Executive Director for Career Services

---

Executive Director for Career Services

Charleston Southern University

---

Position Summary

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Student Engagement, the Executive Director for Career Services provides strategic leadership, vision, and administrative oversight for the university's career development and workforce readiness initiatives. The Executive Director advances a comprehensive approach to career readiness that prepares students for meaningful employment, graduate education, military service, and vocational calling. Through collaboration with faculty, employers, alumni, and campus partners, the Executive Director fosters a culture of career development that supports student success, institutional priorities, workforce needs, and the university's Christian mission.

Essential Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Administration

• Provide visionary leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for all Career Services programs, services, technologies, and initiatives.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategic plan that advances career readiness, experiential learning, employer engagement, and post-graduation success.

• Supervise, mentor, develop, and evaluate Career Services staff while fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and student-centered service.

• Manage departmental budgets, resource allocation, assessment plans, and annual goals to ensure alignment with university priorities.

• Ensure compliance with university policies and applicable federal, state, and professional standards.

• Represent Career Services on university committees and serve as the university's chief advocate for career development and workforce preparation.

Employer and External Relations

• Lead the university's employer engagement strategy by cultivating partnerships with employers, industry leaders, graduate and professional schools, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community stakeholders.

• Partner with the Internship Coordinator to expand opportunities for internships, experiential learning, mentorships, cooperative education, and employment pathways for students and alumni.

• Serve as the university's primary liaison to employers, workforce development organizations, chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, and professional associations.

• Oversee employer recruiting initiatives, including career fairs, networking events, employer information sessions, on-campus interviews, and graduate/professional school programs.

Campus Collaboration and Career Integration

• Collaborate with academic leadership and faculty to integrate career readiness competencies throughout the curriculum and co-curricular student experience.

• Partner with colleges, academic departments, and campus stakeholders to develop discipline-specific career pathways, internship opportunities, and workforce development initiatives.

• Promote campus-wide adoption of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Readiness Competencies.

• Collaborate with Student Success, Academic Affairs, Alumni Relations, Advancement, Enrollment Management, Athletics, Residence Life, and Student Engagement to embed career readiness across the student lifecycle.

Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness

• Provide leadership for institutional assessment strategies related to career readiness, student engagement, internship participation, first-destination outcomes, graduate school placement, and employment outcomes.

• Utilize data analytics and assessment results to improve services, demonstrate effectiveness, support accreditation efforts, and inform strategic decision-making.

• Prepare and present annual reports, performance metrics, and outcomes data to university leadership and external stakeholders.

• Provide executive oversight of career technologies and career outcomes reporting systems to ensure effective utilization and continuous improvement.

Resource Development and Special Initiatives

• Identify and pursue grants, sponsorships, philanthropic support, and external funding opportunities that advance Career Services initiatives.

• Provide institutional oversight and partnership support for the Federal Off-Campus Work Study Program.

• Remain informed of workforce trends, labor market developments, and emerging best practices in higher education career services to ensure continued innovation and relevance.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Master's degree in Higher Education Administration, Student Affairs, Counseling, Business Administration, Human Resources, Organizational Leadership, or a related field.

Experience and Skills

• Seven to ten years of progressively responsible experience in career services, student affairs, workforce development, higher education administration, or a related field.

• Demonstrated experience providing strategic leadership and managing complex programs, initiatives, or departments.

• Experience supervising and developing professional staff.

• Proven success in employer relations, partnership development, workforce readiness initiatives, or experiential learning programs.

• Experience with strategic planning, budgeting, assessment, and organizational effectiveness.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze and utilize data to inform decision-making and improve outcomes.

• Exceptional leadership, communication, relationship-building, and organizational skills.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with senior administrators, faculty, employers, alumni, and external stakeholders.

• Experience with career management technologies, reporting systems, and student success platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a leadership role within a college or university career services office.

• Experience developing employer partnerships and workforce development strategies that result in measurable student outcomes.

• Experience leading career outcomes assessment, first-destination surveys, and institutional reporting initiatives.

• Experience collaborating with faculty and academic leadership to embed career readiness into curricular and co-curricular programs.

• Knowledge of National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) standards, Career Readiness Competencies, and best practices in career development.

• Experience securing grants, sponsorships, philanthropic support, or other external funding.

• Experience working in a Christian college or university environment.

• Relevant professional certifications or active involvement in professional associations related to career development, workforce development, or higher education leadership.