Director of Career Exploration and Special Population Engagement
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Job no: 529073
Work type: Administrative & Professional
Senior management: Executive VP & Provost
Department: Career and Prof Develop - Auxiliary
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Categories: Academic Advising / Support, Other, Student Affairs / Services
Career and Professional Development at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) is seeking candidates for a director position. Duties include providing leadership and strategic direction to the Career Exploration and Special Populations Engagement team – including supervision of team members, establishing expectations for student engagement, team training and upskilling, program assessment, budget management, and internal and external relationship building.
The Career Exploration and Special Populations Engagement team curates and conceptualizes programs, resources, services, and tools for students in their first two years at Virginia Tech, students exploring career options without a clear sense of which career cluster is the best fit, and graduate students exploring the options afforded to them by their advanced degrees. This also includes serving as our career development generalists and overseeing initiatives such as our Career Champions program. The team also connects targeted special populations to CPD –conceptualizing and executing programs, resources, services, and tools for students in these groups to increase their sense of belonging and access to opportunity. This team will also provide training and upskilling for all CPD staff on best practices for serving special populations. Special populations include first-generation college students, transfer students, graduate students, ethnic/racial minorities, rural students, veterans and military connected students, students with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ students.
This team provides training and upskilling for all CPD staff on best practices for serving exploratory students and students from identified special populations. This team is also responsible for connecting and maintaining relationships with the departments and student groups that are connected to exploratory students and students from designated special populations – making them aware of resources, programs, and opportunities for their students. Collaborates with academic departments and student organizations.
The Director of Career Exploration and Special Population Engagement is also responsible for collaborating with the Director for Career Pathways and College Relations and the Director of Professional Development and Experiential Initiatives to establish a cohesive suite of student-facing programs, services, courses and resources to advance students’ progression along their career trajectory and their effective transition into the workforce.
As a member of Career and Professional Development’s leadership team, the director may also lead special projects and represent CPD and/or Virginia Tech on committees and workgroups (internal or external).
A master’s degree in counseling, higher education administration, student affairs/student personnel services or related field is required as well as significant experience in either university career services, human resources, training and development, workforce development, or another educational setting. To be successful in this fast-paced work environment, candidates should be energetic, organized, detail oriented, and possess strong interpersonal, communication, and team skills. Experience with direct supervision of full-time professionals.
Significant experience in university career services, corporate human resources, or workforce development. Supervisory experience and familiarity with assessment tools (such as MBTI, CliftonStrengths, SDS, TypeFocus, imaginePhD, VersitilePhD, and similar tools/resources) are strongly preferred.
The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Lisha Farrier at lfarrier@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
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