Program Manager, Career and Professional Development Support

University of Maryland • College Park, MD

30d

About The Position

Organization's Summary Statement: The Graduate School’s (TGS) Career and Professional Development unit is reorganizing to improve our service delivery in professional and career services. Hiring a Program Manager for Graduate Student Career and Professional Development is a crucial strategy for fostering student success, as it enables students to explore diverse career paths, prepare for both academic and non-academic job searches, and transition smoothly from graduate school to professional positions. The Program Manager will provide leadership and administrative oversight of the Graduate School’s Office of Career and Professional Development, including activities in the Discovery House, a graduate housing complex to open in Fall 2026. This is the first dedicated, ground-up graduate housing for UMD, representing a unique opportunity to support graduate students in innovative ways. This position will direct and manage career-related services for graduate programs across all 12 colleges at the University, leverage existing faculty, staff, and program support for doctoral and postdoctoral career development to enhance their career readiness and employability, and oversee the development of career and professional development programming in the graduate living and learning initiatives of Discovery House. This position reports to the Director of Academic and Professional Development, is a member of the Graduate Student Success Team (GSST), and supervises one direct report (the program coordinator for Career and Professional Development). This role may require travel and occasional evening or weekend work.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Three (3) years or more years of professional experience and one (1) year of experience in a supervisory or lead role.
• Additional work experience as defined above may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for up to four (4) years of the required education.
• Knowledge of principles and techniques of written and oral communication, including methods for adapting communication style to different audiences.
• Knowledge of documentation standards, procedures, and best practices for ensuring consistent and accurate team deliverables.
• Knowledge of office productivity software such as Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace.
• Skill in leading presentations and conducting training sessions for large groups.
• Skill in collaborating effectively with Managers, Assistant Directors, and Directors to identify and resolve problems, implement improvements, and address ongoing issues.
• Skill in coaching and mentoring team members to enhance performance, provide constructive feedback, and support professional development.
• Ability to define deadlines, manage workloads, and maintain quality standards for deliverables.
• Ability to comprehend and navigate complex interpersonal situations, applying empathy and discretion when addressing conflicts or sensitive matters.
• Ability to implement and uphold documentation standards and procedures across all team functions.
• Resume and cover letter
• The successful candidate must complete employment eligibility verification (on Form I-9) by presenting documents that establish identity and work authorization within the timeframe required by federal immigration law, and where applicable, to demonstrate renewed employment authorization.

Nice To Haves

• Ph.D. or Ed.D. in any field with two (2) years of experience in career services or related fields, including direct experience with educational programming, student guidance, faculty and staff collaboration, and administrative responsibilities.
• Experience with graduate student clients in a university career center, experience working with international students around career development, and knowledge of career exploration in academia, government, industry, and nonprofits is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and administrative oversight of the Graduate School’s Office of Career and Professional Development
• Direct and manage career-related services for graduate programs across all 12 colleges at the University
• Leverage existing faculty, staff, and program support for doctoral and postdoctoral career development to enhance their career readiness and employability
• Oversee the development of career and professional development programming in the graduate living and learning initiatives of Discovery House
• Supervise one direct report (the program coordinator for Career and Professional Development)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees