Director of Career Services

Description

The Director of Career Services will design and deliver an integrated career development experience that prepares Stephens’ students, an audience of ambitious women and gender-expansive learners pursuing distinctive academic paths, to launch meaningful careers and prepare to lead lives of purpose.

• Report to the Vice President for Student Success and Engagement and partner closely with the Associate Vice President for Experiential Learning and Industry Partnerships on internships, employer relations, and industry engagement strategy.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive vision for career services aligned with the Stephens College mission, strategic plan, and the evolving needs of women and gender-expansive students entering the workforce.
• Establish measurable goals for student engagement, internship placement, first-destination outcomes, and employer partnerships; report regularly to senior leadership, faculty, and the Board of Trustees.
• Assess the effectiveness of programs, policies and procedures associated with the career services provided; interpret and generate an annual report to be included in the Student Success & Engagement overall annual report.
• Champion career readiness as a campus-wide priority, partnering with academic affairs, student life, admissions, and advancement to embed career development across the student experience.
• Manage the department budget, staff, technology platforms, and assessment activities to ensure responsible stewardship of resources.

• Lead a team that provides one-on-one and group advising on career exploration, resume and portfolio development, interview preparation, graduate school planning, and salary negotiation.
• Design programming that addresses the distinctive opportunities and challenges facing women and gender-expansive professionals, including confidence building, navigating workplace dynamics, and pursuing leadership roles.
• Develop career resources tailored to Stephens' signature programs (including performing arts, fashion, health sciences, and education) as well as to first-generation, transfer, online, and adult learners.
• Use career assessments, faculty input, labor market data and trends, and student feedback to continuously refine services and to assist students in developing career pathways that align with their major program of study.

The Associate Vice President for Experiential Learning and Industry Partnerships leads the strategic development of the internship pipeline, including the cultivation of host organizations and the structural design of experiential learning programs. The Director of Career Services owns the student-facing internship experience, from preparation through placement to reflection.

• Prepare students for internship applications through resume and portfolio development, interview coaching, application strategy, and professional readiness coaching.
• Promote internship opportunities to students, match students to appropriate placements, and provide ongoing advising throughout their experiential learning experiences.
• Manage the operational systems that support internships, including tracking student participation, monitoring placement quality, gathering student and employer feedback, and reporting on outcomes.
• Collaborate with faculty and the AVP on the integration of experiential learning into the curriculum, including for-credit internship courses, capstone experiences, and industry-based projects.
• Surface unmet student demand and emerging fields to the AVP to inform pipeline development; in coordination with Advancement and the AVP, identify funding opportunities (donor-supported stipends, grants, employer partnerships) to support students pursuing unpaid or under-resourced experiences

The Associate Vice President for Experiential Learning and Industry Partnerships leads industry-level strategy, including the cultivation of formal institutional partnerships, contracts, and large-scale employer agreements. The Director of Career Services owns the student-facing dimension of employer engagement, ensuring that students connect directly with recruiters and hiring managers and that opportunities translate into placements.

• Plan and execute student-facing employer engagement, including career fairs, on-campus and virtual interviews, industry panels, employer information sessions, and recruiting visits.
• Manage day-to-day employer touchpoints, including individual hiring manager relationships, job and internship postings, and recruiter logistics on campus.
• Activate institutional partnerships secured by the AVP, translating them into concrete student opportunities, on-campus presence, and recruiting pipelines.
• Provide regular feedback to the AVP on employer needs, student outcomes, and emerging gaps to inform broader industry partnership strategy.
• Partner with the Office of Alumni Engagement to activate the Stephens alumni network as mentors, employers, and recruiters of current students.
• Coordinate with the AVP to ensure Stephens students are well represented in priority markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, and beyond.

• Work closely with academic departments to understand program-specific career pathways and ensure career services complement curricular goals.
• Partner with Advancement and Alumni Engagement on initiatives that connect current students with alumni mentors, donors, and industry leaders.
• Collaborate with Admissions and Marketing to articulate career outcomes as a core part of the Stephens value proposition.
• Represent Stephens at professional associations (such as NACE), regional consortia, and within women's college networks.

Requirements

• Master's degree in higher education, counseling, student affairs, business, human resources, or a related field.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in career services, talent development, employer relations, or a closely related field, with at least two years of supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated success building employer partnerships and securing internship or experiential learning opportunities for students.
• Strong understanding of current career development frameworks, labor market trends, and best practices in experiential learning.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage credibly with students, faculty, alumni, employers, and senior leaders.
• Commitment to the mission of women's education and the holistic development of students.

• Experience in a small private college, women's college, or mission-driven institution.
• Familiarity with career services platforms (such as Handshake, Symplicity, or 12Twenty) and outcomes reporting tools.
• Experience supporting students in creative industries (performing arts, fashion, design) and/or in health sciences and education.
• Track record of securing external funding, grants, or sponsorships to support student opportunities.
• Knowledge of NACE standards and first-destination survey methodology.

Founded in 1833, Stephens College is the second-oldest women's college in the United States, dedicated to providing innovative, experiential, and career-focused education across various disciplines. Located in Columbia, Missouri, Stephens College continues to be a leader in women's education, fostering a community where students are empowered to lead, innovate, and excel. The college also provides flexible, co-educational master’s degrees and certificates for working professionals, and is home to the co-educational Conservatory for the Performing Arts at Stephens College.

Ranked (over and over again) as one of the best college towns in America, Columbia, Missouri, is home to 36,000+ college students and 118,000 residents. Columbia — conveniently located approximately 100 miles from both Kansas City and St. Louis — has it all: big-time college sports, film, music and arts festivals, a high-energy arts community, amazing recreation, and a great downtown with lots of places to eat, shop, snack and check out the latest bands. The Columbia community offers outstanding health care options, as well as excellent educational opportunities for every level of student (including our own Children’s School).

Stephens is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will recruit and employ qualified personnel without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or status as a veteran.