Public Leadership Pathways Architect

Vanderbilt; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanderbilt University seeks an Associate Director of Career & Experiential Learning for Public Leadership to lead pathway development and student engagement in public service careers, including government, policy, advocacy, and civic leadership.

The role integrates advising, employer and alumni engagement, and experiential learning, coordinating with faculty and partners to embed public leadership experiences early in the student journey. Strong collaboration and program management are essential.

Qualifications

• 6-8+ years of experience in public service, policy, higher education, student development, or related fields.
• Experience building partnerships across stakeholders and sectors.
• Strong understanding of public leadership pathways and the range of entry points into them.
• Excellent relationship-building, communication, and program management skills.
• Ability to work across faculty, alumni, employers, and students in a collaborative environment.
• Experience working in or with government, policy organizations, nonprofit leadership, or civic engagement programs is preferred.
• Familiarity with Capitol Hill recruiting, public service internships, or policy-related fellowships is preferred.
• Experience building alumni engagement strategies or experiential learning programs is preferred.
• Familiarity with student career development systems and CRM platforms is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of the Public Leadership pathway.
• Define milestone expectations and career readiness benchmarks for public service roles.
• Serve as the pathway lead for government, policy, advocacy, and civic leadership careers.
• Build a clear and visible strategy for students entering public interest fields.
• Provide pathway-specific coaching for students interested in public leadership careers.
• Support students pursuing both traditional and nontraditional paths into public service.
• Guide students in developing strong applications, interview readiness, and professional narratives.
• Help students understand the range of pathways into policy, government, and related fields.
• Develop internships, treks, speaker events, and project-based opportunities connected to public leadership.
• Support students in identifying experiences that strengthen public service preparation.
• Collaborate with faculty and partners to embed public leadership experiences earlier in the student journey.
• Help students connect academic work to public-facing career outcomes.
• Build and maintain relationships with alumni, employers, and partners in public leadership fields.
• Expand opportunities through Capitol Hill connections, policy organizations, and civic networks.
• Collaborate with university partners to support events, receptions, and networking opportunities.
• Activate alumni as mentors, speakers, and connectors to career pathways.
• Track student engagement, internship participation, and placement outcomes in public leadership fields.
• Assess program impact and pathway growth over time.
• Identify emerging opportunities for expanded public service engagement.
• Report on student access to public leadership experiences and outcomes.

Skills

Public service

Policy experience

Higher education

Student development

Career services

Relationship-building

Communication

Program management

Collaboration

CRM platforms

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Job description

Vanderbilt University seeks an Associate Director of Career & Experiential Learning for Public Leadership to lead pathway development and student engagement in public service careers, including government, policy, advocacy, and civic leadership.

The role integrates advising, employer and alumni engagement, and experiential learning, coordinating with faculty and partners to embed public leadership experiences early in the student journey. Strong collaboration and program management are essential.