Executive Director, Career Center

The Position:

Executive Director, Career Center

Job Summary:

The executive director will manage the career services team in serving the professional development of Muhlenberg's undergraduate and graduate students and alumni. The executive director will provide strategic planning for career counseling and programs, create new employer contacts, develop and expand meaningful connections and relationships across industries, and cultivate a strong and vibrant network of relationships with faculty and academic departments as well as with staff, parents and friends of the College. The executive director will utilize relationships to elevate the Career Center on our campus and among liberal arts institutions.

Schedule & Benefits: At Muhlenberg, we value your work/life balance and are pleased to offer this full-time opportunity with the potential for partial remote work. (Generally in office 4-5 days per week during the semester with increased flexibility on breaks and during the summer.) Muhlenberg offers a highly competitive benefits package, including but not limited to, generous holidays (including three days off for Thanksgiving and an extended winter break between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day), vacation (22 days per year), sick leave, paid parental leave, Life Sports Center membership, tuition programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, medical, dental and vision coverage, flexible spending plans, College-provided short-and long-term disability, life insurance, and retirement. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit institution, Muhlenberg is a qualifying employer under the federal government's Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

The College & Surrounding Area: Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is a private, residential, liberal arts college offering baccalaureate and graduate programs. At Muhlenberg, we are committed to a campus community that ensures students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel welcome, respected, valued and included. Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, business, natural sciences and social sciences; as well as pre-professional programs in law, health and theology; and progressive workforce-focused post-baccalaureate certificates and master's degrees. Visiting As part of eastern Pennsylvania's scenic Lehigh Valley, Allentown is a diverse city of 125,000, located just 60 miles north of Philadelphia and 90 miles west of New York City. As the third largest city in the state, and along with neighboring Bethlehem and Easton, the region is home to a vibrant arts scene, extensive parks and recreational opportunities, and a rich blend of diverse cuisine. For more information, visit Life in the Lehigh Valley | Muhlenberg College and check out Allentown here.

Characteristic Duties & Responsibilities:

• Responsible for effective management of the Career Center team, including hiring and orientation, training and professional development, workflow, and performance management.

• Provide leadership, supervision and outcome evaluation for a team of cross-functional staff who develop meaningful career connections for students and alumni through engagement opportunities, experiential learning, mentoring, counseling and programs.

• Ensure implementation of innovative efforts and delivery of exceptional programs and services, such as the Muhlenberg Action Plan (MAP) and the Coaching Program.

• Continue developing a program, including growing the capacity of the staff, to position the College as a resource for alumni involved in a career search or change of career.

• Pursue opportunities for creation of online career services training including, but not limited to webinars and virtual networking.

• Mobilize and coordinate the efforts of an extraordinarily committed alumni base to champion and create programs and opportunities for current students, recent graduates and alumni seeking a change in career.

• Research job market trends and industry information on an ongoing basis.

• Oversee efforts to identify alumni and parents at target employer organizations across key industry verticals to create a network of advocates to champion opportunities.

• Spearhead alumni/parent/employer outreach to build new relationships across a wide range of industries and fields based on student interests to significantly increase the number of diverse employment, internship and experiential opportunities available for students.

• Build effective working relationships with faculty members and all academic departments to ensure a collaborative spirit in regards to working with and mentoring students around careers.

• Maintain strong connection to the Advancement department in building relationships with alumni and parents for the benefit of student professional outcomes.

• Identify technology that enhances and accelerates the networking and connections process between students, alumni and employers.

• Collaborate on the ongoing development of a marketing plan to raise the visibility of the Career Center on campus to students, faculty and staff, and off-campus to alumni and parents.

• Manage Career Center budget; evaluate ROI for all programs, events and initiatives to ensure that expenses align with efforts that provide positive results and support of the College's strategic plan.

• Serve as the face of the Career Center at events on and off campus and in meetings with constituent groups such as the Board of Trustees, Alumni Board, Parents Council, and Board of Associates.

• Serve as an effective spokesperson and representative of Muhlenberg College.

• Perform other duties as assigned in pursuit of the mission of the College.

While no one person may possess all the qualifications listed below, the ideal candidate will have many of the following professional experiences and characteristics:

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in higher education, student personnel, counseling, business administration or related field.

• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in career service, college relations and marketing, or business experience, preferably in the field of placement.

• Entrepreneurial, creative and innovative spirit; comfort with ambiguity and leading change in a fast-paced environment.

• Exceptional organizational, leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills.

• Proven record in leading and developing cohesive teams, managing performance and productivity, and strategic planning.

• Knowledge of trends in career development, technology and higher education.

• Ability to effectively lead and manage multiple priorities, as well as work in a self-directed fashion while serving as a member of a collaborative Advancement team.

• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

• Strong fiscal management and analytical skills; experience with budget planning and implementation; understanding of statistical methods and techniques to produce meaningful reports.

• In-depth knowledge of computer systems, especially fundraising software systems.

• Ability to articulate the role and importance of a small, private, residential, liberal arts college education.

• Demonstrated commitment to best practices in career services as well as the competencies and ethical guidelines developed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

• Successful completion of satisfactory background checks required.

To apply, upload your complete application package as a single PDF document. A complete application package includes: 1) cover letter; 2) resume; 3) separate diversity statement summarizing professional experiences and capacities that prepare you to contribute to our diversity, equity, and inclusion goals; and 4) names/contact information for three professional references. Application review will continue until the position is filled. To initiate your application, use the APPLY button.

An equal opportunity employer, Muhlenberg College is committed to recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty and staff from racial and ethnic groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in higher education. Please visit our Diversity & Inclusion page for additional information about Muhlenberg's commitment to supporting a diverse and inclusive community.

Legal Notice

Muhlenberg College Annual Crime Reporting- As provided by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1998, prospective employees of Muhlenberg College are entitled to request and receive a copy of the College Annual Security Report (ASR). The ASR can be accessed at http://www.muhlenberg.edu/annualsecurityreport . This report includes crime statistics on certain reportable crimes, as well as Muhlenberg College Safety Policies. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus safety and police, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault and other matters. Anyone wishing a paper copy of the ASR may contact the Campus Safety Office at 484-664-3112.