Assistant Director for Academic & Career Integration Center for Career, Vocation & Leadership

University of Pikeville•Pikeville, KY

About The Position

The University of Pikeville is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Assistant Director for Academic & Career Integration within the Center for Career, Vocation, & Leadership. The Assistant Director is a strategic and collaborative leader responsible for integrating career readiness and experiential learning into the academic experience. This position works closely with faculty, academic advisors, alumni, employers, and campus partners to ensure that all students have access to meaningful career exploration, professional development, internships, and skill-building opportunities. The Assistant Director will develop scalable career-readiness resources, strengthen connections between academic programs and workforce needs, provide specialized academic and career advising, and lead collaborative initiatives that connect student learning with career and post-graduate outcomes.

Requirements

Master’s degree in higher education, counseling, or a related field.
Proven experience in curriculum design or in working closely with faculty to implement high-impact educational practices.
Strong knowledge of developmental advising theories and the ability to navigate complex degree requirements across multiple departments.
Proven ability to manage budgets and coordinate logistics for large-scale events.
Demonstrated commitment to equity-centered practices and experience supporting diverse student populations.
Strong data literacy and the ability to use predictive analytics to monitor student career progress and identify opportunities for timely intervention.
Excellent interpersonal skills and a collaborative mindset, with the ability to build partnerships across diverse campus divisions.
Exceptional public speaking skills, with the ability to facilitate workshops and represent the department to external stakeholders.
Ability to move effectively between the technical details of academic auditing and the interpersonal dynamics of professional networking.

Responsibilities

Identify and cultivate “Faculty Champions” to integrate career-oriented modules directly into 100- and 200-level core courses.
Create discipline-specific, 15-minute career modules, such as skill mapping or industry trend analysis, that faculty can incorporate into existing syllabi without disrupting academic goals.
Work with academic departments to explore incorporating career-focused outcomes—such as LinkedIn-ready projects or employer-designed assignments—into course requirements and student assessments, where appropriate.
Collaborate with leadership to explore opportunities to recognize and support faculty contributions to student career readiness and post-graduate success.
Shift career services from an “opt-in” model to one that brings career conversations into the classroom, where students already are, reducing barriers for students with busy work and family schedules.
Move beyond destination-driven models, such as choosing a job title, to help students articulate the societal impact they want to make through “Finding Your Y.” Build professional self-efficacy through low-stakes reflection and mastery experiences.
In collaboration with campus services, help design career success interventions specifically for first-generation, neurodivergent, and historically marginalized students, ensuring they develop the social capital and professional networks needed for post-graduation success.
Partner with Academic Advising to create a combined advising experience in which coursework planning and career aspirations are discussed simultaneously in a single space.
Leverage the Alumni Relations and Institutional Advancement teams to develop dedicated hiring pipelines, using alumni as mentors and project partners for classroom-based experiences.
Support the CVL’s efforts to coordinate internships, fieldwork, and co-ops through a centralized institutional hub that provides a consistent point of contact for students and external employer partners.
Supplement traditional information sessions with interactive, employer-designed assignments and “reverse career fairs,” where students exhibit their work to visiting recruiters. Lead the end-to-end planning, promotion, and execution of events, including employer recruitment, logistics management, and post-event impact analysis.
Use current labor market data and employer feedback to ensure that academic requirements and internship strategies remain aligned with evolving workforce needs.
Organize and host specialized “Etiquette Dinners” and “Professionalism Workshops” that teach students professional dining etiquette, workplace networking, and appropriate attire for a variety of professional settings.
Act as a secondary liaison between the institution and industry partners to curate site visits, guest speaker panels, and recruitment sessions.
Facilitate “Major Exploration” sessions for undeclared students, utilizing career assessments and interest inventories to help them align their academic paths with long-term goals.
Provide dedicated advising for students in Interdisciplinary Studies and Professional Studies programs. Assist them in synthesizing diverse coursework into a cohesive degree plan and a compelling professional narrative.
Monitor student progress to ensure all general education and major-specific requirements are met, while proactively identifying students who may need additional support and providing targeted interventions.
Conduct one-on-one coaching sessions to help students translate their academic experiences into professional competencies through résumé development, LinkedIn optimization, and mock interviews.
Create digital and physical career resources tailored specifically to nontraditional and interdisciplinary career paths.