Director

Hampton University; Hampton (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Hampton University seeks a Director for the Career Center to provide strategic leadership and oversee comprehensive career development services for students and alumni. The role drives innovative programs supporting career readiness, internships, experiential learning, graduate school preparation and employment outcomes.

The Director will build partnerships with employers, faculty, alumni and community organizations, align services with the university mission, and manage budgeting and program

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in business, counseling, higher education administration, student services, or related area.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of career development and career services.
• Proven ability to translate ideas into successful career programs and services.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Career Center with strategic direction and long-range planning.
• Cultivate relationships with employers, nonprofits, and government agencies to expand internship and job pipelines.
• Recruit, supervise, and mentor staff and manage the department’s budget.
• Oversee career education, workshops, resume reviews, mock interviews, and job-search seminars.
• Monitor postgraduate outcomes and program effectiveness using data and assessment tools.
• Embed career readiness into curricula through collaboration with academic units and student affairs.
• Represent the Career Center at university events and partner with stakeholders.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Career development knowledge

Program development

Staff supervision

Education

Master’s degree

Job description

Description

The Director for the Career Center provides strategic leadership,oversight, and management of comprehensive career developmentservices for students and alumni. The Director develops innovativeprograms that support career readiness, internships, experientiallearning, graduate school preparation and employment outcomes whilefostering strong partnerships with employers, faculty, alumni andcommunity organizations. The Director ensures that career servicesalign with the institution’s mission, strategic goals, studentsuccess initiatives and workforce development needs. The Directoris responsible for planning, organizing, developing, administering,and budgeting career-related programs and delivery systems.

Examples of Duties

• Shape the vision, goals, and operational metrics of the CareerCenter, ensuring alignment with the university’s broader academicmission.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with corporaterecruiters, non-profits, and government agencies to expandinternship and job placement pipelines.
• Recruit, supervise, and mentor career counselors, employerrelations coordinators, and support staff. Manage the department’soperational budget.
• Oversee the development of career education, self-assessmentworkshops, resume reviews, mock interviews, and job-searchseminars.
• Monitor and evaluate postgraduate outcomes, employment rates, andprogram effectiveness using quantitative and statisticalevidence.
• Partner closely with academic departments, faculty, alumnirelations, and student affairs to seamlessly embed career readinessinto the curriculum.
• Provide career counseling and coaching to students and alumni,particularly in complex or advanced cases.
• Develop and present workshops, classes, and presentations oncareer exploration, internships, job and graduate schoolpreparation.
• Build and sustain strong relationships with alumni, employers,and community partners to expand internship, employment, andexperiential learning opportunities across all majors.
• Oversee on-campus and virtual recruiting initiatives and employerengagement activities.
• Lead and supervise Career Center staff, interns, and studentemployees, including hiring, training, performance evaluation, andprofessional development.
• Develop and manage the Career Center budget, ensuring responsiblestewardship of resources.
• Establish and maintain policies, procedures, and operationalstandards for the Center.
• Oversee the development and delivery of career planning,internship, experiential learning, graduate school, employment, andpost-graduate service programs.
• Ensure high-quality, accessible career resources, includingonline platforms, digital tools, and career managementsystems.
• Collaborate with Academic Affairs to integrate career developmentinto academic programs and curricular initiatives.
• Provide strategic direction and long-range planning for CareerCenter programs, services, and initiatives.
• Establish annual goals and measurable outcomes aligned withinstitutional priorities; evaluate effectiveness using data andassessment tools.
• Prepare and present an annual report summarizing services,outcomes, trends, and areas for improvement.
• Represent the Career Center at University events, committees, andfunctions as appropriate.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

• Earned master’s degree in business, Counseling, Higher EducationAdministration, Student Services, or a related area.
• Minimum of 8 years of effective administrative experience inCareer Services, Higher Education, or related areas.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of career developmentand career services.
• Proven ability to translate ideas and concepts into successfulcareer programs and services.