As a senior director of career and alumni success (CAS), you will oversee a team of advisers and industry relations professionals who provide guidance, support, and development opportunities to students and alumni. You will set a visionary direction for the department, ensuring its alignment with SCAD’s overall strategic goals. Among other responsibilities, you will work with senior leadership to develop and implement plans that promote career development and alumni success. You will also hire, train, and conduct performance reviews for CAS staff, resolving issues as needed. Your duties include participation in conferences, industry events, and campus leadership meetings, the maintenance of communication channels to foster a collaborative and transparent environment, and collaborations with stakeholders — including students, parents, employers, faculty, and various SCAD departments.

In this role, you will build relationships with industry partners to stay informed about hiring trends, talent needs, and developments in art and design. You will serve as the main contact for industry relations to support talent acquisition, internships, job placements, and recruitment initiatives. In collaboration with the CAS outreach team, you will manage employer recruitment efforts. You will also strengthen alumni engagement by creating connections among alumni, current students, and peers in the Atlanta area. Additionally, you will support the professional and creative growth of alumni and boost their participation in SCAD events and initiatives, both on campus and in the broader professional community.

In this position, you will organize and execute recruitment events to boost networking, job opportunities, and professional growth for students, alumni, and industry partners. You will also develop programs that broaden career opportunities, such as workshops and professional development activities. Additionally, you will leverage data insights and reports to evaluate and enhance programs, alumni outcomes, and partnerships. Your responsibilities include ensuring accurate data entry into the database by the CAS team regarding student and alumni Career Action Plan progress and customizing career development strategies that align with local job market trends based on knowledge of the metro Atlanta hiring landscape.

The ideal candidate has excellent communication, team management, leadership, and interpersonal skills. The candidate understands talent acquisition, industry trends, and recruitment strategies. They have a data-driven mindset, allowing them to analyze and interpret metrics to improve programs, and are an innovative, strategic thinker. Demonstrated fluency in the digital media landscape, including animation, film, motion media, and advertising is essential.

Minimum qualifications:  

• At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience, preferably in a creative field, PR, fundraising, industry engagement, and/or brand marketing
• Professional experience in new talent acquisition or mentoring young creative talent within a professional or academic setting
• Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with industry partners and stakeholders
• Proficiency with relevant software and technology platforms

Preferred qualifications: 

• Master’s degree

Travel required:

• 10–20%

Work hours: The university work week is Sunday through Saturday. Most offices are open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. To accommodate business needs, employees may be assigned to other workdays and/or hours, including weekends and evenings. 

ADA tag: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements and minimum qualifications listed represent the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and/or meet the minimum qualifications.