Associate Director, Careers and Student Life

University of Chicago•Chicago, IL

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, Careers and Student Life plays a central, cross-functional role on the Specialized Master's Program team at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. The role partners with the Senior Associate Director, Careers on employer relations and business development, provides individualized career coaching to early-career Master in Management (MiM) and Master in Finance (MiF) students, and helps lead student life and community programming. Employer relations and career-focused work are the highest-priority functions, including developing new employer relationships, generating recruiting activity, and building a sustainable pipeline of opportunities. The position also helps foster community and belonging, including partnering with students and supporting the Student Community Council. It is a relationship-driven role requiring comfort with ambiguity, proactive outreach, student coaching, and building employer relationships. The position is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization. The position is currently expected to work at least three days per week in the office. Flexible hours may be needed, including occasional early mornings, evenings, or weekends, based on events and recruiting activity. The scheduled work week is 37.5 hours. The posted annual pay range is $68,000 to $78,000. The position is benefits-eligible.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
Five to seven years of work experience in a related job discipline. Candidates with advanced degrees may substitute higher education for a portion of the required experience.
Strong interpersonal skills to build trust quickly with students, employers, alumni, and colleagues.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
Strong organizational skills to manage a varied workload and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Comfort with proactive outreach, including cold contact with employers and alumni, and persistence in building relationships from scratch.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree.
Familiarity with career services, employer relations, talent acquisition, recruiting, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience in employer outreach, business development, or relationship management.
Background in a university or professional school context.
Experience coaching or advising early-career individuals on job search strategy, career positioning, or professional development.
Experience supporting student programming, community building, or student organization advising.
Proficiency in MS Office and familiarity with CRM and career management platforms such as Handshake, Salesforce, or equivalent.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Senior Associate Director, Careers to identify, target, and develop employer relationships across industries relevant to MiM and MiF students, with attention to underpenetrated sectors and geographies.
Conduct sustained outreach to companies, search firms, and alumni-affiliated organizations to generate internship and full-time opportunities, employer-hosted events, and recruiting activity.
Manage and grow an assigned portfolio of employer accounts, maintain regular contact, understand hiring needs, and develop recruiting plans connecting companies with appropriate students.
Gather and share market intelligence with the Careers SME, fellow coaches, and program leadership; maintain accurate records in CRM and career management platforms.
Maintain CRM and career management platforms with the Careers SME and produce pipeline and activity reports.
Coordinate logistics for employer visits, information sessions, and recruiting events.
Provide individualized coaching to MiM and MiF students on career exploration, goal-setting, job search strategy, and offer evaluation.
Coach students on positioning their graduate education and prior experience, including through resumes, LinkedIn, and professional narratives.
Develop students’ networking skills and confidence, and prepare them for behavioral, case, and technical interviews through mock interviews and targeted feedback.
Identify students who may need additional coaching, follow up proactively, and connect them with appropriate resources.
Design interactive programs and workshops that support students’ recruiting journeys, and manage scheduling and logistics for workshops and mock interview programs.
Partner with students, including the Student Community Council, to support programming that builds community and belonging.
Design and help execute student engagement initiatives, including social events, community-building activities, and program traditions.
Support orientation, BoothCamp, and milestone celebrations in partnership with the broader team.
Serve as an accessible and trusted presence for students beyond formal advising, and surface themes relevant to program improvement.
Coordinate vendors and event budgets for orientation, BoothCamp, and milestone celebrations.
Analyze markets and trends related to job searches; assess student feedback and evaluations; and collaborate with career services staff, student organizations, and other staff on program offerings and innovations.
Research hiring organizations and partner with a wide variety of employers to ensure recruitment strategies meet their needs.
Maintain contact with an employer portfolio as the dedicated Career Advancement liaison.
Perform other related work as needed.