Job Description
Department:
Career Advising
Pay Rate Type:
Salary
Employee Type:
Job Summary:
The inaugural Director of Career Design Advising role provides visionary leadership for a reimagined model of career design education at Colby College, integrating purposeful life and career design offerings into the students’ liberal arts experience. Reporting to the Dean of DavisConnects, this full-time, year-round position will lead the DavisConnects Career Design Advising team, advancing Colby’s commitment to ensuring every student has the skills, connections, and access to transformational global experiences required to chart lives of impact. Individually and in collaboration with the advising team, the Director will engage students in pathway exploration and preparation for impactful undergraduate and post-graduate career opportunities, while also serving as the primary advisor for Colby’s legal, public affairs and service professions advising program. The role offers the unique opportunity to shape an innovative and student/graduate-centric approach to career design that aligns with Colby’s national leadership in student success and post-graduate achievement.
Essential Functions
To perform successfully in this position, an individual must be able to perform essential duties satisfactorily as well as possess education/experience, employ the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed in representative fashion. Colby College actively supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. This listing of essential duties is not all-inclusive, but representative; other duties may be assigned.
The Director’s essential responsibilities shall include the following:
Strategic Leadership
- Develop and implement a multi-year strategic plan for Colby’s career design and advising operation within DavisConnects, integrating life design, experiential learning, graduate and professional school preparation, fellowships and global engagement.
- Lead and mentor a high-performing career design advising team dedicated to student exploration, reflection, and career readiness grounded in the liberal arts. Direct reports to this role include the career design advisors and the Director of Health Professions Advising.
- Serve as a visible campus and community leader, representing DavisConnects in college committees, regional networks, and national associations and empower the advising team to similarly do so. Relatedly, cultivate strong collaborative partnerships with internal and external stakeholders (e.g. alumni, academic departments, Class Deans, and Colby’s Centers, Labs and Institutes) that connect the college’s academic excellence with post-graduate impact and outcomes.
- Establish robust assessment measures and leverage data to track outcomes, inform decision-making, and communicate results to campus partners and external stakeholders.
- Design and execute marketing and communication campaigns with the help of DavisConnects’ administrative coordinators and the student worker team that visibility and engagement in the important offerings the Director will oversee.
- With the support of DavisConnects’ administrative and student worker team, Implement and manage data systems and technologies (e.g., Handshake, PeopleGrove, Interstride) to streamline the advising team’s efforts.
- If the Director is interested and has capacity, teach a JanuaryPlan course relevant to the Director’s subject matter expertise.
Career Design and Specialist Advising
Career Design Advising
- Oversee and execute a comprehensive advising model that supports students from exploration to action, integrating self-assessment, experiential learning, and life and career design principles. Design and deliver effective advising, programs and resources responsive to the needs of first year through senior students.
- Collaborate with academic and administrative leaders across Colby to embed career and life design into the Colby student experience.
- Supervise the creation of innovative programs, workshops, and one-on-one advising that prepare students to thrive in a rapidly changing global workforce.
- Collaborate with the Directors of Fellowships and Global Education to expose students and alumni to nationally and globally-competitive fellowships and other experiences aligned with their goals, interests and aspirations.
- Be flexible to lead evening and occasional weekend programs.
Legal, Public Affairs and Public Service Professions Advising
- Serve as the primary DavisConnects career design advisor to students and graduates interested in legal, public affairs and public service professions, helping them assess interests, explore opportunities, and refine a plan leading to post-graduate success.
- Guiding students and alumni through the legal and graduate school application process, including, without limitation, application materials, entrance examinations (e.g. LSAT, GRE, etc.), personal statements and interviews, as well as guidance on professional school financing.
- Facilitate workshops and manage programs for target populations, including domestic and international industry-focused alumni panels, industry immersion experiences (e.g. off-campus job treks and opportunities to explore career industries across the US), and topical workshops and industry forums.
- Partner with DavisConnects’ Industry and Community Partnerships team to develop and promote internship, externship, research and other experiential learning opportunities which will make their student and alumni advisees better informed, more competitive candidates for legal, public affairs and public services opportunities.
- If the Director is interested and has capacity; advise and support the efforts of Colby’s student pre-law related organizations including the Colby Pre-Law Society.
Position Qualifications
Required:
- At least a master’s degree in higher education, counseling, organizational leadership, or a related field.
- At least five to seven years of progressive leadership experience in career services, life design coaching, experiential learning, employer relations, or a related area along with equivalent experience coaching, advising and/or mentoring individuals interested in legal, public affairs and service professions, whether in a formal or informal capacity.
- Demonstrated ability to lead strategic change, manage teams, and cultivate institutional partnerships.
- Exceptional communication, collaboration, and strategic planning abilities.
- Commitment to developing innovative and inclusive approaches to delivering excellent service.
- Willingness to maintain a flexible schedule as needed, to accommodate evening and occasional weekend programs.
- Familiarity and experience using Google Education Suite and social media tools.
Preferred:
- Experience in a liberal arts college or university environment.
- Familiarity with design thinking, career readiness frameworks, and data-driven advising.
- Proven success building or expanding a career center, design initiative, or similar advising function.
Physical/Mental Demands
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here reflect what is typically needed to perform the essential functions of this position and what may be experienced while carrying out those duties. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- To perform this role effectively, an employee is expected to handle employee information, documents, and sensitive matters with care, professionalism, and respect for privacy.
- This position involves working with a variety of timelines, including some that require quick turnaround and responsiveness to urgent needs.
- In this role, the employee will interact with members of the public and others in a variety of situations and conversations. Presenting oneself in a professional, respectful, and thoughtful manner at all times is an important part of the role.
- This position includes regular movement throughout office spaces, hallways, meeting rooms, and other campus locations.
- Daily work may involve extended use of a computer, including keyboard and mouse
- Physical requirements differ by position. In general, most roles involve lifting up to 10 pounds regularly, with some positions requiring occasional lifting of up to 35 pounds or, in more physically demanding roles, up to 50 pounds.
- Vision requirements for this position include the ability to see clearly at close and far distances and to adjust focus as needed.
- The work environment is dynamic and engaging, often involving multiple tasks and projects that require shifting focus and strong organizational skills..
- The noise level is generally moderate; however, there may be occasional moments of louder sounds depending on campus activity.
