Managing Director, Professional Degree Career Development, Darden School of Business

University of Virginia•Arlington, VA

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business seeks a strategic, innovative, and collaborative Managing Director, Professional Degree Career Development to lead Darden's professional degree career development portfolio and serve as a strategic partner to the Sr. Assistant Dean, Career Development. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of career development for experienced professionals while helping lead one of the nation's premier graduate business career organizations. Based at UVA Darden's Sands Family Grounds in Rosslyn, Virginia, this role joins the Career Development Office at an important moment in its evolution. As Darden's Executive MBA (EMBA), Part-Time MBA (PTMBA), and M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) programs continue to grow, the School is reimagining career development for experienced professionals amid rapid change in technology, artificial intelligence, and employer expectations. Reporting to the Sr. Assistant Dean, the Managing Director leads Darden's professional degree career development portfolio, providing strategic leadership across student coaching, employer engagement, and professional development. The Managing Director also serves as a thought partner to the Sr. Assistant Dean in shaping the strategy, innovation, and future direction of the Career Development Office. The successful candidate will strengthen career outcomes and career transitions, elevate the student experience, expand employer and alumni partnerships, and leverage technology and data to position Darden as a national leader in supporting experienced professionals. Because Darden's professional degree programs are delivered during evenings and weekends, the Managing Director maintains an active presence with students through programming (e.g., delivering workshops and presentations for audiences of 10 to 50+), some coaching (approximately 10%), and other key program activities. The ideal candidate is an intellectually curious, collaborative leader who enjoys building organizations, developing people, strengthening partnerships, and improving outcomes through thoughtful innovation and continuous learning. The Managing Director collaborates closely with colleagues across the Career Development Office, the Senior Associate Dean for Professional Degree Programs, Admissions, Communications & Marketing, Program Offices, Engagement, Corporate Relations, and senior Darden leadership to strengthen Darden's value proposition and create an integrated student experience from recruitment through lifelong career success.

Requirements

Master's degree and 6+ years of relevant experience, to include 2+ years formal management experience required.
Strong preference will be given to candidates with 10+ years of relevant experience, including 5+ years of formal management experience.
Proven success in leading, developing, and supporting career professionals by fostering coaching excellence, continuous learning, and a student-centered culture.
Strong strategic, analytical, and problem-solving skills with experience leveraging technology, AI, labor market intelligence, and data.
Exceptional relationship-building, communication, and executive presence.
Strong understanding of career development/advancement at the executive or senior level, employer engagement, leadership development, and the evolving employment landscape.
Demonstrated curiosity, adaptability, sound judgment, and commitment to continuous learning.
Commitment to the mission and values of the University of Virginia and the Darden School of Business.

Nice To Haves

MBA or other relevant graduate degree preferred.
Experience leading or supporting career development, executive coaching, talent development, leadership development, executive education, higher education administration, consulting, senior-level talent management, or MBA recruiting is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead Professional Degree Career Strategy: Own the strategy, performance, and continuous evolution of career and professional development for Darden's EMBA, PTMBA, and MSBA programs.
Develop and execute initiatives that strengthen career outcomes, career transitions, leadership development, and student success.
Evaluate changing student needs, labor market trends, employer expectations, and emerging technologies to continuously improve strategy and services.
Serve as a thought partner to the Sr. Assistant Dean while collaborating with senior Darden leaders on initiatives that strengthen Darden's professional degree portfolio.
Build Exceptional Student, Employer, and Alumni Engagement: Ensure EMBA, PTMBA, and MSBA students receive an exceptional experience that supports both immediate career objectives and lifelong professional growth.
Develop collaborative relationships with student organizations and its leadership to gather feedback and foster shared ownership of career development initiatives.
Lead innovative programming focused on executive presence, networking, communication, and career strategy.
Maintain engagement with students through advising, career education workshops, credit-bearing, and other co-curricular experiences to remain connected to evolving student needs.
Build strategic relationships with employers, alumni, executives, recruiters, and industry leaders in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and beyond.
Partner with Program Offices, Admissions, Marketing & Communications, Engagement, Corporate Relations, and employer-facing colleagues to create opportunities for networking and career transitions.
Measure Outcomes and Drive Continuous Improvement: Lead the collection, analysis, reporting, and continuous improvement of career outcomes and career transition data through the 12twenty platform while ensuring compliance with CSEA reporting standards.
Analyze employment trends, career transitions, and student engagement data to inform strategy, resource allocation, and organizational priorities.
Develop executive-level reports and dashboards that support decision-making across the Career Development Office and Darden leadership.
Leverage technology, AI, benchmarking, labor market intelligence, and data to improve decision-making, operations, and the student experience.
Build Organizational Capability: Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing team of career development professionals while fostering coaching excellence, innovation, and continuous learning.
Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement, and professional growth.
Collaborate across Darden to advance strategic initiatives that strengthen the professional degree portfolio.