Assistant Director, Doctoral Life Design, School of Medicine & OPTIONS

Johns Hopkins University•Baltimore, MD

2d•$66,215 - $116,130•Onsite

About The Position

Johns Hopkins University is seeking an Assistant Director of Doctoral Life Design, School of Medicine & OPTIONS, to advance professional development initiatives for doctoral students in the School of Medicine (SOM). Reporting to the Executive Director of the Doctoral Life Design Studio, the Assistant Director will lead career education and programming across SOM doctoral programs and collaborate on events and initiatives that support doctoral students’ career design. The position also serves as Program Lead for OPTIONS, a curriculum-based initiative for biomedical sciences Ph.D. students. OPTIONS is required for scholars in seven JHU Ph.D. programs and serves biomedical science departments in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. The role oversees the program’s development, delivery, assessment, and expansion, while supporting a unified approach to career and professional development across JHU’s biomedical sciences community. The Assistant Director will develop and deliver career exploration, skill-building, advising, digital resources, and networking opportunities for SOM doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees. The role also builds partnerships with university and external stakeholders and uses assessment, research, and data to evaluate and improve programs. The ideal candidate can manage multiple concurrent workstreams in a mission-driven higher education environment while applying operational rigor and proactively seeking innovative solutions.

Requirements

Master’s degree.
Five years of direct experience in business development, sales, HR consulting, or recruiting with large-scale organizations.
Additional related education may substitute for required experience under the JHU equivalency formula; additional related experience may substitute for required education under that formula.

Nice To Haves

Ph.D. in a STEM field, such as Biomedical Sciences, Chemistry, Public Health, Education, or a related discipline.
Experience in career advising or coaching specifically for Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows.
Experience in business development, sales, HR consulting, or recruiting with large-scale organizations.

Responsibilities

Lead the OPTIONS Program, overseeing its development, programming, marketing, content creation, and logistics for biomedical sciences doctoral students across JHU.
Develop and implement research-based career exploration and skill-building curricula for biomedical doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees.
Manage OPTIONS curriculum for required students through Canvas, including cohort-based learning, progress tracking, and data-informed assessment.
Administer OPTIONS co-curricular activities in Helios and evaluate assignments using a learning-goals rubric.
Work with participating programs to improve student understanding of and participation in OPTIONS.
Design and implement Phase 3 of OPTIONS for year-four-and-beyond biomedical Ph.D. scholars, focused on experiential learning and career preparedness.
Align OPTIONS with NIH T32 training grant standards, support compliance, collaborate with funding agencies, and manage program resources.
Facilitate three T32-Supplement-funded BioGREAT graduate resiliency training workshops per year for OPTIONS scholars.
Represent OPTIONS at national conferences and share program implementation and scaling practices.
Prepare and distribute the bi-weekly OPTIONS Newsletter with the Assistant Director, Data & Operations.
Expand OPTIONS by developing partnerships with additional academic departments and increasing program reach and engagement.
Lead development and delivery of workshops, courses, digital resources, and coaching initiatives that help SOM doctoral students explore career paths and build career readiness.
Provide personalized career advice and support to SOM doctoral students.
Develop accessible online career guides and self-paced professional development modules.
Plan and co-lead career conferences that provide networking, professional growth, and knowledge exchange opportunities.
Oversee and improve career development content on the Doctoral Life Design Studio website; manage social media outreach and write blog articles in accordance with brand standards and current trends.
Support SOM Ph.D. recruitment by creating marketing materials, engaging prospective and admitted students, and participating in virtual, hybrid, and in-person events.
Create accessible and inclusive opportunities for SOM doctoral students from all backgrounds.
Support or co-lead university-wide Doctoral Life Design Studio initiatives, including Career Impact Award, Horizons by Hopkins, and Empower Your Pitch!
Collaborate with Ph.D. program directors and faculty to promote career curriculum programming, assess needs, and deliver tailored services.
Build partnerships with university departments, alumni, faculty, student organizations, external organizations, funding partners, and industry professionals to expand career resources, mentoring, and program impact.
Engage senior leadership, funding partners, and stakeholders to advocate for incorporating career development initiatives into university strategic priorities.
Collaborate with the Associate Director, Postdoctoral Life Design, on programming for SOM doctoral and postdoctoral scholars.
Use surveys and assessment tools to measure program impact, reach, and effectiveness and support continuous improvement.
Design evaluation strategies to assess student satisfaction and career readiness, using feedback from listening sessions and surveys to refine curriculum.
Gather and analyze feedback from students, postdocs, faculty, and industry partners to improve programming and inform strategic direction.
Work with cross-departmental teams to improve data tracking systems and communicate program progress through technology platforms.
Benchmark peer institutions’ career training initiatives through literature reviews and stakeholder interviews, incorporating best practices into program development.
Conduct periodic portfolio reviews to assess strategies, make adjustments, and support accountability and continuous improvement.
Conduct research on career development outcomes, obtain institutional approvals such as IRB approvals when needed, and apply findings to improve programs and student outcomes.