Director of Career Education

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Job Family Group:

Staff

Department/Office:

Associate Director (Katie Ramirez

Time Type:

Full time

Compensation:

$66,708.45-$83,385.56

Please note, starting salaries are based on factors including internal equity, relevant experience, and education.

Exemption Status:

Exempt

Job Description:

The Director of Career Education (DCE) serves as a leader within the Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success (CELCS), with senior-level responsibility for career readiness, career education, faculty engagement, and all non-external stakeholders. The role provides strategic leadership for student-facing services while advancing Trinity's career ecosystem by partnering with faculty and campus leaders to embed career learning outcomes, NACE competencies, and career readiness throughout the curricular, co-curricular, and experiential learning experience.

Reporting directly to the Senior Director of CELCS, the DCE plays a critical role in shaping and executing the Center's vision, strengthening partnerships across Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, enhancing student outcomes, and advancing the strategic goals of the institution. The Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success (CELCS) is an award-winning center that advances student success through high-impact experiential learning and career development. The DCE serves as a key representative of CELCS to internal and external stakeholders, leads a growing professional team, and acts as a senior advisor on career readiness, faculty partnerships, career development, student-facing services, and the integration of embedded career learning across the undergraduate experience.

The DCE oversees a broad portfolio of student-facing programs and services while leading the Center's faculty engagement strategy related to career education and career learning integration. The DCE is expected to demonstrate both commitment to and active support of the Senior Director's vision while fostering strong collaboration with the Director of Employer & Community Relations. A successful leader in this role places institutional mission above individual team interests, models transparent and proactive communication, and embraces joint responsibility for cultivating a high-performing, unified CELCS leadership team.

Please note:applications submitted without a cover letter will not be reviewed.

JOB DUTIES

Strategic Leadership and Departmental Operations

Provides senior-level leadership across CELCS operations while fostering alignment and collaboration within the team and across broader institutional and community partnerships.
Leads the Center's Career Readiness team and oversees center-wide assessment, including career readiness strategy, student services, internal visibility efforts, and institutional engagement that elevate student career readiness and outcomes. Ensures cohesion between career readiness goals and broader
institutional learning outcomes. Works with Institutional Research to align center-wide processes and campus-wide data needs.
Leads efforts to design, implement, and scale Trinity's career ecosystem by integrating career learning and readiness throughout curricular, co-curricular, and experiential learning environments.
Collaborates closely with the Senior Director and Director of Employer & Community Relations on strategic planning, business operations, annual assessment, and departmental evaluation. Serves as a key contributor to Center-wide decision-making and implementation of strategic initiatives in alignment with the Senior Director’s vision.
Defines and directs career readiness assessment strategy and individual success metrics, establishing evaluation cycles, aligning measures with departmental priorities, and ensuring integration with institutional assessment efforts.
Oversees staff efforts to develop and sustain scalable career readiness initiatives within and outside of CELCS, to include projects, workshops, presentations, services, and more.
Represents the Senior Director and CELCS at internal and external meetings as needed, providing leadership continuity across the Center and career readiness functions. Also serves in the absence of Senior Director and/or Director of Employer & Community Relations, when authorized.

Leads and serves on university-wide committees, special initiatives, and institutional partnerships related to student success and career development. Represents CELCS as a member of the Student Success Team, TU Heart, and other cross-functional working groups aligned with the career readiness mission.
Leads and serves on university-wide committees, special projects, and external professional associations to advance the Center’s mission.
Serves as member of CELCS’s three-person senior leadership team—alongside the Senior Director and the Director of Career Readiness–expected to operate with high levels of collaboration, transparency, and shared accountability. This leadership triad must function in full alignment to ensure mission-first decision making, coordinated strategic planning, and mutual support.
Provides high-level oversight of systems infrastructure, including CRM platforms (e.g., Handshake, Salesforce), SIS platforms (Workday), and LMS Systems (Canvas) to support scalable, data-informed career readiness initiatives and implementations
Manages budgets as assigned related to career readiness and student-facing functions of the Center.

Faculty Relations and Internal Partnerships

Leads institutional efforts to align academic, experiential, and co-curricular learning experiences with career readiness and career learning outcomes, serving as the primary CELCS liaison to faculty, academic departments, and campus collaborators. Drives a cohesive and forward-looking approach to integrating NACE competencies, career ecosystem content, and professional preparation frameworks across the undergraduate experience.
Collaborates with faculty and academic leadership to develop and scale innovative, high-impact experiential learning and career education practices that promote career readiness. Supports the integration of career competencies into course design, student learning outcomes, and academic advising models.
Develops and leads professional development for faculty and staff on career-readiness frameworks, experiential learning best practices, competency-based education, curricular integration and pedagogical innovation. Serves as a strategic thought partner in reimagining how faculty and staff contribute to the student career journey. Facilitates curriculum mapping, learning outcome alignment, and assessment processes related to career readiness and experiential learning.
Cultivate and sustain high-level academic partnerships to expand internal impact, including working with staff and faculty at all levels to embed career learning outcomes and career readiness into non-CELCS contexts. This includes working with faculty to develop and revise curriculum in support of career readiness activities and courses.
Leads efforts to embed career learning, experiential learning, and professional identity development throughout the undergraduate experience by building strategic partnerships, fostering innovation, and advancing institution-wide approaches that connect learning to post-graduate success.
Advance faculty-community collaboration by advising faculty on the integration and connection of career readiness with academic learning to career and post-graduate success.
Design and develop curricula to advance career readiness among students to include CELCS and non-CELCS taught courses, lesson plans, and more.

Supervision, Staff Development, and Team Leadership

Collaborates with the Senior Director to provide visionary leadership for the CELCS team by establishing clear strategic direction, articulating shared goals, and aligning individual and collective performance with institutional priorities.
Designs and implements professional development strategies in partnership with the Senior Director that build Center capacity, support individual growth, and align staff strengths with institutional needs and emerging trends in career development.
Leads performance management processes, including regular assessment of staff contributions, feedback cycles, and alignment with professional growth opportunities.
Oversees the implementation of staff onboarding, mentorship, and retention initiatives that foster an inclusive, values-driven, and high-performing team culture.
Cultivates a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation through transparent communication, inclusive decision-making, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Monitors team capacity and priorities to ensure resource alignment and support overall staff well-being and sustainability.
Partners with the Director of Employer & Community Relations and Senior Director to foster Center-wide cohesion, ensuring consistent messaging, cross-functional collaboration, and integrated approaches to service delivery and stakeholder engagement.
Contributes to CELCS-wide leadership development efforts, helping to identify leadership potential, support talent retention, and shape a unified Center ethos.

Experiential Learning, Civic Engagement, and Community Integration

Provides strategic leadership and oversight for CELCS’ service learning and civic engagement portfolio, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and community-engaged learning outcomes.

Supervises and guides the team responsible for implementing student-facing civic engagement efforts, including service-focused organizations such as the Trinity University Volunteer Action Community (TUVAC) as well as domestic/international alternative breaks trips (Tiger Breaks) and associated curricular components.
Oversees staff efforts to develop and sustain community-based experiential learning opportunities, including internships, volunteer initiatives, and civic programming.
Advances faculty-community collaboration by advising on the integration of service learning, industry-engaged course projects, and experiential initiatives that connect academic learning to career and post-graduate success.
Supports the design and direction of voter engagement and civic education strategies that promote student participation and informed citizenship.
Fosters and maintains high-level partnerships with nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and other community stakeholders to expand experiential learning pipelines and institutional visibility.
Champions the integration of community-engaged learning into the student experience through cross-campus collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and data-informed planning.

Career Readiness & Development

Oversees the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of career education, experiential learning integration, and career development programs, services, and learning experiences that embed NACE competencies and Trinity’s career learning outcomes across the student journey. Ensures integration with the broader career ecosystem and alignment with evolving workforce trends.
Collaborates with the Director of Employer & Community Relations and relevant stakeholders to ensure student-facing services, including career advising, coaching, service learning, and internships, reflect best practices and foster equitable student access, engagement, and outcomes.
Leads the development and implementation of career readiness strategies in collaboration with campus partners and in alignment with institutional goals that scale career readiness through embedded classroom content, co-curricular programs, technology, peer education models, and competency-based frameworks.
Builds internal partnerships that promote academic and administrative alignment with career development goals. Partners with Student Life, Academic Affairs, and other relevant campus offices to support equitable student access, engagement, and outcomes.
Provides strategic leadership and oversight for CELCS’ career readiness and student-facing career development services, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and career learning outcomes.
Leads ongoing assessment of career readiness initiatives, including utilization, student satisfaction, learning outcomes, and post-graduate success. Uses data to drive continuous improvement, inform institutional reporting, and shape long-term strategy.
Represents CELCS in internal and external contexts related to career development, and serves as a thought leader in translating national trends, research, and innovation into institutional practice.
Support the design and direction of career readiness initiatives throughout the student experience, collaborating with senior leaders across campus to advance career success within curricular and co-curricular contexts.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES

Cooperates and collaborates with other employees in the spirit of teamwork and collegiality and interacts with confidence, patience and integrity to provide professional leadership during emergencies.
Complies with all Trinity University policies and guidelines.
Performs other duties as required.
Must be willing to travel on behalf of Trinity, to include (but not limited to) conferences, site visits, and student/faculty trips as needed.

EDUCATION

Required:

Master's degree or equivalent from an accredited institution in Higher Education, Business, Leadership, or a closely related field

EXPERIENCE

Required:

Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in higher education, career services, student development, experiential learning, or other relevant experience within a higher education setting or related field.
At least two (2) years of prior supervisory experience with multiple direct reports.
Demonstrated experience in effective budgetary management.
Experience leveraging comprehensive departmental data to shape and execute strategic vision and priorities.
Experience with student systems such as Handshake, GivePulse, Canvas, etc.

Highly Preferred:

Seven (7) years of progressive experience in higher education directly in career services, experiential learning, student development, or other relevant experience within a higher education or related setting, including four (4) years of experience in a supervisory capacity, managing teams and team outcomes.
Direct experience leading faculty engagement, curriculum integration, or institutional partnerships focused on embedding career learning outcomes, career readiness competencies, and professional development frameworks into the academic experience.
Experience leading or co-leading strategic planning or assessment cycles within a unit or institution.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Required:

Strong evaluation and assessment acumen with the ability to define success metrics, interpret data insights provided by others, and translate findings into strategic decisions that drive continuous improvement and measurable impact.
Knowledge of career development, experiential learning, and career exploration practices, including the ability to leverage reflection, coaching approaches, and career readiness frameworks to support student learning, professional identity development, and post-graduate success in a liberal arts and sciences context.
Demonstrated ability to manage and develop high-performing teams through coaching, inclusive leadership, performance feedback, and talent planning aligned with strategic goals.
High degree of fluency with emerging technologies and platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Handshake), including the ability to manage data systems and integrate tools to support scalable operations.
Proven capacity to operate effectively as part of a unified leadership team, ensuring transparency, shared accountability, and alignment with institutional mission and strategic goals.
Strong ability to cultivate trust-based relationships across varied constituencies (e.g., employers, faculty, alumni,and community leaders), with an emphasis on high-level partner cultivation and strategic influence.
Demonstrated ability to translate vision and strategy into actionable plans, drive implementation across staff and faculty stakeholder groups, and achieve measurable outcomes.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams through change, foster innovation, and build inclusive team cultures that are resilient and responsive to evolving institutional needs.
Skill in crafting and disseminating narratives that elevate career readiness with key stakeholders (e.g., deans, administrators, faculty, and staff)
Demonstrated ability to build consensus, influence without direct authority, and lead organizational change.

Highly Preferred:

Experience implementing and scaling technology-enabled career readiness, experiential learning, or directly in career services.
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and successfully translating strategic priorities into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.

CERTIFICATIONS

Preferred:

Certification in career coaching (e.g., NACE, NCDA, GCDF) and/or completion of the Experiential Educators Academy (SEE) to support student development and employer engagement through evidence-based practices.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

All jobs require a current Criminal Background Check (CBC).
Work includes occasional evenings and weekends
Must be willing to travel on behalf of Trinity, to include (but not limited to) conferences, site visits, and student/faculty trips as needed.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Direct supervisor for Assistant Directors, other staff, and oversight of student workers.

NUMBER OF DIRECT REPORTS

4-6

NUMBER OF INDIRECT REPORTS

1-6

SUPERVISION RECEIVED
Limited supervision. Operates independently.

INTERACTION
Works alone
Works with other employees
Customer contact
Residents
Students
Alumni
Vendors
Public/Government Officers

COMPUTER SOFTWARE
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word
Microsoft PowerPoint
Customer Relationship Management system (e.g. Less Annoying CRM, Salesforce)
Career Services Management System (e.g. Handshake)
LinkedIn
Common career services technology platforms (e.g. Big Interview, GoinGlobal)
GivePulse
Suitable

EQUIPMENT
Video/phone conferencing equipment
Computer
Laptop
Keyboard
Monitor
Printer
Phone
Fax machine
Scanner

SECURITY SENSITIVE
Each member of the faculty, staff and student body is responsible for carrying out campus regulations, procedures and
practices and shall comply with federal, state and local laws related to security matters while on the campus or in the
course of representing or conducting University activities.

ATTENDANCE STANDARD
Maintaining and satisfying minimum attendance requirements are an essential requirement of this position, including
working all full-time regular hours as established by the supervisor in addition to any scheduled or emergency overtime.

INTERNAL CONTROLS
Applies to Supervisors (and above) and/or anyone with financial responsibilities. Within the scope of position duties,
responsible for seeing that operations are effective and efficient, assets are safeguarded, reliable financial data is
maintained, and applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures are complied with.

DECISION MAKING
Plans and performs highly complex or technical work where no procedures or standard methods are available.

BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY
Accountable for rendering counsel and advice regarding the development of the department budget.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Less than $250,000

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Lifting/carrying up to 10 pounds.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
General office environment
Outdoors
Works in loud noise
CHEMICAL EXPOSURE
None

HOW TO APPLY

For internal applicants, please apply through Workday using the 'Jobs Hub' application, see instructions provided here.

For external applicants, when starting the application, select "Apply Manually.” Only complete fields with a red asterisk, which are required. Please create your Workday application account using a personal email address, as you will need to maintain access to this account throughout the pre-hire process, if selected.

For all applicants, please note that applications that do not include a cover letter will not be reviewed.

In the “Application Documents” field, please upload the following as seen below.

Submit each as a separate pdf file:

Cover Letter
Resume