Columbia University · 15 hours ago
Assistant Director of Professional Development & Leadership
New York, NY
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
3+ years expColumbia University is a leader in higher education dedicated to fostering academic excellence and global impact. The Assistant Director of Professional Development & Leadership oversees the administration and execution of the PDL Program, managing professional development sessions and collaborating with various student-facing units to support Columbia Engineering students.
EducationHigher EducationMedicalTrainingUniversities
Hiring Manager
Joan McDowell, SHRM-CP
Responsibilities
Manage operations of the PDL Team to execute the school-wide PDL program, including the required MS course (ENGIE4000), Doctoral courses (ENGIE6001-4), and workshops for PDL Fellows, doctoral students, MS students, and undergraduate students
Track and report student progress and completion rate, including enrollment in ENGI 4000/6000 and corresponding Canvas courses. Implement early intervention processes to ensure successful student completion
Assess needs and recruit appropriate course instructors; administer and analyze the attendance and evaluation data collected from the course to review the curriculum (core modules, electives, workshops) of the PDL program; recommend improvements as needed
Coordinate and liaise with the various Departmental representatives (career placement, student affairs) on student progress and engagement, and scheduling of electives, workshops, and activities
Liaise and negotiate with vendors, instructors, and speakers in accordance with the School and University’s policies and best practices
Support various student/employer/advisor-facing systems that facilitate professional and career development, including the Columbia Engineering Career Connect system. Escalate urgent issues to Director or Associate Dean
Work closely with Operations Analyst to identify skill gaps based on student and employer feedback from recent student placement
Collaborate with Graduate Career Placement on opportunities to connect students with alumni and industry partners
Support the execution of the Executive in Residence program, including assisting with student recruiting, marketing, and planning
Support signature Columbia Engineering student affairs activities, including Welcome Day, Graduate Engineers Connect, graduation ceremonies, Countdown to Columbia and other school-wide initiatives for engineering students
Collaborate with other ESA units to provide onboarding, orientation and programming for doctoral students and ongoing opportunities for professional and career development. This includes programs such as Engineer Your PhD (EYP), Three Minute Thesis (3MT), PhD Connect, and other doctoral-focused events
Recommended professional development topics for student-facing staff across Columbia Engineering; in cooperation with other ESA units, deliver training and workshop opportunities to student-facing staff to ensure high level of service to students in all programs
Support the planning, development, and implementation of strategic initiatives for Engineering Student Affairs
Performs other tasks, duties, and responsibilities as required
Qualification
Required
A bachelor's degree is required; graduate-level work is preferred
Minimum of 3-5 years of related experience required
Understand student and academic affairs opportunities and challenges affecting the constituents, consisting of a diverse population - domestic and international
Strong technical competency is required; demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of student services database software and on-line resources, and the willingness and enthusiasm to respond to the needs of students in an increasingly technologically dynamic society
Proficiency with Google suite of products, MS office (Excel with pivot tables, VLOOKUP), PowerPoint, publishing software, social media, etc
Ability to analyze and work with a large volume of student, course and other types data
Must be willing to work on occasional evenings and weekends, on a needed basis
Possess excellent interpersonal and administrative skills
Ability to work independently and under pressure, with high level of attention to detail
Candidate must exercise good judgment and flexibility
Must be able to prioritize multiple tasks with minimal supervision
Must be able to communicate effectively and tactfully with staff, faculty, students, employers, and alumni in small and large group settings
Student-centric, positive, mission-oriented, forward-thinking attitude and sense of humor a must!
Company
Columbia University
Columbia University is a research institution and Ivy League school for undergraduate and graduate students across various fields
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Columbia 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 (433)
2024 (353)
2023 (333)
2022 (370)
2021 (283)
2020 (221)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$21.84MKey Investors
ValeNational Institutes of HealthNational Science Foundation
2024-09-24Grant· $0.02M
2023-08-17Grant
2023-05-04Grant· $20M
Leadership Team
Jeannette Wing
Executive Vice President for Research and Professor of Computer Science
Asaf Cidon
Assistant Professor, EE and CS
Recent News
Crain's New York Business
2025-12-11
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2025-11-19
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