Assistant Director, Doctoral Life Design, OPTIONS

We are seeking an Assistant Director for Doctoral Life Design OPTIONS who will be an essential part of the Doctoral Life Design Studio at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). This role is responsible for leading the OPTIONS Program, a required curriculum component tailored specifically for Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows in Biomedical Sciences. While the program’s primary base is in the School of Medicine, it also serves Biomedical Science departments in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) and the Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH), creating a unified approach to career and professional development across JHU’s Biomedical Sciences community.

In this capacity, the Assistant Director oversees and grows the OPTIONS Program, which combines structured career exploration, experiential learning, and professional connections with alumni and PhD. -trained professionals across various fields. Additionally, the Assistant Director ensures that OPTIONS aligns with NIH T32 training grant standards, supporting compliance and bolstering professional development for students in T32-funded programs. Through partnerships with stakeholders in the School of Medicine, KSAS, and BSPH, the Assistant Director maintains the program’s impact, adaptability, and relevance to the unique career trajectories of JHU’s Biomedical Sciences doctoral and postdoctoral population.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead the OPTIONS Program, overseeing development, programming, marketing, content creation, and logistics to engage and support doctoral students in Biomedical Sciences across JHU.
• Drive program expansion by cultivating partnerships with new academic departments, increasing program reach and engagement within Biomedical Ph.D. programs across Johns Hopkins.
• Develop and implement innovative, research-based career exploration and skill-building curricula tailored for doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees, with a focus on Biomedical Sciences.
• Manage and deliver career development curriculum through online platforms (e.g., Canvas), ensuring structured, cohort-based learning and tracking student progress with data-informed assessments.
• Design and implement evaluation strategies to monitor student satisfaction and career readiness, leveraging feedback to refine and optimize curriculum offerings.
• Gather and analyze feedback from students, postdocs, faculty, and industry partners to refine programming and support strategic direction.
• Lead data collection and analysis initiatives, using tools like Power BI to evaluate program participation, measure impact, and guide continuous improvement.
• Leverage technology platforms, including Canvas and Power BI, to optimize curriculum delivery, data tracking, and reporting, ensuring smooth integration with university systems.
• Conduct research on career development outcomes, securing institutional approvals (e.g., IRB) as needed, and applying findings to strengthen program effectiveness and student outcomes.
• Research and analyze career training initiatives at peer institutions through benchmarking, literature reviews, and stakeholder interviews, integrating best practices into program development.
• Expand OPTIONS Program participation by building strategic partnerships with Ph.D. programs and increasing engagement among doctoral students and postdocs.
• Collaborate with Ph.D. program directors and faculty to advocate for and raise awareness of career curriculum programming, building partnerships to assess needs and deliver tailored services.
• Support Ph.D. recruitment efforts by creating marketing materials, engaging with prospective and admitted students, and participating in events across virtual, hybrid, and in-person formats as needed.
• Cultivate strong connections with alumni and industry professionals to enhance program impact and broaden the professional network for students.
• Implement a scalable group coaching model for career advising, including interactive sessions, collaborative learning, peer support, and expert-led workshops.
• Collaborate with cross-departmental teams, including Central IT and assessment offices, to enhance data tracking systems and ensure effective communication of program progress to stakeholders.
• Support the Senior Director in advancing office goals, vision, and communication strategies, and assist in establishing evaluation frameworks to measure impact and progress across initiatives.
• Engage senior leadership, funding partners, and stakeholders to advocate for the integration of career development initiatives within the university’s strategic priorities.
• Plan and co-lead career and identity-based conferences to create networking, professional growth, and knowledge exchange opportunities.
• Craft and communicate JHU’s sto