Strategic Director, Career Services & Workforce Readiness

Paycom - ATS; North Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Charleston Southern University seeks an Executive Director for Career Services to provide strategic leadership and administrative oversight of career development, employer engagement, and workforce readiness initiatives.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Student Engagement, you will supervise staff, manage budgets, and develop a comprehensive strategic plan that advances experiential learning, partnerships with employers, and student success.

Qualifications

• Seven to ten years of progressive experience in career services, student affairs, workforce development, higher education administration, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience providing strategic leadership and managing complex programs, initiatives, or departments.
• Experience supervising and developing professional staff.

Responsibilities

• Provide visionary leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for all Career Services programs, services, technologies, and initiatives.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategic plan that advances career readiness, experiential learning, employer engagement, and post-graduation success.
• Supervise, mentor, develop, and evaluate Career Services staff while fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and student-centered service.
• Manage departmental budgets, resource allocation, assessment plans, and annual goals to ensure alignment with university priorities.
• Ensure compliance with university policies and applicable federal, state, and professional standards.
• Represent Career Services on university committees and serve as the university's chief advocate for career development and workforce preparation.
• Lead the university's employer engagement strategy by cultivating partnerships with employers, industry leaders, graduate and professional schools, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Partner with the Internship Coordinator to expand opportunities for internships, experiential learning, mentorships, cooperative education, and employment pathways for students and alumni.
• Oversee employer recruiting initiatives, including career fairs, networking events, employer information sessions, on-campus interviews, and graduate/professional school programs.
• Collaborate with academic leadership and faculty to integrate career readiness competencies throughout the curriculum and co-curricular student experience.
• Partner with colleges, academic departments, and campus stakeholders to develop discipline-specific career pathways, internship opportunities, and workforce development initiatives.
• Promote campus-wide adoption of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Readiness Competencies.
• Collaborate with Student Success, Academic Affairs, Alumni Relations, Advancement, Enrollment Management, Athletics, Residence Life, and Student Engagement to embed career readiness across the student lifecycle.
• Provide leadership for institutional assessment strategies related to career readiness, student engagement, internship participation, first-destination outcomes, graduate school placement, and employment outcomes.
• Utilize data analytics and assessment results to improve services, demonstrate effectiveness, support accreditation efforts, and inform strategic decision-making.
• Prepare and present annual reports, performance metrics, and outcomes data to university leadership and external stakeholders.
• Provide executive oversight of career technologies and career outcomes reporting systems to ensure effective utilization and continuous improvement.
• Identify and pursue grants, sponsorships, philanthropic support, and external funding opportunities that advance Career Services initiatives.
• Provide institutional oversight and partnership support for the Federal Off-Campus Work Study Program.
• Remain informed of workforce trends, labor market developments, and emerging best practices in higher education career services to ensure continued innovation and relevance.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Budgeting

Data analytics

Employer relations

Staff supervision

Communication

Partnership development

Organizational skills

Collaboration

Project management

Education

Master's degree in Higher Education Administration

Tools

HRIS systems

Assessment software

Job description

Charleston Southern University seeks an Executive Director for Career Services to provide strategic leadership and administrative oversight of career development, employer engagement, and workforce readiness initiatives.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Student Engagement, you will supervise staff, manage budgets, and develop a comprehensive strategic plan that advances experiential learning, partnerships with employers, and student success.