(posted 1/11/22)

About Hollins University

Hollins is an independent, liberal arts university in Roanoke, Virginia offering undergraduate education for women and selected graduate programs for men and women. Founded in 1842 as Virginia’s oldest chartered historically women’s college, Hollins provides abundant opportunities to students for research, study abroad, and leadership training, and provides access to real-world experience through internships around the globe supported by an extensive alumnae/i network.

The Director Role

Reporting to the provost, the director will manage all planning, operational, budgetary, programming, and educational aspects of the Center for Career Development and Life Design (CCDLD). Supervising two professional staff members and 2-4 student Career Connectors (student peer mentors), the director helps design and deliver pioneering career development that is well-integrated into the Hollins educational program and that leverages the university’s extensive and engaged alumnae/i network.

The ideal candidate will be a creative, collaborative, visionary, and dynamic leader with proven educational and managerial experience. They will have the capacity to build and scale out new and engaging systems, work processes, and programs in a fast-paced office culture. Additionally, they must demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion so that students of all backgrounds and aspirations are well-served and positioned for success at Hollins and beyond.

The director will have the opportunity to collaborate with the provost and other campus program leaders to develop the vision and scope of the Rutherfoord Center for Experiential Learning, under which the CCDLD is a member.

Responsibilities

• Manages all planning, operational, budgetary, programming, and educational aspects of the center to ensure that efficient, relevant, and effective programs and services are provided to its constituencies
• Develops short and long-range operating plans including budgets, programs and services, staffing, technology and other equipment, and office space
• Actively engages with and leverages the talents and expertise of alumnae/i to support, inspire, and create opportunities for students
• Provides guidance and leadership to staff including training, evaluation, and professional development for the center’s Associate Director, Coordinator, and student Career Connectors
• Plans, coordinates, and manages university events that prepare students for all types of employment, including internships, and provide networking and mentoring opportunities
• Oversees the Hollins Signature Internship Program collaborating closely with alumnae/i to generate high-caliber internships in New York; Washington, D.C.; Richmond, VA; and other geographic areas
• Works with faculty to motivate active engagement with career preparedness in coursework
• Develops and maintains strong, ongoing relationships with employers, particularly those that hire recent college graduates

• Collaborates with the following campus leaders:
  • Vice President for Institutional Advancement to ensure the success of the alumnae/i engagement campaign and to ensure that outreach to alumnae/i is seamless, successful, and well-coordinated between offices.
  • Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and others on campus to ensure the sustainability of center programs.
  • The Provost and faculty to support student success in finding and preparing for internships, jobs, and graduate and professional programs.
  • Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students to ensure that programs respond to the needs of students through co-curricular initiatives.
  • Vice President for Enrollment Management to effectively promote outcomes and center programs to prospective students.
  • Executive Director of the Batten Leadership Institute to ensure that career and leadership programs are coordinated.
  • Vice President for Graduate Programs and Continuing Studies to support the needs of graduate and continuing education students.

• Participates in professional development activities to ensure professional growth and knowledge needed to provide effective leadership and program development

The Ideal Candidate Will Be

• A compelling and visionary leader, able to envision, plan, and implement a thriving future for the CCDLD, while at the same time, able to pay close attention to detail and day-to-day management and performance
• Able to articulate the value of a liberal arts education in the workplace
• Committed to women’s advancement and an educational environment where living and learning are integrated
• An encouraging mentor for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumnae/i
• Adept at working with and communicating with a broad range of constituents including prospective and current undergraduate and graduate students, campus colleagues (particularly faculty), alumnae/i, employers, and community partners
• Familiar with trends in the changing world of work, as well as in career development (e.g., the application of design thinking to career development life design)
• Able to design and deliver innovative programs that provide outstanding career preparation for diverse students on various paths
• An emotionally intelligent leader who can bring out the best in a team while developing new organizational systems in a fast-paced, productive environment
• Capable of both seeing the big picture and paying close attention to detail
• A keen researcher and analyst of data, as well as a creative problem-solver
• An excellent writer who can generate instructional guides, reports, and marketing materials

Required Qualifications
• Master’s degree
• Minimum of five years of experience in career planning, human resources, talent development, or a combination of these areas and experience in alumnae/i relations and development, student affairs, community organizing, and/or marketing and communications
• Demonstrated success in program development, supervision and evaluation, budgeting, and relevant workplace technologies
• Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, customer service, organizational, multitasking, project management, decision-making, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated success working with diverse populations
• Proven abilities to meet deadlines, attend closely to details, make sound judgments, manage confidential and sensitive matters, and work effectively with multiple constituencies
• Abilities to build systems and adapt to change
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Valid United States driver’s license with minimal violations
• Final candidate will be subject to a motor vehicle background check


Preferred Experience

• Experience with college career centers, employer relations, and internship management
• Experience working with active volunteers or in an alumnae/i relations function
• Experience with Handshake or other career management platforms
• Experience with data analytics – tracking both student interactions with career centers and career outcomes for recent graduates and alumnae/i


How to Apply

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references to hollinshr@hollins.edu. Candidates are encouraged to comment in their cover letter on how their contributions will further the university’s efforts to ensure the success and inclusion of all members of its community. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.Hollins is an equal opportunity employer and is strongly committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity at every level of the university. Persons of all genders; persons with disabilities; persons of all racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds; and first-generation college graduates are encouraged to apply.