Associate Director, Career Readiness

Western Washington University • Bellingham, WA

1d • $78,364 - $101,871 • Hybrid

About The Position

Western Washington University’s Academic Advising and Career Readiness (AACR) department provides services supporting students’ academic advising and career development, fosters campus partnerships, and connects students with institutional resources. The Associate Director leads the development, implementation, and assessment of career education initiatives for students and alumni. The role designs career learning experiences, educational resources, and scalable programs that prepare students for career exploration, experiential learning, job and internship searches, and lifelong career management.

Working with the Executive Director of Academic Advising & Career Readiness and colleagues, the Associate Director collaborates with faculty, advisors, student affairs professionals, and campus partners to integrate career readiness throughout the student experience. The role works with academic partners on industry relations strategy to expand internship and employment opportunities, oversees career education curriculum, digital learning resources, workshops, outreach, and employer engagement, and helps ensure equitable access to career development. In partnership with the Executive Director, Alumni and University Advancement, the position works with industry and corporate leaders on collaborations that support student retention and post-graduation success.

The position supervises career readiness staff, including the Career Coach and Program Specialist, and provides career coaching and advising to students and alumni as needed. It is primarily in person, with regular on-campus presence expected. Hybrid work may be available at times based on responsibilities, operational needs, and supervisor approval. Some evening and weekend work may be required.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Career Development, Counseling, Student Affairs, Education, Business Management, or Human Resources Management.
• Three years of professional experience in career services, advising, counseling, workforce development, or education.
• Experience supervising professional or student staff.
• Experience designing and delivering educational programs, workshops, or curriculum.
• Experience supporting diverse student populations.
• Experience building collaborative partnerships across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Experience using assessment data to evaluate and improve programs and services.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience using technology and software such as Microsoft 365, Teams, and Zoom.
• Submit an ADEI statement describing professional commitment and experience fostering an inclusive environment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience integrating career readiness into academic or co-curricular environments.
• Experience working with Canvas, career technologies, or digital learning tools.
• Familiarity with NACE Career Readiness Competencies and career development theory.
• Fluency in two or more languages.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the department’s career education strategy.
• Design, implement, and assess career education curriculum and programming aligned with institutional goals and career readiness competencies.
• Develop and maintain career learning outcomes, milestones, and student success benchmarks across the student lifecycle.
• Create scalable educational resources, guides, toolkits, and learning materials for student career development.
• Monitor trends and best practices in career development and higher education to inform program design.
• Use assessment data and student feedback to improve educational offerings and student outcomes.
• Collaborate with faculty, advisors, and campus partners to integrate career readiness into courses, advising, co-curricular experiences, and student programs.
• Consult with campus partners on embedding career learning into existing student experiences.
• Develop, manage, and coordinate activities and meetings for career-related advisory committees, including on- and off-campus stakeholders.
• Support career readiness initiatives across colleges, departments, and student organizations.
• Promote career readiness technology and software across campus.
• Engage with industry partners to support student career opportunities, including internships and employment.
• Develop resources and training materials to help campus partners facilitate career-related learning experiences.
• Coordinate with the Career Coach to develop and deliver career readiness workshops and career education programs.
• Implement innovative approaches to engage students in career readiness activities.
• Expand self-service career education resources and learning opportunities to increase access and scalability.
• Coordinate outreach to increase awareness and use of career development resources and services.
• Lead implementation and integration of career readiness technology solutions with the Program Specialist.
• Evaluate program effectiveness and recommend improvements based on participation and assessment data.
• Support new student onboarding experiences.
• Supervise career readiness staff, including the Career Coach and Program Specialist; peer advisors report to the Career Coach.
• Create leadership and professional development opportunities for the team.
• Coordinate staff scheduling, assignments, and program support responsibilities.
• Provide career readiness training and professional development for the WWU advising community.
• Facilitate distributed drop-in advising and career education services across campus.
• Provide career coaching and advising to students and alumni as needed.
• Support students with career exploration, internship and job search strategies, networking, and career decision-making.
• Develop resources that help students independently navigate career development processes.
• Collaborate with academic partners to develop industry relations strategy and expand internship and employment opportunities.
• Work with industry and corporate leaders, in partnership with the Executive Director and Alumni and University Advancement, on collaborations supporting student retention and post-graduation success.

Benefits

• Benefits are available; the posting refers applicants to the Benefits Overview for Administrative Professional Position but does not list specific benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior