Executive Director, Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Career Exploration and Associate Dean of the College

Brown University•Providence, RI

6h•Hybrid

About The Position

Brown University seeks a visionary, strategic, and deeply collaborative leader to serve as the next Executive Director of the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Career Exploration and Associate Dean of the College. This is a defining opportunity to contribute to Brown’s Open Curriculum, a distinctive model of undergraduate education. At Brown, the Open Curriculum empowers students to become the architects of their own academic journeys. Career exploration is not a transactional postscript, but an essential extension of the power of a liberal arts education. As technological change, evolving workforce expectations, and artificial intelligence fundamentally reshape the global economy, Brown seeks an inspiring leader who can help students connect the core values of a Brown education with lifelong curiosity and a drive for ongoing purpose and usefulness. The Executive Director and Associate Dean will lead the nationally recognized Tisch Center for Career Exploration, serve as a key member of the College's senior leadership team, and directly advise undergraduate students. This rare alignment of responsibilities reflects Brown's holistic approach to undergraduate education, intentionally integrating career exploration, academic advising, and student development. The successful candidate will embrace the promise and complexity of supporting self-directed learners, positioning Brown as the national model for how liberal arts institutions prepare graduates for lives of purpose, leadership, and meaning in a rapidly evolving world. The Executive Director and Associate Dean provides leadership, strategic direction, and high-level oversight to a best-in-class career services and education center. The Executive Director leads University efforts to integrate career exploration and learning into all aspects of Brown’s undergraduate experience, serves as a member of the College’s senior leadership team, and is an important advocate and University ambassador for innovation in higher education career exploration. The Executive Director reports to the Dean of the College. The Executive Director is expected to champion a culture of evidence-based practice and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will leverage modern data analytics to evaluate programs, demonstrate institutional value, anticipate employment trends, and ensure that all career development initiatives align with broader strategic enrollment, retention, and student success goals. The Executive Director is responsible for a team of over 20 full-time staff members and over 50 student peer career advisors and career ambassadors; programming that engages nearly 5,000 undergraduate students each year; and a complex multimillion-dollar annual budget including general operating funds, endowments, and current-use gifts. As Associate Dean of the College, the Executive Director serves as an academic advisor and colleague to other College divisions and programs, and as a member of various College and University committees as assigned.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
10+ years of related experience in career services or related field.
At least 5 years of which must have been in a management position of significant responsibility.
Ability to sustain long-term relationships and steward diverse interests.
Demonstrated ability to work and communicate with a wide range of constituencies, including alumni, employer partners, faculty, staff, and students.
Experience designing and executing an inclusive vision.
Leader in the career advising and education field.
Demonstrated knowledge of building positive and inclusive change.
Experience developing sustained, asset-focused collaborations with alumni and employer partners.
Track record of inclusive, mission-driven organizational leadership.
Experience advancing initiatives in a shared decision-making environment.
Strong commitment to continuous improvement and accountability.
Experience leading and managing a large and diverse team.
Willingness and ability to support and promote a diverse and inclusive campus community.
Proven track record of developing and executing robust assessment plans and evaluating program efficacy within higher education or workforce development settings.
Strong command of data collection methodologies, statistical analysis, survey design, and data visualization tools to inform strategic priorities and tell an impactful institutional story.
Skilled at converting raw metrics into actionable operational strategies that improve student engagement, employer recruitment, and post-graduation success rates.
Demonstrated success in fundraising, including significant experience with individual donor cultivation and stewardship.
Genuine and demonstrated interest in engaging, collaborating with, supporting, and educating undergraduate students to achieve their academic, co-curricular, and career goals.
Interest in helping students integrate their community engagement and academic pathways is essential.
Willingness to value student leadership in a shared governance model.
Excellent written and oral (including public speaking) communication skills.
Outgoing, open, and self-aware personality with strong interpersonal skills and inclusive, transparent approaches to decision making.
High integrity, excellent judgment, and good humor.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Responsibilities

Lead the nationally recognized Tisch Center for Career Exploration.
Serve as a key member of the College's senior leadership team.
Directly advise undergraduate students.
Provide leadership, strategic direction, and high-level oversight to a best-in-class career services and education center.
Lead University efforts to integrate career exploration and learning into all aspects of Brown’s undergraduate experience.
Serve as an important advocate and University ambassador for innovation in higher education career exploration.
Champion a culture of evidence-based practice and continuous improvement.
Leverage modern data analytics to evaluate programs, demonstrate institutional value, and anticipate employment trends.
Ensure that all career development initiatives align with broader strategic enrollment, retention, and student success goals.
Manage a team of over 20 full-time staff members and over 50 student peer career advisors and career ambassadors.
Oversee programming that engages nearly 5,000 undergraduate students each year.
Manage a complex multimillion-dollar annual budget including general operating funds, endowments, and current-use gifts.
Serve as an academic advisor and colleague to other College divisions and programs.
Serve as a member of various College and University committees as assigned.
Develop and execute robust assessment plans and evaluate program efficacy within higher education or workforce development settings.
Convert raw metrics into actionable operational strategies that improve student engagement, employer recruitment, and post-graduation success rates.
Engage, collaborate with, support, and educate undergraduate students to achieve their academic, co-curricular, and career goals.
Help students integrate their community engagement and academic pathways.