Director of Career Services Initiatives

Pepperdine University•Malibu, CA

2d•$90,000 - $100,000

About The Position

The Director of Career Services Initiatives provides operational, data analysis, and project support to the Associate Provost for Career Services and university-wide Career Services initiatives at Pepperdine University. The position supports coordination and visibility of Career Services across the University by managing day-to-day administrative and operational functions, assisting with career and alumni outcomes data, and contributing to strategic projects intended to strengthen career readiness and employment outcomes for students and alumni. The role coordinates administrative activities, meetings, communications, records, events, and promotional materials; supports collection, administration, analysis, and reporting of career outcomes surveys and data; and helps coordinate university-wide internship programs and strategic employer partnerships. It also provides project coordination for initiatives led by the Associate Provost, including serving as operational lead for the annual Pepperdine Recruitment Day. The position works with university offices and external partners, maintains confidentiality and data integrity, and upholds the University's mission. This is a regular, exempt, 40-hour-per-week position.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
Seven years of progressively responsible professional experience.
Demonstrated ability to serve as a strategic thought partner to the Associate Provost.
Strategic and systems-oriented thinking, including ability to understand complex organizations, identify opportunities for alignment and improvement, and connect initiatives across departments and functional areas.
Project and program management skills, including managing multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously and moving projects from concept through implementation.
Strong executive-level written and verbal communication skills, including preparing briefings, presentations, correspondence, proposals, reports, and other materials for varied audiences.
Strong analytical skills and demonstrated ability to interpret data, synthesize information, identify insights, and translate findings into recommendations.
Sound judgment, discretion, initiative, and independent decision-making.
Highly organized and proactive, with ability to anticipate needs, identify potential challenges, and ensure appropriate follow-through.
Strong relationship-management skills and ability to represent the Associate Provost and Career Services professionally with internal and external stakeholders.
Commitment to Pepperdine University's Christian mission and ability to contribute to a collaborative, service-oriented University culture.
Ability to respect workplace differences and work effectively with individuals from different backgrounds.
Successful completion of criminal, education, and employment screening is required for an employment offer.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in higher education, organizational leadership, business administration, communications, or a related field.
Ten years of progressively responsible professional experience in higher education, career services, alumni relations, employer relations, or a related environment.

Responsibilities

Provide administrative and operational support to the Associate Provost for Career Services and university-wide Career Services initiatives.
Coordinate meetings, calendars, scheduling, and logistics; prepare agendas, materials, presentations, correspondence, and follow-up communications.
Support the Career Services Leadership Team and university-wide committees or working groups.
Maintain electronic records, shared files, contact lists, project documentation, and Career Services resources.
Assist with event planning, meeting logistics, employer and alumni engagement, and special programs.
Track projects, deadlines, deliverables, and follow-up items; serve as a professional point of contact for internal and external partners as appropriate.
Create and edit digital and print materials, and partner with IMC to align materials with Pepperdine brand standards and communications strategies.
Assist with Career Services website content and updates in collaboration with University partners.
Support collection, processing, organization, and reporting of career outcomes data across Pepperdine University.
Coordinate administration and processing of student and alumni career surveys, including first-destination and career outcomes surveys.
Maintain accurate survey participation and outcomes records; clean, organize, validate, and prepare data for analysis and reporting.
Track survey response rates and support strategies to increase student and alumni participation; coordinate data collection and follow-up with Career Services offices and University partners.
Assist in preparing dashboards, reports, presentations, and summaries of career outcomes data; support consistent data definitions, collection practices, and reporting processes.
Maintain confidentiality and data integrity when handling student and alumni information, and collaborate with Institutional Research and other University partners as appropriate.
Support coordination and management of university-wide internship programs and strategic employer partnerships across Pepperdine schools and campuses.
Coordinate signature and exclusive internship partnerships and help communicate opportunities to appropriate students and alumni.
Coordinate operational components of internship initiatives, including employer communications, timelines, applications, student outreach, pre-screening, interviews, and program tracking.
Maintain a centralized system for employer partnerships, internship opportunities, contacts, engagement activities, and outcomes.
Partner with Career Services offices to coordinate employer engagement and minimize duplication while preserving school-specific relationships and programming.
Coordinate and support strategic initiatives led by the Associate Provost for Career Services; serve as operational lead for annual Pepperdine Recruitment Day.
Conduct research, gather and organize information, coordinate stakeholders, prepare materials, track timelines and deliverables, and assist with implementation of special projects.
Perform other duties and special projects as assigned; uphold the University mission through work performed.