Director of Career Operations, Data & Systems

American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world. Learn more about American University

Department:

Career Center

Time Type:

Full time

Job Type:

Regular

FLSA Status:

Exempt

Work Modality:

Hybrid 01 (On Campus 3-4 Days/Week)

Union:

Job Description:

Summary:

The Director of Career Operations, Data & Systems provides strategic leadership for the infrastructure that enables scalable, equitable, and high‑impact career education and experiential learning. This role oversees the operational backbone of the Career & Experiential Learning portfolio, including systems and platforms, data and reporting, administrative services, budget and operations support, and institutional storytelling grounded in outcomes.

Reporting to the Vice Provost, the Director ensures that programs are supported by strong systems, clear processes, reliable data, and compelling narratives that demonstrate value to students, faculty, institutional leaders, and external stakeholders.

This role is intentionally non‑programmatic and is focused on enabling frontline staff and academic partners to concentrate on student learning and engagement.

Essential Functions:

1.) Career Systems and Platforms

• Provide strategic oversight of career and experiential learning platforms, ensuring usability, integration, data integrity, and alignment with institutional priorities.

• Partner with campus stakeholders (e.g., Office of Information Technology, Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, Advancement, Registrar) to support system integrations and shared data governance.

• Lead vendor relationships, contracts, and platform optimization.

2.) Data, Reporting, and Compliance

• Orchestrate the collection, analysis, and use of career outcomes, experiential learning participation, and graduate census data.

• Ensure data quality, equity analysis, and compliance with institutional, state, and accreditation requirements.

• Translate data into actionable insights for internal decision‑making and external reporting (e.g., trustees, rankings, accreditation, advancement).

3.) Budget and Operations Leadership

• Manage operational planning and budget support for the Career & Experiential Learning portfolio, including forecasting, tracking, and reporting.

• Develop efficient, scalable operational processes that support growth without proportional increases in staffing.

• Serve as a strategic partner to senior leadership on resource allocation and operational sustainability.

4.) Front Desk and Administrative Infrastructure

• Oversee front desk and administrative services to ensure consistent, student‑centered intake, scheduling, and triage.

• Design workflows and service models that support access, equity, and operational efficiency.

• Supervise administrative staff and ensure clear role expectations and performance standards.

5.) Communications

• Oversee governance of the office website, ensuring accuracy, accessibility, clarity, and alignment with institutional messaging.

• Establish content standards, workflows, and accountability (in partnership with campus communications).

• Oversee strategic use of data and outcomes in career‑related communications and storytelling.

• Translate career and experiential learning outcomes into compelling narratives for senior leadership, advancement, admissions, and external audiences.

• Support the alignment of career outcomes data with broader institutional goals, including recruitment, retention, and alumni engagement.

• Ensure consistency of messaging across rep