Assistant Director of Graduate Student Careers

Title: Assistant Director of Graduate Student Careers

Executive Area: Academic Affairs

College/School/MBU: College of Information & Computer Sciences

Department: Computer Science

Work Location: Amherst

Schedule: Full Time

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Job Summary

The Assistant Director of Graduate Student Careers supports CICS Careers' mission of helping graduate students discover, explore, and pursue professional experiences, as part of an entrepreneurial, student-centric team. Along with other CICS Careers staff members, they collaborate with the CICS community of employers, UMass staff and faculty, and a growing network of alumni to benefit CICS Master’s and PhD students.

Essential Functions

Develops specialized, scalable resources to prepare current graduate students and alumni for experiential learning opportunities and careers in both industry and academia. Collaborates with CICS graduate academic advising, the UMass Graduate School, Office of Global Affairs, and other UMass career centers on strategic initiatives and resources.

Provides personalized career coaching to graduate students. Discusses internship and job search strategies based on industry trends and encourages career exploration. Develops individualized career plans and facilitates individual career development skills. Trains and mentors student staff on career coaching methods and best practices.

Advises faculty and staff regarding computer science employment and occupational trends and implications for graduates. Encourages faculty to support career exploration and development of graduate students.

Contributes to comprehensive career data collection, analysis, and reporting in collaboration with other members of CICS Careers.

Co-manages the career development software and recommends technology and process updates.

Identifies access and barrier issues limiting the participation and success of students from underrepresented backgrounds and collaborates to design and implement steps to advance participation and career success of all graduate students.

Develops content for marketing of CICS Careers resources and programming and promotes through a variety of channels to increase graduate student engagement, satisfaction, and outcomes. Creates innovative ways to spotlight Master’s and PhD success stories.

Facilitates graduate student recruitment with a wide variety of existing and prospective employers by building and maintaining relationships with alumni. Facilitates mentorship opportunities between graduate students and alumni.

Collaborates with CICS Careers staff, as well as UMass faculty and research centers, on the creation and maintenance of experiential learning programs.

Plans, organizes, and attends career events including networking socials, career fairs, employer tech talks, class visits, hackathons, and workshops to form personal connections with graduate students and promote CICS Careers services. Collaborates with graduate student-focused organizations, CICS graduate academic advising, and other career centers on campus.

Other Functions

Works in partnership with colleagues within the Manning CICS community and across the campus to support the Dean’s strategic priorities.

Performs other duties as assigned in support of the mission and goals of the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences and the University and to meet business needs.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree and at least two (2) years of related professional experience (e.g., career counseling, advising, consulting, recruiting, entrepreneurship, education, STEM, etc.) or a Master's Degree in Higher Education, Student Counseling, or a related field field.

The ability to think through problems, organize and seek out data/information, identify key factors and underlying causes, and generate solutions.

Strong organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to complete assignments by the established deadline, balancing the demands of concurrent and potentially competing projects.

Ability to work both independently and to be part of an effective team with a highly cooperative and collaborative work style. Adaptability and willingness to take on a variety of tasks related to the successful operation and administration of CICS Careers.

Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact effectively and create and maintain trusted relationships.

Independent initiative with the ability to stay on task and work productively with minimal supervision or guidance.

Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to understand and follow complex oral and written instructions.

Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality.

Strong technology skills including professional-level competency with email, calendars, word processing, spreadsheets, and databases. The ability to quickly learn and use a variety of technology such as Google Drive, Slack, Qualtrics, and Trello.

Ability to periodically travel within the U.S. for conferences, employer site visits, and special events.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s Degree in Higher Education, Student Counseling, or a related field.

At least five (5) years of related or transferable professional experience.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in a standard office or indoor university environment and involves minimal physical exertion.

Work Schedule and Work Arrangement

Monday - Friday, standard working hours.

This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position falls within the Professional Staff Union, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the Professional Staff Union collective bargaining agreement.

Salary Information

Pay Grade: PSSAP Grade 26

Special Instructions for Applicants

Along with the application, please submit a resume. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide contact information for three (3) professional references.

This position will remain open for the time period required by any applicable collective bargaining agreement and will continue until a suitable candidate pool is identified. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early.