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

The Associate Director of Career Advancement 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 Career Advancement team, they will also support a holistic approach to student services and co-curricular leadership initiatives as needed.

The Associate Director of Career Advancement will be supervised by the Director of Career Advancement and Alumni Engagement. 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. The work will be primarily office-based, with additional opportunities for hybrid work as approved. 

The ideal candidate will have a distinguished record of experience in career services and 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, across Grounds, and with target employers and other external strategic partners. The Associate Director of Career Advancement will have opportunities for professional development and networking across various sectors and industries related to public policy and service.

In addition to the primary functional components of the role noted below, the Associate Director of Career Advancement 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 (80%)

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 (15%)

With the Director and in partnership with the University Career Center, organizes and plans career development events on job search strategies, professional skill development, networking, and industry-specific advice, virtually and on Grounds.With the Director, develops and supports research-based co-curricular trainings to advance students’ career readiness and ultimate success in the profession.Supports the production of a weekly student employment newsletter and regular career-related alumni communications.With the Director, tracks student internship and employment, contributing data as needed for internal and external publication. As requested, analyzes labor market trends and provides students with industry-specific guidance to secure employment.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 (5%)

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, exploiting the functionality of Batten’s career hub.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 fieldsExperience: At least five years of experience in career development, placement, and counselingPositive, collaborative attitude that promotes a healthy workplaceDemonstrated commitment to public serviceOutstanding written and oral communication skillsStrong customer service orientation; creativity, ability to assume responsibility, take initiative, and motivate othersDemonstrated program/workshop development and event coordination experienceWell-developed organizational skills; ability to simultaneously manage multiple projectsExcellent interpersonal and teamwork skillsExcellent presentation and analytical skillsProven ability to work effectively with students, alumni, faculty, and employersProficient 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)

Start date is negotiable. Review of applications will begin January 24, 2025, and 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 - $90,000, commensurate with qualifications.

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 R0068740. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile by searching 'Find Jobs'.   Complete an application online with the following documents:

CV/ResumeCover letter

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, Senior Recruiter, at sxv9zv@virginia.edu or Sarah Hanks, Director of Career Advancement & Alumni Engagement, 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.