Career Services Senior Associate Director, Graduate Students & Postdocs

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Career Services Senior Associate Director, Graduate Students & Postdocs

Job Profile Title

Associate Director D, Student Services, Advising

Job Description Summary

University of Pennsylvania Career Services, positioned within the division of University Life, is seeking a Senior Associate Director to lead, innovate, and manage all career services, programs and outreach for graduate students, graduate alumni, and postdocs in 9 Schools at Penn as part of the Graduate Student/Postdoc Team. The individual hired will supervise this team consisting of 1.5 Associate Directors and a Coordinator (0.5 time), in addition to providing individual career advising to students/postdocs and alumni along with planning and presenting workshops regarding all facets of career planning and professional development. The Senior Associate Director will collaborate with campus partners, engage with employers interested in hiring Penn graduate students/postdocs and alumni, coordinate events including career fairs, and play a leading role in developing digital content/resources. Career Services offers a wonderful opportunity to be at the nexus of Penn students/postdocs, alumni, employers, and campus partners, and provides an engaging environment to apply your skills in effective communication, relationship building, program/event managing, and leadership/supervision.

Job Description

Responsibilities

• Advises graduate students and post-docs regarding academic development, graduation planning, and career strategy. Develops new and enhances existing resources to connect students with experiences in and out of the classroom. Identifies academic opportunities and resources for students as they develop both academic goals and career aspirations.
• Maintains a high-level of knowledge of academic offerings in addition to employment markets through employer and alumni interviews and industry resources; reports trends and changes to career services/advising and relevant academic programs; and identifies internship opportunities
• Establishes topic expertise to provide cutting-edge training and student academic achievement and success resources to staff. Creates and presents workshops to meet professional development and learning outcomes in partnership with faculty. Contributes to sustaining and enhancing an inclusive working and learning environment
• Establishes methods and opportunities for regular communication and information exchange through collaborative relationships with faculty and staff in assigned academic programs to achieve academic and professional development goals. Develop regular reports to collect feedback from students, analyze career placements after graduation and track alumni.
• Communicates with other teams in student services to exchange information, promote each other's events, and effectively refer students for efficient and comprehensive response to requests/needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and 5 to 7 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. A Master's Degree or PhD preferred.
• Proven ability in program planning and implementation, communication and teamwork, with a strategic mindset to create recognizable series and events that create value and impact beyond Career Services
• Demonstrated advising skills and cultural competence to work with a diverse range of students/postdocs, with the ability to support graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and alumni who are applying to a variety of careers.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise professional and support staff and support their professional and career development.
• Outstanding presentation skills in different formats and for different audiences, with comfort creating digital content (e.g., social media) and resources.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Motivation to take the initiative in evolving our approaches to graduate student career support as part of a multi-team office.
• A desire to create innovative programming reflecting the changing needs of students/postdocs and the world of work.
• Eagerness to learn and apply new technologies and tools (including AI), and a comfort with learning by doing.
• Quick learner, with the ability to assimilate and retain large volumes of information on career fields.
• Collaborative nature with a willingness to work across teams, divisions, and Schools.
• Demonstrated relationship building and networking skills.
• Effective multi-tasker, with ability to juggle multiple priorities.
• Positive, can-do attitude and outlook, with high energy to support a positive office environment.
• Eagerness to lead by example in all aspects of work, and in supporting a positive work-life balance
• A sense of humor

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Student Services

Pay Range

$80,891.00 - $100,530.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours:Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay