Reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Retention and Success, the Director of the Career Center provides strategic leadership, vision, and operational oversight for a complex, campus-wide career services organization serving undergraduate students, graduate and professional students, recent alumni, and campus partners.
The Director leads a comprehensive portfolio that includes career education, advising, employer and industry engagement, graduate and professional school preparation, experiential learning connections, career readiness programming, career outcomes assessment, and technology-enabled service delivery. The incumbent is responsible for setting strategy, leading organizational change, allocating resources, supervising professional and managerial staff, and ensuring the Career Center delivers inclusive, high-impact, and data-informed services that advance student success and equitable outcomes.
This position serves as a campus leader and collaborative partner in designing and implementing transformational student success strategies that integrate curricular and co-curricular learning, strengthen student engagement and belonging, and prepare students for lifelong career development and meaningful post-graduate pathways. The Director builds strong relationships with academic divisions, colleges, faculty, student support units, employers, alumni, graduate and professional schools, and community and industry partners to expand access to opportunity and improve student and alumni outcomes.
The Director exercises a high degree of independent judgment in managing a multifaceted unit, including policy and program development, strategic planning, assessment, budget oversight, staff leadership, change management, partnership development, and continuous improvement.
~A cover letter is required for a complete application.
Advanced degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
Ability to design and oversee comprehensive career development programs and services for students and recent alumni, including career readiness, advising/coaching, employer engagement, and post-graduate preparation.
Advanced knowledge of career development theories, adult development theory, counseling processes, career decision making, learning styles, and job search techniques.
Strong knowledge of needs assessment theory, processes, and practice, workshop and program design. Advanced knowledge of student development and equitable student support practices, and the ability to apply them in a highly diverse higher education environment.
Advanced knowledge of UC programs, career services, employer, alumni, and faculty needs and expectations, recruiting and staffing methods, and employment trends. Demonstrated ability to lead a complex career services or student success organization, including strategic planning, program development, operations, and continuous improvement.
Well developed management skills to lead a large professional and administrative staff.
Strong ability to design and modify computer applications and to meet program needs, problem identification, presentation skills, verbal communication, written communication, organizational skills, leadership skills, and program development skills. Knowledge of technology platforms and digital tools relevant to career services and student engagement, including student-facing systems, virtual service delivery, data systems, and communication tools.
Strong partnership-building and relationship management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across academic affairs, student affairs, employers, alumni, faculty, graduate/professional schools, and community partners.
Knowledge of state and national labor markets and marketplace trends. Ability to translate those trends into relevant student programming and institutional strategy.
Demonstrated ability to use assessment, outcomes data, and evidence-based decision-making to evaluate effectiveness, identify equity gaps, and improve services and student outcomes.
Strong budget and resource management skills, including planning, forecasting, prioritization, stewardship, and operational decision-making.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with diverse internal and external audiences and represent the unit with credibility and professionalism.
A cover letter is required for a complete application.
Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on Background Check results.
Must be willing and able to travel.
Will be required to hold valid driver's license and have a driving record that is in accordance with local policies/procedures.
Pay Transparency Act
Annual Full Pay Range: $108,100 - $204,900 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)
Hourly Equivalent: $51.77 - $98.13
Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).
If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with our Policy on Vaccination Programs, which may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.
To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to cultivate a rich and diverse environment, inclusive and supportive of all students, faculty, staff and visitors. For more information, please visit UC San Diego Principles of Community.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.
For the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination
UC San Diego is a smoke and tobacco free environment. Please visit smokefree.ucsd.edu for more information.
Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.
a. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct:
- UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
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UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
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Abusive Conduct in the Workplace
