Executive Director for Internships & Career Development

University of the Cumberlands•Williamsburg, KY

About The Position

The Executive Director for Internships & Career Development provides strategic leadership for the university’s comprehensive internship and career ecosystem. This position is responsible for ensuring all undergraduate students have access to structured internal and external internship opportunities, strengthening post-graduation employment outcomes, and aligning career initiatives with institutional advancement priorities. This role oversees both employer-based experiential learning and the university’s campus-based internship model, including the strategic integration and enhancement of the University Work Study Program as a structured, career-aligned internship pathway. The Executive Director reports to the Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement and maintains a collaborative partnership with the Office of the Provost to ensure academic integration and integrity of experiential learning initiatives.

Requirements

Master’s degree required; terminal degree preferred.
Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and managing organizational change.
Proven ability to build and sustain partnerships with academic leaders, employers, alumni, and external stakeholders.
Strong strategic planning and execution skills.
Experience with data analysis, performance metrics, and outcomes tracking.
Budget management and fiscal oversight experience.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to collaborate effectively across academic and administrative units.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a comprehensive internship and career development strategy.
Lead efforts to guarantee internship access for main campus undergraduate students.
Oversee transition toward potential internship-based graduation requirements.
Establish and monitor departmental KPIs, including placement outcomes.
Integrate campus-based employment and Federal Work Study into a structured internal internship model aligned with academic programs and career pathways.
Establish and monitor departmental KPIs, including internship participation rates, work study engagement, and post-graduation placement outcomes.
Provide strategic oversight of the University Work Study Program, ensuring positions are aligned with meaningful skill development and career competencies.
Partner with Financial Aid to ensure compliance with Federal Work Study regulations.
Collaborate with campus departments to structure student employment roles as learning-focused internship experiences.
Ensure equitable access to paid campus-based internship opportunities.
Collaborate with the Provost’s Office to establish standards for credit-bearing internships.
Ensure experiential learning initiatives meet academic, accreditation, and institutional expectations.
Develop structured learning outcomes and assessment practices for both internal and external internships.
Partner with the Department of Strategic Partnerships to expand external internship pipelines.
Collaborate with the Department of Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement to secure funding for internship stipends and employer-sponsored programs.
Strengthen alumni hiring networks and employer engagement strategies.
Track internship participation (internal and external), funding sources, and post-graduation employment outcomes.
Develop and monitor placement data and extended employment metrics.
Provide regular reports to senior leadership.
Oversee professional and administrative staff within the department.
Develop and manage the departmental operating budget.