Assistant Director

Department

ESA Deputy Director STEM Programs - Direct Reports

About the Department

Career Advancement serves a student population of approximately 7,000 arts and sciences undergraduate students, in addition to alumni who have graduated within the last five years. Career Advancement plays a vital role in ensuring our students’ success after graduation. Career Advancement offers innovative and comprehensive career development services focusing on pre-professional preparation, experiential education, and access to internship and full-time opportunities. Through career advising, programs, and comprehensive resources, Career Advancement supports undergraduate students and alumni as they develop the skills necessary to manage their career development while working with alumni and employers to provide students with meaningful opportunities. For more information, please visit the Career Advancement website at careeradvancement.uchicago.edu.

Job Summary

The Assistant Director, Career Advancement will provide career advising for undergraduates, plan student career programs, and work with employers to create internship and job opportunities for students. This staff member will support students with a wide range of career interests and provide personalized advising to help students explore career paths, prepare job applications, and find networking contacts. The Assistant Director will manage relationships with a portfolio of employer partners, which could potentially include organizations in the STEM, technology, government, nonprofit, and corporate sectors. The Assistant Director will maintain strong partnerships with existing employers and seek to develop relationships with new organizations, all with a goal of creating jobs, internships, and networking opportunities for students.

In addition, this position will design, plan, and implement a series of student career events. These may include professional development workshops, career trek visits to employers, technical skill trainings, and career competitions. The Assistant Director will plan program content, recruit expert speakers, and market the events to students. This position will also support communications and student outcomes data tracking. These projects will include writing reports, presentations, program newsletters, and promotional materials. The ideal candidate is highly adaptable and thrives in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Utilizes prior professional experience to thoughtfully design programming that supports the professional development of students pursuing careers in the sciences.
• Facilitates cohort-based programs supporting students interested in specific career fields across a wide variety of majors and backgrounds.
• Assists with managing workshops and experiential programs.
• Utilizes first-hand knowledge and skills gained from recent industry experience to successfully counsel and advise students interested in careers in the sciences.
• Manages and executes student-employer and student-alumni engagement opportunities.
• Maintains efficient methods of tracking student data, quantifying student engagement, and reporting on student outcomes.
• Assists students with professional resumes/cover letters, interview preparation, graduate school applications, general career guidance, and industry exploration discussions.
• Develops and maintains relationships with campus partners and registered student organizations (RSOs).
• Advises and counsels students concerning employment opportunities and careers by acting as a liaison between students and prospective employers.
• Conducts mock interviews, reviews resumes and cover letters, and coordinates other interview related programming in both individual and group settings.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Educations:

• Academic degree(s) in a STEM field.

Experience:

• Prior experience working in higher education, recruiting, or a STEM-related field.
• Background working with college-aged students and/or recent college graduates.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Proficiency with tools commonly used in innovation, such as data analysis tools and other industry-relevant technical skills.

Preferred Competencies

• A demonstrated passion for supporting the success of students in their career development.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Demonstrated success in maintaining collaborative relationships with diverse constituencies.
• Strong interpersonal skills, demonstrated initiative, and work both independently and collaboratively, with flexibility and adaptability.
• Deep commitment to customer service, prioritize and balance different work streams, meet deadlines, and work successfully in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong coaching or counseling skills.
• Communicate to large groups as well as one-on-one with students, senior management, faculty, donors, and alumni.

Working Conditions

• Work evenings, occasional additional weeknight and weekend days.
• Travel two to three times per year.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter/Statement of Interest (required)
• Professional References Contact Information (3)(required)

Job Family

Student Affairs & Services

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$72,250.00 - $93,500.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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