyond for nearly 200 years. Now, we’re building on momentum and offering a Roanoke experience for today’s students and a legacy that belongs to every Maroon. Learn about the College's new strategic plan, Imagine Roanoke: A Strategic Plan for Roanoke College and the 21st Century Learner

Roanoke College is a nationally ranked residential liberal arts college affiliated with the Lutheran Church (ELCA), located in the beautiful Roanoke Valley of Virginia. A Phi Beta Kappa institution, Roanoke College is an equal opportunity employer and actively seeks diversity among its faculty, staff, and students; women and members of under-represented groups are especially encouraged to apply.

The Position

The Assistant Vice President for Workforce Innovation and Career Pathways provides strategic leadership for the college's efforts to connect students with meaningful career opportunities through alumni engagement, employer and community partnerships, experiential learning, and innovative technology solutions. The position is responsible for developing and implementing an integrated, technology-enabled career ecosystem that supports student success, persistence, completion, and post-graduation outcomes.

Reporting to the Vice President for Enrollment Strategy and Student Success, the Assistant Vice President leads initiatives that connect students with alumni, employers, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, faculty, and regional partners while advancing career readiness, experiential learning, workforce development, and community engagement. The position serves as a senior institutional representative responsible for cultivating strategic partnerships that strengthen the value of a Roanoke College education and position the College as a leader in workforce innovation and student career preparation.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Career Ecosystem Development

• Develop and execute a comprehensive vision for workforce innovation, career pathways, and experiential learning aligned with the College's strategic priorities.
• Design and implement a technology-enabled career ecosystem that integrates career exploration, mentoring, experiential learning, internships, employer engagement, alumni engagement, and employment opportunities.
• Establish metrics, benchmarks, and assessment practices to measure student participation, engagement, competency development, and career outcomes.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on career readiness, workforce development, and experiential learning initiatives.

Career Technology Platform

• Lead the selection, implementation, integration, and continuous improvement of career technology platforms and related systems.
• Ensure technology solutions support student engagement, employer and alumni participation, mentorship, internship management, skills development, and outcome tracking.
• Collaborate with Information Technology and institutional partners to ensure system effectiveness and sustainability.

Community and Industry Partnerships

• Serve as a senior institutional ambassador and connector to regional employers, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, economic development organizations, and civic leaders.
• Collaborate with the Senior Director for Grants and Strategic Partnerships to develop and maintain mutually beneficial workforce and community partnerships.
• Secure internship placements, applied learning opportunities, community-based projects, workforce initiatives, and employment pathways for students.
• Represent the College in regional workforce-development and economic-development initiatives.

Alumni Career Network Development

• Develop and lead a comprehensive strategy to engage alumni as mentors, advisers, recruiters, internship sponsors, project partners, donors, and advocates.
• Build and sustain regional and industry-based alumni networks that support student success and career advancement.
• Establish goals and performance measures for alumni engagement and assess the impact of alumni participation on student outcomes.
• Partner with Advancement and Alumni Relations to coordinate alumni engagement efforts and maximize participation.

Experiential Learning and Career Readiness

• Lead institution-wide efforts to expand equitable access to experiential learning opportunities, including internships, community-based learning, applied research, project-based learning, job shadowing, and related experiences.
• Collaborate with faculty and academic departments to connect experiential learning with curricular and co-curricular outcomes.
• Promote structured reflection, competency development, and career readiness throughout the student experience.
• Develop and implement initiatives that strengthen student preparedness for employment and graduate education.

Student Success and Outcomes Assessment

• Establish measurable goals related to student engagement, career readiness, experiential learning participation, employer engagement, alumni involvement, and post-graduate success.
• Analyze and report data to demonstrate effectiveness and inform strategic decision-making.
• Utilize assessment results to improve programs, partnerships, student outcomes, and institutional effectiveness.

Student Employment Program Leadership

• Develop innovative approaches to on-campus student employment that integrate career development, mentorship, skill development, and institutional priorities.
• Ensure compliance with federal work-study regulations and applicable employment requirements.
• Collaborate with campus partners to maximize the educational and professional value of student employment experiences.

Collaboration and Institutional Partnership

• Foster strong partnerships across Academic Affairs, Student Success, Enrollment Management, Advancement, Alumni Relations, Information Technology, and other campus departments.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives and working groups in support of workforce innovation and student success objectives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education, Experience, Skills, and Abilities:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and significant progressively responsible professional experience in higher education, workforce development, talent acquisition, business, consulting, technology, economic development, nonprofit leadership, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated success developing and managing strategic partnerships with employers, community organizations, alumni, government agencies, or other external stakeholders.
• Experience leading complex initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and cross-functional collaboration.
• Strong strategic planning, project management, and organizational skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data and assess program outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Higher Education, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Public Administration, Workforce Development, or a related field.
• Experience implementing career development, mentorship, customer relationship management (CRM), or workforce technology platforms.
• Experience developing experiential learning, internship, alumni engagement, workforce development, or community partnership programs.
• Experience working with economic-development organizations, chambers of commerce, employers, public agencies, or regional workforce initiatives.
• Grant development, partnership cultivation, or resource development experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to build relationships and establish credibility with senior leaders, alumni, employers, faculty, staff, students, and community stakeholders.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with demonstrated initiative and innovation.
• Ability to translate institutional priorities into actionable programs and measurable outcomes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Commitment to student success, equitable access, and workforce readiness.