Director of Career Development & Integration

Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor • Mequon, WI

1d

About The Position

Concordia is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and in the world. Position Summary The Director of Career Development & Integration leads the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of a comprehensive, university-wide career development ecosystem that empowers students to translate their calling into meaningful careers. Rather than operating as a centralized career services office, this position orchestrates a distributed network of career champions, employer partners, faculty collaborators, alumni mentors, and student peer educators who collectively support career readiness at every touchpoint of the student journey. The Director serves as a key member of the University Vocation Council and works in close partnership with the Academic Office to create integrated experiences where students discern their calling and develop the practical skills to pursue it. This role ensures that career development is infused with Concordia's Lutheran understanding of vocation and embedded across academic programs, student life, and alumni engagement.

Requirements

• Strong understanding of career development theory, ecosystem design, and collective impact models
• Knowledge of current employment trends, job search strategies, and recruiting practices across industries
• Exceptional relationship-building skills with ability to influence and collaborate across organizational boundaries
• Strategic thinking and systems design capabilities
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills for diverse audiences (students, faculty, employers, alumni)
• Proficiency with career services technology platforms and data analytics
• Project management and change management abilities
• Commitment to integrating faith and vocation in career development
• Entrepreneurial mindset with ability to innovate and adapt
• Understanding of Lutheran theology of vocation and work
• Supportive of the mission and values of Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS)
• Master's degree in counseling, higher education, student affairs, business, organizational development, or related field
• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in career services, workforce development, or related field
• Demonstrated success in building collaborative partnerships and distributed service models
• Experience designing and implementing ecosystem or network-based approaches to student services
• Experience with faculty development, training, and capacity building
• Supervisory and team leadership experience
• Success in program development, assessment, and continuous improvement

Responsibilities

• Ecosystem Design & Strategic Leadership Design and implement a distributed career ecosystem model that embeds career development across the university rather than centralizing it in one office
• Develop strategic partnerships with academic departments to integrate career readiness into curriculum, capstone projects, and experiential learning
• Recruit, train, and support a network of departmental career champions (faculty and staff) who serve as career liaisons within their programs
• Create infrastructure for peer career educators, student ambassadors, and career mentors
• Establish collaborative partnerships with Alumni Relations, Advancement, Academic Affairs, Student Success, Academic Advising, and Campus Ministry to create seamless career development touchpoints throughout the student lifecycle, leverage alumni networks for mentoring and employment opportunities, align career readiness with academic advising conversations, and integrate vocation theology into career programming
• Serve as key member of University Vocation Council, partnering with the Academic Office on integrated programming
• Develop multi-year strategic plan for career ecosystem aligned with university vocation initiative and student success goals
• Lead assessment of career ecosystem effectiveness and student career readiness outcomes Employer Relations & Partnership Development
• Collaborate with the AVP for Strategic Partnerships to cultivate a robust employer partner network aligned with Concordia's mission and student career interests
• Develop industry advisory boards and employer councils that inform integrated curriculum and career programming
• Collaborate with Faculty, Deans and Program Directors to facilitate discipline specific experiential learning in all academic programs (project-based learning partnership, micro-internships, job shadowing networks, etc.)
• Faculty & Staff Capacity Building Train faculty to integrate career readiness into courses, assignments, and advising conversations, based on the NACE Competencies and theories of vocational development
• Develop toolkits, resources, and professional development for departmental career champions
• Facilitate communities of practice for faculty and staff engaged in career ecosystem work
• Partner with academic departments to align career preparation with program learning outcomes and accreditation standards
• Co-create discipline-specific career resources and industry trend reports with academic personnel/faculty for use across career ecosystem
• Support faculty in developing employer partnerships and experiential learning opportunities within their programs alongside Strategic Partnerships
• Collaborate with Center for Teaching and Learning on career pedagogy and high-impact practices
• Provide consultation to faculty on internship course design, capstone career components, and portfolio development
• Train faculty mentors on career related tools and knowledge that will enable them to integrate career development into their work with students
• Student Programming & Peer Education Develop career readiness curriculum delivered through multiple channels (workshops, online modules, peer education, embedded courses, student communications)
• Establish and train peer career educator program to extend ecosystem reach
• Create self-service career resources and digital tools accessible 24/7
• Facilitate career communities of practice organized by industry, identity, or interest
• Coordinate alumni mentoring networks and near-peer career coaching programs
• Develop signature career events (career weeks, industry panels, professional development series)
• Partner with Campus Ministry and Academic Office on calling retreats and discernment programming that integrate career planning
• Provide targeted programming for specific populations (first-generation students, graduate students, adult learners, international students)
• Operations, Technology & Assessment Manage career budget, technology platforms, and resource allocation
• Oversee career technology stack (Vmock, Focus2)
• Collect, analyze, and distribute/publish career ecosystem data and employment outcomes (First Destination Survey, NACE standards)
• Develop dashboard and reporting systems that track ecosystem engagement and effectiveness
• Prepare reports for accreditation, board of regents, leadership, and external stakeholders
• Ensure compliance with NACE professional standards and best practices
• Maintain relationships with national career services organizations and consortium partners
• Supervise career services staff, graduate assistants, and student workers
• Continuously assess and iterate ecosystem model based on data and best practices
• All other related activities as assigned

Benefits

• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Personal Spending Account, Flexible Spending Account, and/or Health Savings Account
• Disability and Survivor Plan
• Retirement Pension Plan
• Retirement 403(b) Savings Plan
• Basic Life and Supplemental Life Insurance
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Coverage
• Critical Illness and Accident Insurance
• Tuition waiver benefits (available for employees and their qualified dependents)

What This Job Offers

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