Northeastern Illinois University · 3 months ago
Director of Career Development
Chicago, Illinois
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$90K/yr - $95K/yr
5+ years expNortheastern Illinois University is seeking a Director of Career Development to lead its comprehensive career services program. The role involves providing strategic vision and leadership to connect students' professional skills with real-world opportunities while cultivating partnerships with business and community leaders.
Higher Education
Responsibilities
Develop, implement, and regularly update a Career Development strategic plan that aligns with the University’s and Division of Student Affairs' broader strategic goals and drives growth in career readiness and student placement
Design and oversee an assessment plan, including exit surveys and key performance indicators, to evaluate service effectiveness and support institutional reporting (e.g., accreditation, National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) compliance, President’s Strategic Initiatives)
Monitor and analyze the effectiveness of virtual and in-person resources; expand access and optimize student engagement
Guide the implementation and maintenance of career services software (e.g., Handshake, GradLeaders), including data reporting
Manage fiscal planning and budgeting for all career services operations and staffing
Partner with faculty to embed career-related content into courses (First-Year Experience, Career Pathways) and co-curricular activities
Lead the design, delivery, and evaluation of programming on career readiness and professional development for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students
Convene and chair the Career & Workforce Development Steering Committee, representing each college, the Office of Alumni Relations, campus site, and grant-funded program
Cultivate relationships with U.S. and international industry representatives; track employment trends and emerging fields
Collaborate with the Offices of Development and Alumni Relations in strategic outreach to corporate and community leaders and to promote activities such as the bi-annual Career Fair
Develop and market the office brand through presentations and promotional materials to students, alumni, employers, and internship/co-op sponsors
Strategize with Career Development staff to expand employer partnerships and create new internship, co-op, and job opportunities
Supervise staff in providing individual career counseling, résumé and portfolio reviews, interview preparation, employment etiquette guidance, and graduate school advising
Maintain student and alumni records, files, and placement data
Advise on securing full-time positions, internships, co-ops, and graduate/professional school applications
Collaborate with the Office of Alumni Relations in the implementation of career-related initiatives and activities such as MentorCity, a virtual platform that pairs alumni and friends with current students, career-related outreach to alumni, and career workshops
Provide supervision, training, and performance evaluation for three professional staff; recruit, hire, onboard, train, and assess five paraprofessional staff
Serve on university committees and collaborate on large-scale events and university activities with other departments
Represent Student Affairs and NEIU in external professional and community organizations
Perform additional responsibilities as assigned to support the division and the university
Qualification
Required
Master's or doctorate in higher education administration/student services, counseling, human resources, communication, business, or another appropriate field
Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in Student Affairs or related fields—such as experiential learning, career/professional development, or community partnerships—in a higher‐education or corporate setting; eight years of experience preferred, particularly in roles emphasizing employer relations, college recruiting, or other relationship-building functions
Knowledge of a career services software management system such as GradLeaders, Handshake, or Simplicity, and the ability to run data reports
Knowledge of employment trends, job search strategies, and career development theories, as well as best practices and relevant resources
Demonstrated success in working with faculty and administrators across organizational lines to support experiential learning experiences (i.e, co-op education models, professional development, and community partnerships
Creativity and vision for program development in a rapidly changing environment
Experience with organizational planning, development, and implementation of program initiatives in partnership with diverse on- and off-campus constituencies, as well as in building community in multicultural settings
Demonstrated experience recruiting, managing, supervising, and evaluating professional and civil service staff
Understanding and experience working with budgets from diverse funding sources, as well as writing and administering grants
Experience with assessment and working with institutional research to determine program effectiveness
Capability to collect, analyze, and report on key performance indicators
Knowledge and experience in the application of student learning theories in curricular and co-curricular settings
Demonstrated a strong commitment to a diverse campus community
Preferred
Preferred experience in a university or college career center
Benefits
Health, dental, and vision benefits
Sick and vacation days
Participation in the State Universities Retirement System
Company
Northeastern Illinois University
Northeastern Illinois University is a school in Chicago.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Northeastern Illinois University has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
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Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (1)
2024 (11)
2023 (6)
2022 (8)
2021 (7)
2020 (6)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Eliot Allan Rodriguez
Chief Information Officer
Hossein Birjandi
CEO of "Dr Birjandi & Associates/Teaching management
Recent News
2026-01-16
2025-10-06
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