Senior Director, Financial Services Careers, Darden School of Business

The Rector & Visitors Of The University Of Virginia • Charlottesville, VA

295d

About The Position

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business seeks a Senior Director, Financial Services Careers to join its Full-Time MBA career coaching team. Darden is experiencing strong momentum across our MBA programs, making this an exciting time to join the team. Darden is ranked the #1 Percentage of Graduates Employed at 3 Months, Class of 2024 (Financial Times, 2025), #1 Starting Salary & Bonus Among Public Business Schools (U.S. News & World Report 2019-2024), #1 Faculty and #1 Best Campus Environment (The Princeton Review, 2024), and #1 U.S. Public MBA Program (Bloomberg Businessweek 2024). Darden's Career Center provides over 1,200 graduate business students (Full Time, Part Time, Executive, and Specialty Masters) with one-on-one professional career advising, lifelong career management skills, and exceptional internship and job search support. The center supports our full-time residential students at our Goodwin Family Grounds in Charlottesville, VA and our working professional students at our Sands Family Grounds in Rosslyn, VA. Our team is driven by a commitment to student success and thrives on helping students maximize their opportunities. The center engages hundreds of companies that recruit and hire students for careers in consulting, investment banking, general management, asset management, private equity/venture capital, and more. Many more employers engage Darden talent via virtual recruiting technologies and platforms. In 2025, the center expects to manage over 1,000 job postings and host over 400 in-person and virtual recruiting events. Our employer partnership model helps organizations meet their hiring goals while fostering long-term relationships with the school. It also includes generating new relationships to meet the needs and interests of our student body—interests including geography, industry, and functional preferences.

Requirements

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) or terminal degree required; an MBA from a top-tier, full-time program preferred
• A minimum of 9 years of relevant business experience required, including at least 5 years of post-MBA work experience (preferred)
• Significant experience in the financial services industry required; direct exposure to financial services hiring, talent development, or leadership programs preferred
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain long-term, strategic relationships with key stakeholders, including executives, recruiters, and alumni
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with experience delivering presentations, facilitating workshops, or leading professional training programs (preferred)
• Strong emotional intelligence, demonstrated through empathy for students, integrity in decision-making, and collaboration within a team-based environment
• Commitment to and motivation by the mission, values, and impact of the University of Virginia and Darden School of Business

Responsibilities

• Coach MBA students interested in financial services career paths through individual advising, small group sessions, and targeted career development resources (one-on-one coaching approximately 40%)
• Expand Darden's industry presence by building relationships with alumni, executives, and recruiters—enhancing job sourcing, strengthening partnerships, and promoting the school's brand
• Advise financial services employers on effective strategies for hiring Darden MBA talent, providing industry insights to enhance their recruiting success
• Leverage industry expertise and professional connections to facilitate student access to job opportunities, mentorship, and career guidance (employer engagement activities approximately 35%)
• Improve the quality of career outcomes for students pursuing financial services by increasing job placement speed and enhancing compensation results
• Design and deliver career programming (e.g., classroom learning series, workshops, industry panels, online resources) to introduce students to financial services employers and career opportunities
• Join forces with a high-impact team of career coaches to strengthen industry insights, improve best practices, and holistically support students, employers, and key stakeholders
• Collaborate with the Mayo Center and the Batten Institute to connect students with experiential learning opportunities
• Support the Breakthrough Scholars program by advising scholarship recipients, coordinating with Darden Foundation and Mayo Center teams, and advancing career pathways in private equity, venture capital, and asset management
• Mentor student organizations, including the Finance Club, Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Club, Darden Capital Management Club, Real Estate Club, and Private Equity Club, providing industry insights and career support
• Partner with the Business Development and Recruiting Operations teams to strengthen employer relationships, expand corporate partnerships, and create high-impact career opportunities for students
• Support rotating strategic and operational projects that enhance career coaching and department efficiency, including student programming, employer engagement, technology, data analysis, and process improvements

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Master's degree