Director, The Smith Institute

Johnson C Smith University Inc; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson C. Smith University Inc in Charlotte, NC seeks a Director for The Smith Institute for Career Services and Career-Connected Learning to lead strategy and student success initiatives.

You will supervise staff, coordinate internships, and drive experiential learning opportunities to support career readiness. The role requires building external partnerships, securing funding through sponsorships, and integrating career exploration into curricula.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred.
• Experience in student services, apprenticeships, internships, and experiential learning.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Commitment to equity in access and student success.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Smith Institute staff and internship/recruitment operations.
• Set strategic goals and assess program outcomes through data.
• Develop corporate engagement strategies and partnerships with employers.
• Coordinate with campus divisions to align career services with institutional goals.
• Track ROI of partnerships and manage internship opportunities for students.
• Collaborate with faculty to embed career development in curricula.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Higher Education Administration/Counseling/Student Personnel Services/Business

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Handshake

Job description

This position is fully in-person (not remote orhybrid)

GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

The Director of The Smith Institute for Career Services andCareer-Connected Learning is responsible for the implementation ofongoing strategic and student success-related initiatives. TheDirector of The Smith Institute for Career Services andCareer-Connected Learning is a vital role in the implementation ofongoing strategic and student success-related initiatives. Thisrole is responsible for the management and coordination of theuniversity's career development and post-graduate opportunities forstudent success. The Director oversees the ways in which theUniversity supports career exploration, preparation, andpostgraduate readiness for all of our students. This includescareer assessment, experiential learning, job search processes,work-study, postgraduation pathways, the graduate schoolapplication process, and registration of credit and non-creditinternships. Additionally, the director is responsible for movingCareer Services toward being not only a student resource but also astrategic revenue and partnership generator.

The Director will work collaboratively across various departmentsand divisions within the University, including Academic Affairs,Student Affairs, Alumni Relations, and Admissions to create acareer development pipeline that facilitates social mobilitythrough equitable access to connections and experiences for allstudents regardless of background or social capital. The directoris responsible for external relations including internal andexternal relations, postgraduate relations supporting internships,job development, and mentoring. The Director is instrumental increating a clear narrative for the institution and its stakeholderon the central function of The Gold(en) Blueprint StrategicObjective and Outcomes. The Director reports to the Senior VicePresident of Strategic Enrollment and Retention Management.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ESSENTIAL JOBFUNCTIONS

• Manages the Smith Institute for Career Services andCareer-Connected Learning, including the supervision of careerstaff, the assistant directors, campus internship and recruitmentmanager, employer relations manager, student workers, andinterns.
• Establish strategic goals for the Smith Institute for CareerServices and Career-Connected Learning, including long-rangeplanning and assessment.
• Collects and analyzes data on career services outcomes,preparing reports to assess program effectiveness and inform futurestrategies.
• Develop and lead a comprehensive corporate engagement strategyto build and strengthen partnerships with local, regional, andnational employers.
• Establish mutually beneficial agreements that expandinternship, co-op, and full-time employment opportunities forstudents while also generating investments in the Universitythrough sponsorships, program funding, and strategicpartnerships.
• Create tiered partnership models (e.g., annual memberships,sponsorship levels, or signature event partnerships) that encouragecorporations to invest in student success initiatives, careerreadiness programming, and experiential learning.
• Collaborate with Advancement, Academic Affairs, and otheruniversity divisions to ensure alignments of corporate engagementactivities with institutional goals and fundraisingpriorities.
• Track, measure, and report the return on investment (ROI) ofcorporate partnerships for both employers and the University.
• Partner with faculty to systematically integrate careerexploration, career development, and preparation for post-graduatelife into academic curricula.
• Work closely with potential employers to secure experientiallearning opportunities, internships, and job opportunities forstudents.
• Collaborate with the Golden Bull Academy and First-Year Programfaculty to integrate career exploration early into students' campusexperiences.
• Works collaboratively with the faculty and other administratorsacross various divisions to assist students and faculty inunderstanding processes and procedures for finding and securingexperiential learning opportunities, including access toHandshake.
• Work closely with academic advising, employer partners, andfaculty to create career pathways from college entrance topost-graduate opportunities.
• Explore ways to incorporate digital badging into the careerdevelopment experience for students.
• Supervise the development and implementation of careerexploration workshops and fairs designed to help students exploreand clarify their career paths and offer internship, work study,and job opportunities.
• Support professional development and learning for SmithInstitute staff.
• Oversees the online posting of internship and student jobopportunities, both on the JCSU website, Student OpportunityCenter, and Handshake.
• Responsible for multiple grants and department budgets,including the allocation of funds, and ensures that expenses areunder budget and reported timely.
• Track and assess programs, functions, and activities in orderto ensure equity in access, enhance services, and contribute toinstitutional assessment and reporting, with special attention paidto the Sr. Exit/First Destination Survey.

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

A Bachelor's degree required, Master’s degree preferred in HigherEducation Administration, Counseling, Student Personnel Services,Business or related area; and experience that equates to anadvanced degree in knowledge of student services, apprenticeships,internships, and other experiential learning activities. Excellentcommunication and interpersonal skills are required. The equivalentcombination of Education and related work experience may beconsidered.