Sector Director - Technology, Career Management Center, Fuqua School of Business

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Sector Director, Technology
Level 15
Career Management Center

POSITION SUMMARY

BE YOU

Each Sector Director (SD) envisions, builds, and strengthens career support broadly within the Fuqua community and specifically for Daytime MBA students interested in the assigned sector. Working in collaboration with and for the benefit of diverse stakeholders, the incumbent serves as the primary owner and strategist toward dual objectives:

1. Student Support and Program Development: Develop a robust portfolio of sector-specific activities, including student coaching, development of resources/toolkits, and sector-focused career and industry education and job search preparation programs that prepare students to succeed in the competitive MBA job market and global workplace.
2. Employer Development: Develop partnerships with hiring organizations and provide direct and indirect channels for recruitment and engagement opportunities with students. Position employers for success by advising them on best practices in recruiting, hiring, and developing MBA talent.

Reporting to the Assistant Dean for Daytime MBA Career Services, the Sector Director, Technology (level 15) operates within a matrixed departmental environment and collaborates with other departments and groups within Fuqua and Duke, especially those most closely connected to the assigned sector. While the configuration of sectors may evolve with changes in student career interests and/or the MBA job market, there is currently one sector director for each of the following:

1. Consulting
2. Consumer Goods and Brand Management
3. Energy
4. Finance
5. Healthcare
6. International (primary) and Manufacturing (secondary)
7. Social Impact and Sustainability
8. Sports, Entertainment, Media, and Hospitality
9. Technology

RESPONSIBILITIES

Student engagement and program development

• Coach current students and recent graduates seeking internships and full-time positions, with a particular focus on Daytime MBAs pursuing roles in the assigned sector. Vary approach according to the assessed needs and concerns of each individual. Share insights from ongoing communication with employers to educate students about sector hiring requirements, specific organizations, and job market trends.
• Partner with aligned professional student club(s) in one’s sector. Set and manage expectations of student groups despite having no formal supervisory responsibility. Integrate club, corporate, and CMC activities and key messages to ensure student needs are met consistently without duplication of efforts. Serve as a guide and resource for planning engagement events such as Week-in-Cities trips and identifying speakers/panelists for professional events, including conferences and workshops. 
• Identify sector-relevant career resources, develop resources where ones do not exist, and work to make those resources available to our students.
• As a member of the Daytime MBA career services team, serve on one or more work groups that envision, plan, and execute our core support activities which are sector-agnostic and delivered to all students. These groups manage our peer student coaching program, design and deliver our curriculum within the Leadership Communications course, and other spinal career programs for Daytime MBAs.  

Employer engagement

• Partner with the Employer Engagement team to assess needs, create, plan, and evaluate opportunities for advancing employer engagement by managing existing relationships and developing new relationships. Resulting activities will range from collaborative programs to recruitment events to sector-specific training and professional development.  Utilize special events and communications channels to reach employers who would not otherwise participate in traditional on-campus recruiting.
• Interact with recruiters and alumni to deepen relationships, stay current on business issues, hiring needs, and recruiting trends, and assess students’ performance in the recruiting process. Coach employers on student career interests and expectations and advise them on MBA recruiting best practices, both in general and at Fuqua.    
• Attract new employers within the assigned sector to Fuqua. Working with the Employer Engagement team, thoughtfully assess plans for prospective employer outreach and target those organizations with the highest probability of success in attracting Fuqua students. Leverage continuum of engagement opportunities as means to attract employers in ways they will find relevant and compelling.  

Institutional and departmental engagement

• Determine fiscal requirements for sector-specific needs and prepare budget requests and forecasts per Duke and Fuqua guidelines. Monitor, verify, and reconcile expenditure of budgeted funds.
• Promote, interpret, and align activities with the school’s vision for the assigned sector. Ensure progress toward objectives by working closely with the entire CMC team; student leaders; and faculty, staff, and others in the Fuqua and Duke communities whose work focuses on student, employer, and alumni engagement.
• Advocate for the needs of the assigned sector within Fuqua and Duke. Consider the end-to-end spectrum of activities that foster an environment of success for students seeking careers in the assigned sector – including engagement for prospective and admitted students, academic offerings, co-curricular experiences, recruiting opportunities and channels, career and job search preparation, and alumni support – and work within the school or university to address issues that deter engagement and limit success. 
• Identify and analyze metrics within sector, including data and stakeholder feedback. Analyze and interpret results to identify accomplishments and improvement opportunities. Communicate resulting suggestions and actions to others.
• As a senior CMC staff member, assume a general leadership role in spirit and in action within the department and the school. Identify business challenges and propose solutions; recognize others for their contributions; reinforce core values and operating principles; diffuse difficult or sensitive situations when needed and appropriate; and educate internal and external stakeholders on topics of importance related to CMC, Fuqua, and Duke. 
• Upon request and/or as time permits, assume leadership or ownership for special initiatives which add value beyond the immediate area of responsibility and contribute to broader departmental or institutional objectives. 

BE BOLD

JOB QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Minimum qualifications

• Requires a master's degree in a related field. MBA or Master of Counseling preferred.
• Minimum of 5 - 7 years of relevant professional experience in relevant industry sector(s), MBA corporate recruiting, career coaching, or related field
• Prior experience in advising, coaching, mentoring, or supervising, especially in a business or other relevant environment

Job requirements

• Occasional evening and/or weekend hours for programs and events.

• Periodic travel to attend relevant off-site events/conferences, to meet with employers, and to represent Fuqua at alumni or admissions events.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Capability to leverage one’s industry knowledge and networks to lead, partner, and support activities that prepare Duke MBA students for job search and career success.

• Strong portfolio of communication skills – formal and informal, verbally and in writing – with the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively in a variety of situations, including developing and delivering career content and supporting materials to both large and small groups.
• Executive presence, poise, and relational skills to establish oneself as credible in role and to interact effectively with diverse stakeholders, including senior executives at hiring companies.
• Active listening skills to effectively coach students in both formal and informal settings, including attentiveness, empathy, curiosity, and open-mindedness. Capacity to motivate, uplift, guide, ask probing questions, provide meaningful feedback, and customize approach in enable and support each student’s success.
• Efficacy using a variety of communication and data management technologies to operate effectively in a global work environment – such as Microsoft Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Zoom, and MS Teams – and to learn new technologies including career platforms. 
• Ability to conceptualize and implement programs at both strategic and tactical levels and in alignment with broader departmental and institutional goals. Initiative and organizational skills to take on special projects as needs warrant and time permits.
• Sharp and persistent focus on our diverse stakeholders, which includes current and prospective employers, current and prospective students, alumni, and institutional partners within Fuqua and Duke. Capacity and interest to listen to their stories, feedback, and suggestions and to incorporate their input into our work, especially within the assigned sector.
• Capacity to work productively and independently amid complexity and to adapt quickly to changes driven by constituent needs. Make responsible decisions to create positive outcomes and know when decisions require further input or approval.
• Integrity, sensitivity, and discretion when accessing and handling confidential data and other information
• Ability to diagnose and resolve problems – from complex to practical to interpersonal – within the parameters of Duke University and The Fuqua School’s core values, practices, and policies and to apply those parameters to meet stakeholders’ needs.

This document describes the general nature of the work and broad requirements for successful performance across all 9 positions. Specific responsibilities, activities, and time allocations are shaped according to the unique needs of one’s sector, time of year, and other variables.

CHOOSE DUKE