Director of MASAR Career Excellence

Summary Of Functions:

The Director of MASAR Career Excellence serves as the primary liaison between the University, its students and alumni, and potential employers on a local, regional, national, and international scale on matters related to student employability.

S/he supervises and coordinates all programs and activities that provide advice and career assistance to students and maintain long-term partnerships with employers. S/he is responsible for the planning and implementation of a holistic ecosystem so that students and alumni are given opportunities to explore and select career options and acquire work related experiences to maximize career placement prospects.

The Director of MASAR Career Excellence works closely with the Chancellor, Cabinet members, Student Affairs, College Deans and the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs to operationalize collaborative and cross-functional guidance for students and alumni to optimize their career path.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provides strategic and operational leadership and accountability for the University-wide delivery of high quality and high impact advising and professional career services to students and alumni; including career ambition and development, and all other facets of career planning. 
• Leads the development and delivery of careers advising and guidance, business engagement and, student enterprise and incubation, to deliver exceptional graduate outcomes for AU students.
• Ensures culturally responsive and inclusive professional advising and career development that serves historically underserved communities; accountable for flexible service delivery modalities that support access and equitable outcomes. 
• Oversees the planning and delivery of events that prepare students and alumni for employment and provide employment opportunities.
• Drives for excellence and innovation in the latest thinking in career development and entrepreneurial best practice, particularly in relation to its application within a higher education context.
• Develops strong long-term relationships with employers that hire recent graduates. Promote career services' employment-related services to this constituency.
• Develops new contacts with external organizations for the purpose of expanding employment opportunities for students and alumni.
• Manages newly formed, high-profile partnerships which have a direct and tangible impact on the success of our students across their own skills development, our entrepreneurial offer, and our industry connectivity. 
• Designs, develops, implements and maintains a holistic and effective ecosystem for student support on matters related to preparing them to the job market. 
• Evaluates our digital-first approach to networking opportunities and an increased use of self-service digital content for careers advice and guidance through a career’s platform, ensuring it is continuously refined to support our students and graduates in their career ambitions.
• Partners closely with other internal and external stakeholders, including staff and industry leaders to inform the development and design of systems, structures and tools that support consistent and delivery of high-quality services to students, such as: technology platforms, training and development curriculum, peer advisor programming, and assessment/continuous improvement practice. 
• Builds and maintains collaborative and productive partnerships across Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, alumni affairs, development, and IT, in order to integrate the planning and execution of holistic, proactive, and seamless delivery of student services. 
• Ensures staff knowledge of, and institutional compliance with, federal/local/University regulations, policies, bylaws and guidance related to professional advising, career and employment services. 
• Supports the local and international accreditation standards in terms of documentation and reporting. Communicates the impact of potential legal or regulatory changes that impact the University.
• Participates in relevant committees to ensure high-visibility and integration of careers, enterprise and industry with all internal stakeholders – including but not limited to student support, the student union, the academic community.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Master’s degree in counseling, Psychology, Human Resources, Education, Administration or related field. 
• 7+ years of experience of progressively responsible professional experience with University students in the field of professional advising, career services, or consulting capacity within a higher education institution, with experience providing program/project management or coordination. 

Knowledge & Skills:

• Good knowledge of higher education environment, local and international accreditation standards and best practices.
• Strong interpersonal skills to drive engagement internally and externally;
• Strong capabilities of planning, implementing, improving, and evaluating operations, programs, policies and procedures.
• Ability to research and identify potential solutions, resolve problems, and provide information.
• Utilization of data and assessment outcomes for communication and continuing improvement for programs and services.
• Familiar of working with diverse academic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds within an academic institution, including students, faculty and staff.
• Counsel, direct, and facilitate professional development of employees while motivating them toward goal achievement.

Supervision:

Reports to: Chancellor

Subordinates:

• MASAR Career Excellence 
• Career Services Officer