The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy is seeking an experienced, enthusiastic, and organized team member to serve as our Assistant Director of Career Services. In a highly active and engaged community with programming centering around policy, leadership, and public service, the Assistant Director will play a critical role in helping students and alumni realize their career and professional aspirations.

The Assistant Director of Career Services will provide direct service to the Batten School’s graduate and undergraduate students and alumni by planning and implementing relevant programming and providing career coaching that promotes career design, skill development, first destination success, and career advancement. As an integral member of the Office of Student and Career Services, they will also support a holistic approach to student services and co-curricular leadership initiatives as needed.

The Assistant Director of Career Services will be supervised by the Director of Career Services. While the position typically requires 40 hours/week during normal business hours, evening and weekend work will be required periodically for events, travel, and other related activities.  This position will primarily be in office in Charlottesville, VA with periodic remote opportunities based on the needs of the office.

The ideal candidate will have a distinguished record of experience in career services and/or one-on-one advising. They will also possess a genuine understanding of both traditional and non-traditional public policy career opportunities, public-private partnerships, and the role of local, state, and federal governmental agencies. Strong communication and technological skills are required, as are research and analytical abilities. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to work independently and develop and sustain critical partnerships within the Batten School, as well as across Grounds, and with target employers and other external strategic partners. The Assistant Director of Career Services will have opportunities for professional development and networking across various sectors and industries related to public service.

In addition to the primary functional components of the role noted below, the Assistant Director of Career Services will engage with and support Batten School staff initiatives, participate in School-wide meetings and events, and champion the 2030 Strategic Plan.

Student Career Advising

Provides one-on-one career advising for undergraduate and graduate students, to include but not limited to resume, cover letter, and application review, internship/job search skills and interview preparation, and career design coaching.

Engages with UVA Career Center Career Communities and Public Service Pathways to ensure seamless career support for Batten students and advocacy for these and other related pan-university initiatives.

Attends regional and national conferences and trainings as appropriate to support Batten student and alumni career advancement.

Student & Alumni Programming

With the Director and in partnership with the University Career Center, organizes and plans career development events virtually and on Grounds.

Supports the production of a weekly student employment newsletter and regular alumni communication.

Collaborates with the Director and Batten staff on programs that engage alumni through multiple channels and events, and in partnership with the UVA Alumni Association.

Communication and Technology

Promotes resources and events through appropriate channels to recruit, engage, and support Batten students and alumni.

Supports use of technology (e.g., Handshake and Salesforce) to promote and enhance the efficient delivery of career-related programs and services.

Champions a data-driven approach to student engagement and career advising, collecting and using student data and industry trends to improve and enhance services; supports data collection and reporting as requested (i.e. First Destination data, career trends, etc.).

Collaborates with Batten staff to ensure career-related events are well-promoted and attended.

Minimum Qualifications: 

Education: Master's degree in public policy, higher education, education, counseling, communications, or other related fields

Experience: Two years of experience in career development, placement, and counseling

Positive, collaborative attitude that promotes a healthy workplace

Demonstrated commitment to public service

Outstanding written and oral communication skills

Strong customer service orientation; creativity, ability to assume responsibility, take initiative, and motivate others

Demonstrated program/workshop development and event coordination experience

Well-developed organizational skills; ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects

Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills

Excellent presentation and analytical skills

Proven ability to work effectively with students, alumni, faculty, and employers

Proficient computer skills (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint); prior experience with web-based career resources (including social networking sites) and career services management software and technology (e.g., NACELink/Handshake/Career Shift)

Preferred Qualifications:

Three+ years of progressively responsible experience in either a career services role or equivalent public policy position

Start date is negotiable. This position will remain open until filled.  This is an exempt level, benefited position. For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit hr.virginia.edu/benefits. 

The anticipated hiring range for this role is $75,000 - $85,000 commensurate with qualifications.

Review of applications will begin October 28, 2024 and the position will remain open until filled.

The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

To Apply:

Please apply through the UVA job board, and search for R0066125. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile by searching 'Find Jobs'.   Complete an application online with the following documents:

Upload all materials into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration.

References will be completed via UVA’s standardized process Skill Survey.  A total of five references will be requested via Skill Survey during the final phase of the interview process.

For questions about the application process, please contact Jessica Russo, Recruiter, at sxv9zv@virginia.edu.  For questions about the position, please contact Sarah Hanks, Director of Career Services at shanks@virginia.edu.

For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see http://www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville and https://embarkcva.com/.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff.  We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences.  We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, and family medical or genetic information.