Assistant Vice President, Career Development

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The Assistant Vice President for Career Development will play a pivotal role in advancing Emerson’s mission of educating and elevating extraordinary artists, communicators, scholars, and professionals for the betterment of humanity. A member of the Academic Affairs leadership team, reporting to the Associate Provost for Academic Programs, the Assistant Vice President of Career Development will provide strategic leadership on programming, initiatives, and partnerships that advance career development and placement of Emerson’s undergraduate and graduate students. The AVP will collaborate with:

● faculty, deans, and alums – to expand and enhance opportunities across programs and to organically link academic excellence, skill development, and real-world application;
● alumni – to establish a strong mentorship program and networking opportunities; and,
● corporate and community partners – to develop innovative, high-quality experiential learning initiatives and private/public partnerships.

This is an important role that requires knowledge of present best practices and a clear vision of the changing landscape of career development in a time of artificial intelligence, rapid technological advancements and disruptions, and shifting job markets. The person in this role must have strong collaborative skills, as well as excellent leadership and management abilities.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

• Builds upon existing initiatives and expands opportunities for students in career-focused experiential learning, internship contexts, and community engagement

• Works with faculty and administrators to integrate career development competencies throughout the student experience, ensuring sustainability and academic excellence, fostering collaboration across departments, and creating synergies that enhance experiential initiatives

• Drives the development of innovative learning models that enhance student engagement 

• Supports faculty in adopting best practices to improve the quality and impact of learning offerings that promote a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and student-centered learning, including up-to-date developments in AI

• Convenes and leads the community career development professionals both within the career center and across campus

• Serves as part of the Academic Affairs leadership team and collaborates with College stakeholders to develop and implement the strategic plan and align experiential learning and career development with Emerson’s mission, vision, and priorities

• Builds and maintains strategic partnerships with local, national, and global organizations to expand experiential learning and career opportunities

• Serves as a key liaison between the College and corporate/community partners, fostering mutually beneficial collaborations

Management

• Oversees all Center operations, programs, services, and resources 

• Guides, trains, and supervises staff as necessary

• Coordinates the implementation of new initiatives and partnerships

• Engages faculty and stewards a sophisticated alumni population

• Manages Center relations with external constituents and marketing and communications initiatives

QUALIFICATIONS

Required 

• Master’s Degree in Higher Education, Leadership Development, or a related field

• 10+ years of previous experience in higher education, including experience in staff supervision and program development

Preferred

• A record of success in developing strategic partnerships, collaborating with academic units, and achieving high satisfaction levels in meeting the needs of students and alums

• Demonstrated strong management skills and the ability to work and lead teams, including experience with budgetary/financial management

• Strong knowledge of current practices in experiential learning and career development, and demonstrated skill in creative and strategic approaches to career services programming, technology, experiential knowledge, and coaching

• Continual review of professional best practices, of National Association of Colleges and Employers (“NACE”) standards, and of relevant laws and regulations affecting academic institutions, such as ADA and FERPA

• Demonstrated commitment to community, culture, and belonging, as well as the ability to work with a wide range of constituencies (staff, students, faculty, parents, alums, administrators, etc.) with diplomacy and tact