NACE JobWire

The Senior Assistant Director for Arts, Design, and Entrepreneurship serves as primary liaison between VCU Career Services and both the School of the Arts and the da Vinci Center for Innovation, as well as select non-academic departments as assigned. This position provides leadership, career advising, program development and delivery (including teaching for-credit career development courses), relationship development and campus collaboration, supporting strategic initiatives, and administrative duties. Senior Assistant Directors supervise and train one or more professional Career Advisors as well as  graduate intern and practicum students in VCU Career Services. All career advising professionals in VCU Career Services have a specialty area and also serve as generalists. Experience working in or with students interested in related industry areas is highly desirable. 

Advising team members provide career advising services to undergraduate and graduate students as well as alumni up to one year after graduation, primarily in designated departments, schools, and industries/professions. They also engage in targeted program development and delivery in collaboration with faculty, staff, community organizations and employers, and students. The Senior Assistant Director will actively improve advising team knowledge on industries and areas of specialization for effective cross-training and general advising services. This position will report to the Senior Associate Director for Career Advising and Discovery within VCU Career Services.

Members of the VCU Career Services team regularly engage in professional development, including in-house and external training and conference opportunities, to make sure we are able to best serve students and alumni, to stay current with industry standards and changes, to revise programs and services to reflect trends, and to increase our office’s visibility, both at VCU and on a broader scale. 
Team Diversity Statement: At VCU Career Services, we affirm and celebrate the diversity of the VCU community. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all are welcomed, respected, and supported as they contribute their unique and important ideas, skills, and perspectives to the world. We actively promote and are deeply invested in the work of diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, multicultural competence, and constant learning. As a team of individuals representing a diverse set of intersecting identities, we will continue to advocate and make positive change that helps open new doors to professional connections for VCU students, alumni, employer partners, and community members. Our staff is dedicated to providing equitable access to services and resources for VCU students and alumni as they consider career options, engage in experiential learning, apply for employment and volunteer positions, and pursue graduate/professional education.

Core Responsibilities: 
Leadership and Strategic Initiatives (30%): 

• Directly supervise, hire, train, and evaluate professional Career Advisors, graduate assistants, and/or graduate interns. 
• Play an active role in the collection and reporting of assessment data that serves as a driver for strategic decisions within VCU Career Services. 
• Contribute actively to the development, adaptation, and implementation of the VCU Career Services Strategic Plan through collaboration and project work. 
• Perform other duties to support team operations and strategic plan, as assigned.

Career Advising (30%): 

• Advise undergraduate students, graduate/professional students, and recent graduates in individual and small-group settings about exploring career and education options and developing effective experiential learning, job search, and graduate and professional school search strategies.
• Educate students on how to research employers, network, and engage in the internship/job search process using current technology, as well as preparing for graduate and/or professional school. 
• Administer and interpret assessment instruments to assist students and alumni with self-appraisal. 
• Offer appropriate number of career advising hours throughout the year, as determined by the Director and Advising Team leadership. 
• Maintain awareness through collaboration with employer and experiential development team to provide up-to-date information related to industry/market trends and to engage students in employer/alumni programming.

Teaching and Program Development/Delivery (25%):

• Teach and/or help facilitate for-credit career development-related courses (live or online) annually.
• Create and present workshops, programs, and outreach sessions on a variety of career topics to educate and prepare students for the world of work. Work with key stakeholders (e.g., faculty, staff, students, campus partners) to design, prepare and deliver career/industry and employment specific events and workshops that facilitate student learning and skill development.  
• Represent VCU and Career Services in local and national professional associations and conferences in order to stay current with industry standards and changes, revise programs to reflect trends, and increase the center’s visibility among professionals in the field.
  

Relationship Management and Campus Collaboration (15%): 

• Build and strengthen relationships with external and internal stakeholders, including faculty/staff, student organizations, alumni, families, employers, and community partners.
• Serve as VCU Career Services liaison to designated academic departments and university departments.
• Serve as VCU Career Services internal expert on assigned industries and professions. Devise and implement strategy in conjunction with employer and experiential development team for assigned areas with the goal of preparing students to enter those fields.
• Participate in various campus events involving prospective students, alumni, and families to engage those stakeholders in our services and programs. Participate in departmental, division, and/or university committees to represent VCS as assigned. 

Other Position Details: This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement with up to 40% weekly telework, but this standard could change in the future depending on Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success (SEMSS) Division priorities and campus policy. 

Position Number: FA8710       

Position Title: Senior Assistant Director, Arts, Design, and Entrepreneurship  

Department: 1918 VCU Career Services                                

 Role Code: 35216 Senior Student Advisor SS 3

Position Type: Exempt                                                                 

 Salary: Up to $53,000

ORP Eligible?: No

Open Date: 6/7/22                                                                         

 Close Date: 6/29/2022

Minimum Hiring Standards:

• Master’s degree with an emphasis on counseling, student affairs, higher education, arts, design, or related field.
• Five years of professional experience in higher education, recruitment, or related field.
• Two years of career advising experience with college students and/or young professionals, working in university career services, private practice, or another relevant setting. Graduate assistantships and internships may be considered.
• Experience supervising student or professional staff members.
• Exceptional communication skills (written, oral, presentation). Demonstrated proficiency in designing and delivering presentations.
• Ability to organize and effectively manage multiple priorities, programs, and projects; time management skills.
• Ability to use relevant database systems, (e.g. Handshake, Symplicity, Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets).
• Demonstrated experience developing positive professional relationships and partnerships. Ability to collaborate cross-functionally in the office environment and to interface with employers, students, alumni, faculty, and university administrators.
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• More than two years of experience in career advising; relevant graduate assistantships and internships may be considered.
• Experience evaluating and reporting on program and student learning outcomes.
• Demonstrated proficiency using career assessment instruments (e.g., Strong Interest Inventory, MBTI, CliftonStrengths).
• Experience supervising graduate students or professional staff in a career or academic advising setting.
• Experience working in or with students interested in related industry areas.