Assistant Director of Career Services, Law School

University of Kansas•Lawrence, KS

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Career Services serves as the second-ranking professional staff member within the Career Services Office and functions as an operational co-lead for employer engagement, recruitment programming, and student placement strategy. This position exercises independent judgment in the design, implementation, and management of key programs and initiatives that directly impact student employment outcomes and the law school’s positioning in the legal hiring market. The Assistant Director manages significant functions, programs, and operational processes within the Career Services Office that support student career development, employer engagement, and employment outcomes. Working in a highly collaborative environment, the Assistant Director provides functional leadership across core areas of the office, coordinates the day-to-day execution of recruiting operations, and, when called upon, acts on behalf of the Assistant Dean. The role includes oversight of student staff workflow, leadership of major programs, independent employer engagement, and representation of the law school at the local, regional, and national levels. Willingness and ability to travel, including overnight travel, air travel, and transporting students by car and van to events.

Requirements

Juris doctor degree from an ABA accredited law school, or the foreign equivalent.
Advanced knowledge of legal career pathways, hiring practices, and professional norms, as well as the ability to advise students and engage credibly with attorneys, judges, and legal employers.
Minimum of three years of relevant professional experience in legal recruiting, law practice, law school career services, higher education administration, or related field.
Demonstrated effective written communication skills as evidenced by application materials.
Demonstrated interpersonal communication skills necessary to advise students in individual and group settings as demonstrated by application materials and/or recommendations.
Three-years of post-JD legal or professional work experience.
Two-years of law school or higher education administration, counseling, student services, or career services experience.
Prior legal recruiting or law practice experience.
Knowledge of legal market and legal hiring practices.
Demonstrated strong interpersonal, administrative, organizational and speaking skills.
Previous experience working collaboratively with students, alumni, staff, faculty and legal employers and to manage deadlines.
Counseling, problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
Valid Kansas Driver’s License

Responsibilities

Provides comprehensive career advising to students and alumni, including individualized counseling on job search strategy, resume and application development, interviewing, and market positioning.
Guides students pursuing a wide range of career paths, including private sector, public interest, government, and out-of-state markets.
Develops and delivers workshops, panels, and programs on career development topics, legal hiring trends, and professional skills.
Leads and manages key student-facing initiatives, including the mentor program, overseeing all planning, outreach, and execution.
Identifies students in need of additional support and develops targeted strategies to improve employment outcomes.
Maintains deep knowledge of legal hiring markets and applies that knowledge to advising and institutional strategy.
Exercises independent judgment in career advising, employer engagement strategies, and recruitment program management.
Leads the planning, management, and continuous improvement of recruitment programs, including on-campus interviewing, resume collect programs, and related hiring initiatives.
Independently develops and maintains relationships with employers, alumni, and recruiting professionals to expand employment opportunities for students.
Serves as a primary point of contact for designated employers and manages related outreach, communication, and engagement strategies.
Represents the Career Services Office and the law school both internally and externally through presentations, employer outreach, professional association leadership, recruiting events, and engagement with alumni, students, faculty, and legal employers.
Represents the law school through travel, networking, and participation in local, regional, and national recruiting efforts.
Identifies and develops new employment pipelines and market opportunities, including expansion into competitive and out-of-state regions.
Works with Assistant Dean to implement the Lawhawks Pathways Strategic Market Expansion Initiative to increase the law school’s reputation among employers in the Dallas, Denver, and Chicago metro areas and create a large and resilient pipeline of career and internship opportunities in Dallas, Denver, and Chicago.
Develops and executes strategies to increase student and employer engagement in priority legal markets, including identifying opportunities for new partnerships and cultivating existing relationships.
Establishes goals, measures outcomes, and evaluates the effectiveness of market expansion initiatives to inform ongoing strategy and resource allocation.
Coordinates cross-functional efforts to strengthen the law school’s visibility, alumni engagement, employer relationships, and student placement opportunities in targeted markets.
Conducts independent outreach to employers to initiate and develop professional relationships resulting in tangible outcomes for student and graduate employment, thereby creating a pipeline of jobs.
Exercises discretion in allocating resources to support recruiting initiatives, including career fairs, professional memberships, and program development.
Conceptualizes, develops, and implements policies, procedures, and operational protocols related to recruitment programming, employer engagement, student participation, and career services initiatives in alignment with the mission and strategic goals of the law school.
Develops reports, analyzes employment outcomes and recruiting metrics, and evaluates market trends to assess program effectiveness, identify operational efficiencies, and recommend strategic or procedural improvements.
Identifies emerging employment trends and market opportunities and translates them into programs and initiatives that support student career outcomes.
Presents market trends to faculty and staff to keep the school apprised of legal market trends that impact faculty hiring, scholarship, and advising.
Provides leadership and assistance in compliance-related reporting activities, including the collection, management, analysis, and submission of employment data for ABA, NALP, and other required disclosures, ensuring accuracy, regulatory compliance, and adherence to accreditation standards.
Implements process improvements and operational changes based on data and market conditions.
Serves as a subject matter resource regarding legal recruiting trends, hiring practices, and career services strategy through participation and leadership in regional and national professional organizations.
Provides day-to-day functional supervision and workflow coordination for student employees and office operations, including assigning work, overseeing recruiting support functions, training on office systems and procedures, and ensuring continuity of services.
Acts on behalf of the Assistant Dean, when designated, in overseeing office operations, employer engagement activities, recruitment programming, and student services to ensure continuity of operations and decision-making.
Exercises independent decision-making authority regarding recruitment operations, advising strategies, employer engagement activities, and program implementation, with decisions directly impacting office operations and student employment outcomes.