Assistant Director, Career Programs

Job description

Brandeis University, Career Center Hiring Range $72,900 - $78,300 Empower students. Activate the alumni network. Build the partnerships that shape futures. Brandeis University is launching a bold new approach to career development as part of its vision to Reinvent the Liberal Arts. We're creating an integrated career center that serves undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni by connecting academic learning with career exploration, internships, employer partnerships, and lifelong career support. This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing team and help shape the future of career education at one of the nation's leading liberal arts research universities. We are hiring a dynamic, relationship-driven Assistant Director, Career Programs to connect undergraduate and graduate students to professional networks and applied learning opportunities. About the Role: In this role you will oversee student-facing mentoring initiatives and networking platforms, manage high-impact career programs, and collaborate with colleagues, faculty, employers, and alumni to expand opportunities for students. Using data to inform decisions and continuously improve programs, you'll help create an accessible, engaging career experience that empowers students to build meaningful connections and achieve their career goals. What You Will Do Networking & Mentoring (40%) Lead the full lifecycle of the Rise Together Mentor Network, including alumni mentoring and networking programs, industry-aligned experiences, and coffee chats that connect students to professional networks. Direct the design and continuous improvement of alumni to student and alumni to alumni mentoring initiatives, balancing platform-based engagement with high-touch in-person experiences to strengthen the broader university network with a focus on increasing student adoption, profile completion, and active outreach. Engage student advisors to guide the planning of student-facing activities, ensuring volunteer contributions remain aligned with evolving student career interests. Collaborate across Career and External Teams as well work with campus partners to build and sustain specialized alumni mentor communities within targeted academic departments and affinity groups. Develop and facilitate student-facing workshops and resources that prepare students for successful networking, professional etiquette, and effective use of the Rise Together Mentor Network. Manage a group of networking and mentoring alumni advisors to support the planning and delivery of networking and mentoring activities. Recruit, train, onboard, and manage a diverse group of alumni and volunteers in partnership with the External Team and Alumni Relations. Identify and engage volunteers with strong industry expertise across a broad range of professional fields. Develop and share resources, including guides, toolkits, and orientation materials, to prepare volunteers to effectively support student career development and professional growth. Career Programs (40%) Lead alumni and parent engagement efforts in support of student career programs, coordinating with the External Team on programming, campus-based events, regional events, and targeted outreach, including participation in key alumni markets as needed. Support the Career Programs team in the delivery of student career programs and events, including career fairs, alumni-to-student mentoring and networking programs, and industry-aligned experiences, managing logistics and ensuring high-quality execution. Build and maintain relationships with campus partners to support the execution of career programs, including coordination with Conferences and Events, Public Safety, and other operational units. Collaborate with Career and External teams as well as campus partners to share updates on student needs, align programming efforts, and respond to student and stakeholder needs to ensure events are aligned with departmental strategy and alumni and employer partners are well positioned to support student career development. Establish and support student peer ambassadors for alumni and career programs in creative outreach efforts, leveraging social media, classroom visits, and peer-to-peer marketing to promote mentor initiatives. Program Administration (10%) Maintain accurate engagement and volunteer data across systems, including Graduway, CRMs, and Handshake, to support program evaluation, reporting, and assessment of participation, outcomes, and the long-term impact of mentorship initiatives on student success. Deliver clear, data-informed insights to key partners, including Institutional Advancement, donors, and career center leadership. Partner with colleagues across Career and External Teams to align communication and the student experience, ensuring coordinated planning, clear documentation, and consistency across initiatives. Contribute to the continuous improvement of workflows and systems that support program delivery and stakeholder engagement. Collaborate with marketing and communications to prepare and promote alumni networking and mentoring programs and drive student participation. Maintain systems to collect, analyze, and respond to student and stakeholder feedback, using insights to improve program effectiveness and expand reach across diverse student populations. Represent the career center at campus-wide meetings, alumni events, and professional conferences relevant to student career programming. Professional Development (5%) Actively participate in and report back on professional development activities relevant to alumni relations to further individual knowledge and skills. Other Duties as Assigned (5%) Contribute to the event planning and execution of career center events and initiatives. What You Bring Bachelor's degree and 3–5 years of experience or master’s degree and 1-3 years’ experience in career services, event management, volunteer engagement, or program development preferred Experience in alumni relations, career development, volunteer management, or employer engagement. Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to engage alumni, students, and campus partners. Experience managing technology platforms such as CRMs, community platforms, or mentoring systems. Excellent communication, program management, and strategic thinking abilities. A collaborative mindset and enthusiasm for creating meaningful connections that benefit students. Why You'll Love Working Here You will shape programs that meaningfully impact students' career journeys while strengthening the global Brandeis alumni community. Your work will build bridges between generations of Brandeisians, turning connections into opportunities and transforming volunteer engagement into tangible career outcomes. Join a growing, forward-thinking career center during an exciting period of transformation Lead innovative networking, mentoring, and career programs that connect students with alumni, employers, and professionals Collaborate with colleagues and build meaningful relationships with alumni and campus partners while creating experiences that foster connection, confidence, and career readiness Work on a collaborative team that values creativity, continuous learning, innovation, and student success Work Environment: Brandeis combines the educational model of a liberal arts college with the resources of a research university. At our core, we are a medium-sized residential campus that provides a robust in-person experience for students and community members. Career staff work 35 hours per week on a hybrid schedule, with flexible hours when available. Occasional early morning, evening, or weekend work may be required. Benefits: We invest in our staff through ongoing training, mentorship, professional certification support, conference attendance, and opportunities to become leaders in the career services profession. Brandeis also offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support your health, financial well-being, and work-life balance. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; retirement savings; tuition assistance; employee discounts; voluntary insurance options; and free campus parking . Ready to help students thrive and alumni shine? Please submit a cover letter with your application for consideration. You should upload the letter with your resume; there is not a separate prompt for a cover letter in the candidate application system. Pay Range Disclosure The University's pay ranges represent a good faith estimate of what Brandeis reasonably expects to pay for a position at the time of posting. The pay offered to a selected candidate during hiring will be based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience and education/training, internal peer equity, and applicable legal requirements. Equal Opportunity Statement Brandeis University is an equal opportunity employer which does not discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religious creed, gender identity and expression, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, genetic information, disability, caste, military or veteran status or any other category protected by law (also known as membership in a "protected class").