Director of Professional Development and External Engagement
About The Position
Wilkes University is hiring a Director of Professional Development and External Engagement in the Sidhu School of Business and Leadership. This full-time, 12-month position leads initiatives that strengthen students’ career readiness, leadership development, and connections with employers, alumni, and the business community. The Director oversees the Personal and Professional Development (PPD) program, including curriculum development, instructional quality, assessment, and continuous improvement, and teaches up to six credits of PPD courses per semester. The role also provides individual career guidance to seniors and develops programs and events that connect students with industry leaders and professional opportunities. The Director cultivates corporate and community partnerships that support internships, employment opportunities, financial support, and student engagement. The position coordinates the College of Business and Engineering Dean’s Executive Advisory Board and Student Advisory Board programs, collaborates with campus partners, tracks graduate and alumni employment outcomes, and contributes to strategic planning and AACSB accreditation efforts. Wilkes University is an independent, comprehensive university offering liberal arts, sciences, and selected professional programs. It has approximately 2,000 undergraduate students and over 1,500 full-time-equivalent students at the graduate and first professional levels. Located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the University emphasizes mentoring relationships and contributing to the economic development of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Employment is contingent upon a thorough background screening. Additional clearances, including FBI fingerprinting and Pennsylvania criminal and child abuse clearances, are required for positions involving regular and unsupervised contact with minors.
Requirements
- Master’s degree in business administration or a related field.
- Experience in curriculum development, professional development programming, program assessment, and strategic partnership building.
- Knowledge of workforce trends, employer recruitment practices, and experiential education.
- Strong communication, relationship-building, organizational, analytical, and fiscal planning skills.
- Ability to lead collaborative, data-informed initiatives.
Nice To Haves
- Understanding of business school accreditation processes, preferably AACSB.
Responsibilities
- Lead initiatives to strengthen students’ career readiness, leadership development, and connections with employers, alumni, and the business community.
- Oversee the Personal and Professional Development (PPD) program, including curriculum development, instructional quality, assessment, and continuous improvement.
- Teach up to six credits of PPD courses per semester.
- Provide individual career guidance to seniors.
- Develop programs and events that connect students with industry leaders and professional opportunities.
- Cultivate corporate and community partnerships supporting internships, employment opportunities, financial support, and student engagement.
- Coordinate the College of Business and Engineering Dean’s Executive Advisory Board and Student Advisory Board programs.
- Collaborate with campus partners.
- Track graduate and alumni employment outcomes.
- Contribute to strategic planning and AACSB accreditation efforts.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
