Rhodes College · 1 day ago
Assistant Vice President for Career Integration & Executive Director, Center for Career & Professional Development
Memphis, TN
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
8+ years expRhodes College is seeking a strategic, student-centered leader for the role of Assistant Vice President for Career Integration and Executive Director of the Center for Career & Professional Development. This role involves leading a campus-wide curriculum-to-career ecosystem, aligning academic learning with career outcomes, and enhancing student success through various initiatives and partnerships.
Higher Education
Responsibilities
Serve as the institution’s chief strategist for career integration, setting a measurable, multi-year plan that links academic learning to career outcomes and post-graduate success
Build and chair a Career Integration Council (faculty/staff/students/employers/alumni) to align priorities, scale effective practices, and remove barriers to participation
Establish shared outcomes and transparent reporting for career integration and student success, including regular updates to senior leadership and relevant governance groups
Lead change management and adoption across divisions, ensuring strategy translates into consistent practice, resourcing, and accountability
Provide executive direction for CCPD operations, staffing, budget, policies, and service delivery
Lead and develop a high-performing team of career professionals and student staff; establish expectations, coach performance, and invest in professional development tied to outcomes
Ensure CCPD delivers high-impact career coaching and programs with equitable access across student identities, majors, and class years
Maintain professional and ethical standards consistent with the field of career services
Partner with faculty and academic leaders to make career readiness visible in the curriculum, helping students connect course learning to career competencies and employer expectations
Support curriculum and assignment design that strengthens competencies aligned with NACE (e.g., communication, critical thinking, teamwork, professionalism, leadership, technology, career & self-development, equity/inclusion)
Develop faculty-friendly tools (templates, sample syllabus language, assignment and rubric templates) and deliver workshops that build faculty capacity to integrate career outcomes into teaching and advising
Expand Rhodes’ signature career-integrated learning experiences (e.g., industry projects, client-based courses, Gen Ed modules, capstones with professional deliverables)
Lead strategy for experiential learning that connects classroom learning to professional practice (internships, micro-internships, practicums, research-to-work pathways, project-based learning)
Strengthen systems that increase access to opportunity (including paid experiences), with special attention to first-generation students and those with financial barriers
Align student employment and campus work experiences with competencies and career readiness outcomes
Create scalable pathways that support exploration early and targeted preparation later (career communities by industry/function, alumni mentoring, and milestone planning by class year)
Expand employer partnerships to grow internships, jobs, mentorship, and project-based collaborations, prioritizing industries and geographies aligned with student interest and alumni strength
Partner with Development/Alumni Relations to activate alumni as mentors, hosts, recruiters, and donors, strengthening the career ecosystem around Rhodes students
Elevate employer and alumni engagement through fairs, recruiting, networking, and targeted experiences that build social capital for all students
Represent Rhodes externally through professional associations and regional and national partnerships, enhancing institutional visibility and outcomes
Lead a comprehensive outcomes and assessment strategy, including First Destination outcomes, engagement metrics, learning outcomes, and program ROI; use findings to continuously improve services
Strengthen the institution’s ability to translate learning into market language, leveraging career platforms, skills/portfolio documentation, resume analytics, and labor-market insights
Prepare annual reports and contribute to institutional planning, accreditation narratives, and board-level updates as needed
Qualification
Required
Master's degree in higher education, counseling, business, organizational leadership, or related field required
Eight (8) years of progressive leadership experience in career services, experiential learning, student success, employer relations, or related fields required; demonstrated success leading teams and complex initiatives required
Demonstrated expertise in career readiness frameworks and outcomes-based program design, including NACE competencies required
Proven ability to build strong partnerships with faculty, academic leadership, employers, alumni, and external stakeholders required
Strong analytical skills, communication, and executive presence required; able to influence, align, and deliver results across competing priorities required
Preferred
Terminal degree (EdD/PhD) or equivalent senior leadership experience preferred
Experience in a liberal arts college environment and/or integrating career readiness into curriculum at scale preferred
Demonstrated success leveraging career technologies (e.g., Handshake, assessments, e-portfolios/resume analytics tools, LMS integrations) preferred
Fundraising partnership experience or experience building donor-supported career initiatives preferred
Benefits
403 (b) Retirement
Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
Vacation Time (23 days)
Sick Time (12 days)
Paid Holidays (21 days)
Employee Assistance Program
Long-Term & Short-Term Disability
Life and AD&D Insurance
Tuition Remission
Company
Rhodes College
Rhodes College provides educational programs that focus on the liberal arts and sciences.
201-500 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Nicole J. Johnson
Vice President for Student Life
Recent News
Memphis Business Journal
2024-02-16
Business Journals
2023-01-26
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