Director of Career and Workforce Development

Summary

The Director of Career & Workforce Development is responsible for cultivating a culture of wholistic development for all students at Avila University. The Director will be responsible for strategically advancing and developing relationships through collaborative efforts with local, national, and global organizations and agencies, faculty and staff, alumni, and others that will directly impact every student at Avila University.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with faculty to integrate experiential learning opportunities and career-related coursework into the curriculum.
• Assess current curricula and provide recommendations to the various schools for infusion of career readiness knowledge and skills of the 21st century workforce
• Assist the staff that coordinate First Year Seminar in infusing career and workforce development into the course work
• In conjunction with the academic colleges, create career-focused communities that assist in developing students’ networks
• Student-Focused
• Focus all efforts on creating opportunities that are preparing students for post-college skills needed to be successful in their field
• Present in both academic and student life settings to build relationship with students and campus partners
• Present on various career and workforce development topics to students (e.g., resume-building, constructing a cover letter, etc.) and host career readiness events in-person on campus and virtually (e.g., mock interviews, career fairs, etc.)
• Serve as a resource in responding to needs for part-time, internship/practicum, and long-term employment opportunities
• Develop a track of programming designed for students who are unsure of their future career goals
• Compile online career development resources including, but not limited to, workshops, employer seminars, videos, how-to articles, and employer opportunity links
• Provide 1-on-1 individual student coaching based on career and workforce development
• Collaborate with Avila personnel to align career development initiatives with service learning, enhancing students' skills and career readiness through meaningful service experiences
• Partner with Avila personnel to actively develop and implement activities related to service learning, promoting inclusion and understanding while guiding students to connect their career aspirations with serving others.
• Employer-Focused
• Strategically identify and build relationships with regional, state, national, and international employers for recruitment of university students and alumni and increasing career readiness
• Partner with external partners to evaluate Avila students’ skill gaps after programming (e.g., Career Fairs) and employment opportunities (e.g., part-time employment, internships, etc.) and address trends
• General
• Guide and facilitate faculty and staff in identifying the intersection of academics, career exploration and readiness, and student life, and actively develop programming for related activities. Liaise with admissions, faculty, athletics, housing, international student services, and alumni relations to ensure students are being best supported in their career development
• Partner with the Associate Director of Student Life, or related personnel, to infuse service-based opportunities into the career and workforce development experience
• Formulate strategies for achieving greater participation rates for those students who underuse available career resources
• Assessment & Evaluation
• Manage alumni surveys and collect and manage institutional job placement and outcomes, tracking and reporting job-related information to internal and external audiences (e.g., First Destination Survey)
• Gather, track, and evaluate data related to content effectiveness, number of participants, etc.
• Understand student population needs and trends, and evaluate existing models for career coaching, programming and access to employment opportunities
• Solicit and analyze student feedback and evaluations and strategize with academic and student affairs staff to determine program offerings and new innovative opportunities
• Collaborate with university personnel to ensure reporting compliance related to institutional outcomes as well as program-level assessment initiatives
  
  

Qualifications

• Master's Degree required in education, counseling, student affairs, or a related field.
• Three (3) years of experience in higher education, government, non-profit, or corporate settings.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of applicable laws and regulations related to student affairs and higher education.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups of students, faculty, staff, and external partners.
• Demonstrated commitment to student development, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Proficiency in using relevant technology and software for managing student services and data.
• Multilingual skills highly preferred.
• Ability to contribute to a climate that supports a diverse student body, serves first-generation college students, multilingual learners, and contributions to equity and social justice through their work.
  
  

Successful candidates should be committed to contributing to a climate that supports a diverse student body, serves first-generation college students, multilingual learners, and contributions to equity and social justice through their work.

Benefits

This is a full-time position, eligible for the usual and customary benefits. Avila University’s comprehensive benefit package includes a generous holiday schedule, tuition remission for employee and dependents, vacation and sick leave, retirement benefits and health insurance.

The Community

Kansas City, a two-state metropolitan area with a population of nearly two million, offers a wide variety of cultural, educational and social life opportunities. Avila University, a Catholic university founded and inspired by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, provides undergraduate and graduate education in the liberal arts and professional studies, preparing lifelong learners who make meaningful contributions to the global community.

Additional Employment Information

Avila University is committed to equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate on the basis of, sex, race, religion, age, color, sexual orientation, disability, national or ethnic origin, marital status, veteran's status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.

You must be at least 18 years of age to be employed by Avila University.

All new employees will be required to complete an "Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9)” and produce requested documentation after employment.

In compliance with the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, the university's annual security and crime statistics report is available at https://www.avila.edu/campus-resources/campus-safety. A copy of this report is available upon request from the Campus Safety Office in the Whitfield building any weekday between 8am and 5pm.

Avila University requires the successful completion of a background check as a condition of employment.