Director of Career and Professional Development; Success Coach

Tennessee Wesleyan University; Athens (TN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Tennessee Wesleyan University seeks a Director of Career & Professional Development to lead career readiness initiatives for students across all disciplines. This role delivers comprehensive advising, coaching, and professional development through individual sessions and campus-wide programs.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Student Retention and Success, the director collaborates with faculty to embed career readiness into the curriculum and oversees resources and technologies enabling

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; master's preferred in Higher Education, Counseling, Student Affairs, Human Resources, Business, Communications, Career Development, or a related field.
• 1–3 years of experience in career services, workforce development, student success, higher education, counseling, or a related field.
• Strong interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills.
• Experience developing and facilitating workshops, presentations, or educational programming.
• Preferred experience with career management systems, student engagement technologies, or digital credentialing/badging platforms.

Responsibilities

• Provide individualized career coaching to students.
• Develop and facilitate campus-wide career programming.
• Collaborate with faculty to integrate career readiness into the curriculum.
• Manage career development resources and technologies.
• Foster a campus culture that prioritizes career preparation and student success.
• Support holistic student development as a Student Success Coach.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Presentation skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Career management systems

Student engagement technologies

Digital credentialing/badging platforms

Job description

Position Summary

The Director of Career & Professional Development serves as the institution's primary student-facing career development professional, advancing career readiness and professional preparation for students across all academic disciplines. This grant-funded position delivers comprehensive career advising, coaching, and professional development services that support students from initial career exploration through post-graduation transition.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Student Retention and Success, the Director provides individualized career coaching, develops and facilitates campus-wide career programming, collaborates with faculty to integrate career readiness into the curriculum, and manages key career development resources and technologies. This position plays a critical role in fostering a campus culture where career preparation is recognized as an essential component of student success and degree completion.

The Director also serves as a Student Success Coach, supporting holistic student development and contributing to the institution's retention, engagement, and student success initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; master's degree preferred in Higher Education, Counseling, Student Affairs, Human Resources, Business, Communications, Career Development, or a related field.
• One to three years of experience in career services, workforce development, student success, higher education, counseling, or a related field.
• Strong interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills.
• Experience developing and facilitating workshops, presentations, or educational programming.
• Preferred experience working with career management systems, student engagement technologies, or digital credentialing/badging platforms.