Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Director, Career Services at its Detroit campus location.
Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.
Provide strategic leadership and direction for University Career Services at Wayne State University. Lead a comprehensive, student-centered approach to career development that helps students explore career pathways, develop career-ready skills, gain meaningful career-engaged experiences, and successfully transition from college to career.
Collaborate across the university and with external partners to strengthen career development, employer engagement, and connections between education and career pathways. Build partnerships with schools and colleges, student success and engagement units, enrollment and outreach programs, employers, alumni, and community partners to extend the reach and impact of career development. Serve as a key partner in advancing Wayne State's College to Career (C2C) initiative and other institutional priorities related to student success, career readiness, and workforce development
(Essential functions are the primary duties/major job responsibilities that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation. The essential functions are listed in order of importance.)
Strategic Leadership and Administration - 25%
Provide strategic leadership for University Career Services. Establish priorities, goals, programs, and practices aligned with university and student success priorities. Lead, supervise, develop, and evaluate staff and foster a collaborative, student-centered, high-performing team. Oversee departmental operations, budgets, resources, policies, assessment, and continuous improvement. Identify and incorporate emerging trends and best practices in career development, employer engagement, higher education, and workforce development to strengthen Career Services strategy and operations.
Career Development and Student Engagement - 20%
Lead the delivery of comprehensive career development services, including career advising and coaching, career exploration, career preparation, workshops, programs, and resources that support students throughout their academic journey and transition to employment or continued education. Develop strategies to increase student awareness, engagement, and utilization of career services and career-engaged learning opportunities. Advance scalable approaches to career development through technology, digital resources, peer-to-peer models, programming, and embedded partnerships. Promote equitable access to career development resources and opportunities for students across disciplines, backgrounds, and stages of their academic experience.
University Partnerships and Career Integration - 15%
Build collaborative partnerships with schools and colleges, faculty, academic advisors, student success and engagement units, enrollment and outreach programs, and other university partners to integrate career development and career awareness throughout the student experience. Provide consultation, resources, tools, and scalable infrastructure that support schools and colleges and other campus partners in strengthening career development and connecting students with career opportunities.
Collaborate with university partners on K–12 outreach, recruitment, career exploration, and pathway initiatives that help prospective and current students understand connections among academic programs, career interests, and future opportunities. Partner across the university to advance institutional priorities related to career readiness and career-engaged learning, including internships and other experiences that connect academic learning with career goals.
Employer, Alumni, and External Engagement - 15%
Provide strategic leadership and oversight for employer engagement, recruiting activities, career fairs, student employment initiatives, and other programs that connect students with employment and career opportunities. Develop and strengthen relationships with employers and other external partners to expand internships, employment opportunities, career exploration, mentoring, networking, and other career-engaged experiences.
Oversee Career Services' student employment programs and initiatives and collaborate with campus employers to connect students with meaningful on-campus employment opportunities. Collaborate with schools and colleges, advancement, alumni relations, and other university partners to leverage alumni and professional networks in support of student career development. Represent Wayne State University with employers, professional organizations, community partners, and other external stakeholders.
Technology, Data, and Assessment - 10%
Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the university's career management platform and other career technologies and digital resources to support student engagement, employer recruiting, career services delivery, data collection, and operational efficiency.
Establish goals and metrics to assess student engagement, employer engagement, service utilization, post-graduation career outcomes, and program effectiveness. Use data, labor-market information, and stakeholder feedback to inform priorities and continuous improvement. Collaborate with university partners to strengthen career-related data collection, analysis, and reporting.
Communication and Outreach - 10%
Develop and oversee communication and outreach strategies that increase awareness and utilization of Career Services, career resources, programs, and opportunities among students and university stakeholders. Collaborate with university partners to communicate career opportunities, student experiences, employer partnerships, and career outcomes and to extend the reach of career development resources across the university. Serve as a visible campus advocate for career development and career readiness.
Job Reports to: Vice President/AVP/Dean
Leadership Accountability: Develops strategic plans and interprets policy
Supervisory Accountability: Supervises professionals and non-managers
Organizational Accountability: Manages department
Financial Accountability: Manages operating budget
Customer Accountability: Interfaces with officials and executives
Freedom to Act: Sets broad policies and objectives
Education: Bachelor's degree
Preferably a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in higher education, counseling, student affairs, business, organizational leadership, human resources, education, or a related field.
Experience: Intermediate (3 to 4 years job-related experience)
Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in career services, higher education, student success, employer relations, workforce development, talent development, or a related area.
Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience, including responsibility for staff, programs, operations, and organizational priorities.
Experience developing collaborative relationships with academic units, employers, and other internal and external partners.
Experience leading a university or college career services operation or comparable student success, talent development, or workforce-focused unit.
Experience developing partnerships with academic units, employers, alumni, and external organizations.
Experience with career management platforms, career technologies, labor-market tools, student employment, and data-informed program assessment.
Experience developing scalable approaches to career development and integrating career readiness into the broader student experience.
An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted.
Leadership: Demonstrated ability to provide strategic and operational leadership, establish priorities, lead and develop teams, manage change, and foster a collaborative and high-performing work environment.
Career Development: Comprehensive knowledge of contemporary career development practices, career readiness, experiential and career-engaged learning, employer recruiting practices, and workforce trends.
Student Success: Knowledge of strategies for engaging and supporting a diverse student population and increasing access to career development resources and opportunities.
Employer and Partnership Development: Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain productive relationships across academic and administrative units and with employers, alumni, community organizations, and other external partners.
Technology and Data: Ability to leverage career technology, data, assessment, and labor-market information to improve programs, increase efficiency, measure outcomes, and inform decision-making.
Communication: Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills. Ability to communicate effectively with students, faculty, administrators, employers, alumni, and community partners.
Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work effectively within a complex, decentralized university environment and develop collaborative approaches across multiple units and stakeholders.
Planning and Organization: Strong organizational, project management, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities and initiatives effectively.
Generic Division
H9203 - Placement Services (H9203)
Working Conditions Normal office environment with regular interaction with students, faculty, staff, employers, alumni, and external partners. Some evening and weekend work is required to support career fairs, employer events, student programs, and university activities. Occasional local, regional, and national travel may be required.
University policy requires certain persons who are offered employment to undergo a background check, including a criminal history check, before starting work. If you are offered employment, the university will inform you if a background check is required.
