Associate Director - Graduate Career Development (Hybrid Opportunity)

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director of Employer Relations and Outreach, the Associate Director, Graduate Career Development applies industry-specific knowledge in performing career advising and placement duties for Isenberg School of Management's students and alumni. The primary focus of this position will be to assist students seeking professional-level internships and/or permanent placement career outcomes in a wide variety of corporate or non-profit organizations. The Associate Director is also responsible for the creation and delivery of career development programs, workshops, and student resources, as well as fostering internal and external relationships as a means of furthering Isenberg student career and professional development outcomes.

Essential Functions

• Provide career advisement to alumni and students enrolled in master's programs including specialized programs. Assist in growing program enrollment by preparing students to achieve favorable employment within competitive markets.
• Serve as point of guidance, advice and support for diverse, graduate and online populations in the areas of interview preparation, networking, LinkedIn engagement, resume and cover letter writing, job and internship search, offer evaluation and negotiation, prospecting, career exploration, industry research and professional preparedness.
• Facilitate individual career development skills including self-assessment, business correspondence, professional networking, business etiquette, interviewing, negotiations, and other professional skills.
• Counsel students to develop, refine and implement an appropriate and realistic job search strategy for different industry segments.
• Support student preparation for job searches by reviewing student resumes, conducting practice interviews, and helping students conduct career and industry research to learn to target potential employers effectively.
• Develop and deliver effective advising programs and learning tools for focused career searches and deploy these programs in one-on- one and workshop settings.
• Create and disseminate training courses and digital resources to support both in-person and remote student engagement.
• Research key industry hiring trends and opportunities affecting business school students and provide information to students, and upon request, to faculty and administration.
• Foster sustainable relationships with staff, faculty, and alumni at an interdepartmental level to consistently deliver positive student career and professional development outcomes.
• Consult with academic departments to identify potential employers and/or professional contacts within discipline-specific industry segments.
• Partner accordingly with targeted industry segments and professional organizations in planning and delivering career-related activities or programming.
• Train students and faculty on the use of emerging technologies. Create, disseminate and review assignments and marketing collateral to promote and facilitate utilization, and programmatic resources to assist users.

Other Functions

• Perform related duties as assigned or required to meet department, executive area/division, and university goals and objectives.
• Demonstrate capacity, skill and willingness to engage students and contribute to student success.
• Attend meetings on and off campus with internal and external stakeholders.
• Understand responsibilities with respect to conflicts of interest and behave in ways consistent both with law and with university policy.
• Contribute toward creating a positive and respectful workplace defined by personal and professional competence, integrity, and collaboration.
• Understand and contribute to implementation of departmental and institutional goals for achieving non-discrimination and creating a respectful, inclusive environment that is supportive of diversity.
• Use access to sensitive and/or not yet public university related information only in the performance of the responsibilities of position and exercise care to prevent unnecessary disclosure to others.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Bachelor's Degree and five (5) years of professional experience in a business discipline (e.g. accounting, operations, marketing, finance, human resources or general management) or higher education services.
• Superior interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to identify potential issues and problem solve complex problems quickly and effectively.
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to independently prioritize work and handle multiple tasks. Ability to maintain accurate and detailed records.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships with students, representatives of business and government, faculty, alumni, and senior corporate executives, including evidence of a clear understanding of, and a commitment to cultural, social, economic and ethnic diversity.
• Ability to create agendas, presentations and associated materials to both lead and participate in cross-departmental, school, university internal meetings, as well as external meetings with alumni, employer partners, vendors and other professionals as required.
• Ability to utilize Google Suite & Apps; Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook & Teams; Handshake; IConnect; Symplicity; Big Interview; Navigate EAB Student Success Collaborative; Blackboard Learn; Moodle; SPIRE; Salesforce CRM; Zoom Conferencing; Slack; LinkedIn; and other departmental social media as required.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Education, Counseling, or related field.

Work Schedule

• Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
• Some weekend and evening hours are required.
• This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee's work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position falls within the Professional Staff Union, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the Professional Staff Union collective bargaining agreement.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

• Typical office environment.

Salary Information

Level 27

Special Instructions to Applicants

Along with the application, please submit a resume and cover letter. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide contact information for three (3) professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis until the position is filled. Early submissions are encouraged.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.