Senior Director Finance and Investment Banking Career Pathways

Vanderbilt University•Nashville, TN

5h•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Director, Finance & Investment Banking Pathways is a senior leader within the Career Advancement and Engagement (CAE) team at Vanderbilt University. This role is responsible for developing and advancing Vanderbilt’s finance career pathway, encompassing strategy, advising, experiential learning, and employer engagement initiatives. The primary goal is to prepare students for highly competitive careers in investment banking, asset management, private equity, and related financial sectors. The Senior Director oversees the design and delivery of integrated career preparation models that align with industry recruiting timelines and employer expectations, ensuring a cohesive pathway for student success. Reporting to the Vice Provost for Career Advancement and Engagement, the Senior Director collaborates with employer relations leadership, faculty, alumni, and campus partners to expand student access to experiential learning, strengthen institutional partnerships with leading finance employers, and enhance Vanderbilt’s reputation as a premier source of finance talent. Career Advancement & Engagement at Vanderbilt University is building a pathway-based career ecosystem that aligns academic experience, experiential learning, and employer engagement to improve student outcomes at scale, helping students explore, prepare for, and launch into meaningful careers.

Requirements

Master’s degree is necessary, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
Minimum 8–10 years of relevant professional experience is necessary.
Experience developing employer partnerships, alumni networks, or experiential learning initiatives is required.
Strong communication, relationship-building, and strategic planning skills are required.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in business, finance, higher education administration, military experience, or a related field is preferred.
Demonstrated experience in finance, investment banking, asset management, consulting, or related industries is strongly preferred.
Proven leadership experience managing teams or complex programs is preferred.
Familiarity with undergraduate recruiting timelines and competitive finance hiring processes is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Leads Vanderbilt’s finance and investment banking career pathway strategy, ensuring students are prepared for highly competitive roles across finance sectors.
Develops and implements milestone-driven preparation models aligned with finance recruiting timelines and employer expectations.
Identifies priority employer targets and works with employer relations leadership to deepen institutional partnerships with leading finance firms.
Ensures alignment across advising, experiential learning, and employer engagement activities within the finance pathway.
Cultivates strong relationships with finance employers and alumni leaders to expand access to internships, industry projects, and full-time opportunities.
Collaborates with the Employer Relations team to coordinate employer engagement strategies and recruiting activities.
Partners with alumni networks and student organizations to strengthen Vanderbilt’s finance talent pipeline and enhance employer visibility.
Oversees the development of experiential learning opportunities aligned with finance career preparation, including treks, industry projects, and employer-connected programs.
Ensures experiential learning initiatives are aligned with industry expectations and support student readiness for internships and full-time recruiting.
Collaborates with faculty and academic partners to integrate finance-focused experiential learning opportunities into the broader Vanderbilt educational experience.
Leads a team responsible for advising students pursuing careers in finance and investment banking.
Ensures students receive high-quality preparation for competitive recruiting processes, including technical preparation, industry insight, and professional development.
Supports student access to mentoring, alumni networks, and career exploration opportunities within finance sectors.
Partners with academic departments, faculty, and student organizations to strengthen the finance career pipeline.
Collaborates with Development and Alumni Relations to identify alumni and donors interested in supporting experiential learning initiatives.
Aligns pathway initiatives with Immersion Vanderbilt and other experiential learning priorities.
Develops metrics to track student engagement, experiential learning participation, and finance placement outcomes.
Uses labor market data and recruiting trends to inform pathway strategy and program development.
Continuously evaluates and refines programming to improve student readiness and employer satisfaction.