Associate Director - Career & Experiential Learning (Engineering)

Vanderbilt University•Nashville, TN

About The Position

The Associate Director of Career & Experiential Learning for Engineering & Technology leads pathway-based career and experiential learning support for students pursuing careers in engineering, technology, computing, data science, and related technical fields. In partnership with the School of Engineering and Career Advancement & Engagement, the role integrates career coaching, experiential learning, faculty and academic engagement, and industry knowledge into a coordinated student experience. It helps students explore career options, develop industry-relevant skills, and progress from early exploration through internships and full-time employment. Serving as a primary bridge between Career Advancement & Engagement and the School of Engineering, the Associate Director partners with faculty, academic advisers, departments, alumni, employers, and student organizations. The role emphasizes integrating career development and experiential learning early in students’ academic journeys, helping them use projects, research, employer engagement, internships, and other experiences to explore career options, develop professional capabilities, and make informed decisions. The position develops engineering and technology career pathways; provides individual and group coaching; connects students with applied learning opportunities; builds partnerships across the School of Engineering and the university; aligns employer and alumni engagement with student needs; and assesses pathway participation and outcomes. The role reports administratively and functionally to the Senior Director of Engineering & Technology Career Pathways.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
5–8+ years of experience in engineering, technology, career development, experiential learning, university-industry engagement, student development, recruiting, or a related field.
Demonstrated understanding of engineering and technology career pathways and professional opportunities for technically trained students.
Experience advising, mentoring, teaching, recruiting, or developing students or early-career technical talent.
Demonstrated ability to develop experiential-learning or career-development programs.
Ability to build effective relationships with students, faculty, academic leaders, alumni, employers, and university partners.
Strong communication, facilitation, coaching, and program-development skills.
Ability to operate effectively in a complex, highly collaborative environment.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in business, engineering, technology, or a related field.
Professional experience in engineering, technology, computing, data science, product development, or another technical environment.
Experience working with engineering students or technically trained early-career professionals.
Familiarity with engineering recruiting, technical interviews, portfolio- or project-based hiring, and evolving technology talent practices.
Experience developing internships, employer projects, research-to-career programs, or other forms of experiential learning.
Familiarity with design thinking, Life Design, or other developmental approaches to career exploration.
Experience using AI and emerging technologies in career development, education, engineering, or professional practice.
Familiarity with CRM, Handshake, or similar student and employer engagement platforms.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of career pathways for students in engineering, technology, computing, data science, and related technical fields.
Develop career preparation strategies tailored to Vanderbilt’s engineering disciplines and help students understand traditional and emerging career opportunities.
Monitor industry trends, recruiting practices, emerging occupations, and skill requirements, and translate them into student preparation.
Partner with academic departments to clarify career possibilities and strengthen connections between academic preparation and professional outcomes.
Provide individual and group coaching to undergraduate and graduate engineering students on career exploration, goals, and gaining relevant experience.
Help students translate technical coursework, research, projects, leadership, and other experiences into compelling professional narratives.
Prepare students for technical and behavioral interviews, networking, recruiting processes, and industry-specific expectations.
Develop milestone-based programming that supports students from career exploration through experiential learning, internships, and full-time placement.
Integrate experiential learning into engineering career development early in the student lifecycle.
Connect students with internships, projects, research, employer challenges, hackathons, company visits, and other applied experiences.
Connect existing School of Engineering experiential opportunities to broader career-development pathways.
Collaborate with the Associate Director for Employer & Industry Development to identify student needs that could be addressed through new employer-sponsored experiences.
Serve as a Career Advancement & Engagement liaison and embedded partner to the School of Engineering.
Build relationships with faculty, academic advisers, program leaders, and department leadership; identify career-preparation gaps and develop coordinated solutions.
Identify opportunities to integrate career exploration, Life Design, employer exposure, and professional development into academic and co-curricular experiences.
Engage alumni and industry professionals as mentors, speakers, advisers, and sources of career insight, and support employer-facing programs connecting students with practitioners and organizations.
Track student engagement, experiential-learning participation, internship attainment, and full-time placement outcomes.
Identify outcome gaps by engineering discipline, degree level, career pathway, or student population and use feedback to improve programming.
Monitor emerging career fields and changing skill requirements and contribute to assessment and reporting on pathway performance and student success.