Assistant Director, Career Services

Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Statement

In addition to its commitment to a harassment-free educational and working environment, the College is an equal employment opportunity employer. The College is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees and complies with all applicable state and federal laws on the matter. The College does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including gender, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition or medical leave, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law. The College also prohibits the harassment of any employee on any of these bases.

Location:

Claremont, CA

Job Posting Title:

Assistant Director, Career Services

Job Details and Requirement:

BASIC FUNCTION:

The Assistant Director, Career Services supports student career development and external relationships for CMC’s scholars programs, particularly the Robert Day Scholars Program (RDS), and is part of the staff team in Claremont McKenna College’s Soll Center for Student Opportunity. Within CMC’s reputation as a top-10 nationally-ranked college, the Soll Center for Student Opportunity itself was ranked #6 nationally in 2024 by The Princeton Review for its career and job placement services.

The Assistant Director assists in organizing and executing initiatives to support students’ personal and professional development, aids in external relations with alumni and recruiters, and assists in evaluating evolving trends to help plan future program initiatives. The successful candidate draws on experiences that may include higher-education career services, external recruiting, learning and development, or related fields. The role is a combination of leading existing programs and initiatives, as well as the opportunity and autonomy to ideate and drive new initiatives, new methodologies, and new tools.

Central to this role is helping shape and support the Robert Day Scholars Program. This prestigious program selects and prepares highly motivated students for future leadership roles in a variety of industries. Students apply and are selected into this selective scholars program. By completing rigorous additional coursework and supplemental co-curricular programming, workshops, and events, RDS students excel with the fundamental skills necessary to navigate complex markets. Robert Day Scholars graduate with BA or MA degrees and leadership, hard-, soft-, and critical thinking skills to get placed and excel in their careers. The Assistant Director plays a vital role in continually building on the success of this program.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
 

Reporting to the Director of Scholar Programs, the Assistant Director, Career Services works both independently and collaboratively to perform the following essential duties and responsibilities:

Student Career Development

• Support one-on-one career guidance, goal-setting, recruiting, interviewing, and professional and soft-skills coaching to students.
• Guide, track, and report on RDS students’ career pathing, outcomes, and longer-term success.
• Establish and improve more effective ways to communicate and coordinate with students, faculty, and alumni across cohorts and career industry sectors.
• Help on-board and nurture each newly inducted RDS cohort; build RDS community across cohorts and alumni.
• Lead review, coordination, and approvals of RDS student experiential funding requests and processes; collaborate with other staff members on executing various tasks.
• Stay abreast of changing external market needs and dynamics to proactively drive or influence program changes/improvements to best serve students.

External Relations

• Proactively cultivate and manage new/existing relationships with external companies, firms, recruiters, alumni across industry sectors to assist with student pathways toward successful internship and full-time job placements.
• Manage requests from employers and alumni including preparing student materials, facilitating student introductions, managing workshops and meetings.
• Assist in developing marketing, communications, and content (external and internal) to support the Robert Day Scholars Program.
• Build and improve student recruiting resources, and improve processes and tools including assisting with deploying dynamic, automated tools.
• Oversee systems to track employer engagement, job placements, and external market trends using data to guide planning and continuous improvement.
• Provide updates on current recruiting landscapes and trends across industries.
• With the Director, assist with planning and coordinating the program Advisory Board bi-annual Board meetings; help manage the meeting minutes and other tasks.

Programming & Project Management

• Proactively and continuously plan, execute, and improve a range of programs, processes, tools, and communication.
• Serve as lead project manager for key initiatives throughout the year (e.g. new cohort selection process, recognition/celebration events).
• Build and analyze reports to support the programs.
• Ideate and help drive improvements of internal processes and automation.
• Collaborate and functionally oversee select programs, events, and tasks assigned to the Administrative Assistant and Student Intern(s), as needed.
• Partner with other CMC staff to build, execute, and improve programs and events.
• Manage databases, CRM systems, and tools for metrics and tracking dashboards including placement rates, employer satisfaction, and longer-term professional achievements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Regular attendance is considered an essential job function; the inability to meet attendance requirements may preclude the employee from retaining employment. 

The successful candidate will also be able to perform the following essential functions:

• Demonstrate a student-facing, high service approach.
• Take and follow directions.
• Work cooperatively with others.
• Receive and respond appropriately to constructive criticism.
• Display a positive attitude.
• Balance multiple tasks and priorities.
• Perform other essential duties and tasks specific to the position.

QUALIFICATION STANDARDS & SKILLS:

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree or any combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities is required.

EXPERIENCE: A minimum of two years of experience in student coaching/development, career services, recruiting, or related field is required. Basic knowledge of finance/accounting or consulting industry landscapes and/or recruiting dynamics is preferred.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES: Individual must possess knowledge, skills, and ability to be able to successfully perform the essential functions of the position, or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of knowledge skills and abilities.

• Track record of working with and coaching/counseling/teaching college students; adept at modern coaching techniques for current generation of students.
• High customer service orientation for this student-centric and external relations role.
• Positive attitude, attentiveness, responsiveness, and strong verbal and written communication skills.
• High organizational skills. Ability to manage and conduct hands-on tactical execution of programs.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication skills across departments and stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Demonstrate sound judgement and decision-making.
• Proficiency in independently working, planning, issue-resolution, and decision-making.
• Ability to thrive and problem-solve in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, independently managing multiple simultaneous projects/tasks.
• Proactively anticipate and reactively resolve issues.
• Adept at continuous improvement,
• Provide basic reports utilizing data, metrics, and external research.
• Ability to maintain student confidentiality.
• Ability to learn and apply new methods and tools including AI tools.
• Proficiency with Excel, PowerPoint, CRM/ATS platforms, shared/cloud-based platforms (e.g. Outlook, Box, SharePoint).
• Domestic travel is required, up to 10% of the time.

OTHER:

REQUIRED HOURS: The regular hours for this full-time position are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Holiday, weekend and evening work hours may also be required to meet the operational needs of the department. Travel may be required. Regular hours may vary due to needs of the College.

CLASSIFICATION AND STATUS: This is a regular, full-time, 12-month, exempt, benefits-eligible position.

Supervisor – AB1825: No

Mandatory Reporter – CA Penal Code: No

Responsible Employee – Title IX: Yes

Campus Security Authority – The Clery Act: Yes

IPEDS Category Job Code: 21-0000/23-0000/27-0000 - Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Light (up to 20 lbs.)      

SALARY RANGE: The anticipated salary range is $72,000 - $75,900 per year. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Claremont McKenna College offers employee benefits that include health, dental, and vision plans; flexible spending accounts; health savings accounts; paid vacation, sick, and holiday time; retirement benefits; basic and voluntary life insurance; dependent tuition remission; ride-share incentives; and more.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: None

REPORTS TO: This position reports to the Director of Scholar Programs

GROOMING AND APPEARANCE: Employees are expected to wear attire that is appropriate to the office or department in which they work.

BACKGROUND CHECK: The successful candidate will be required to undergo a full consumer background check. Employment is contingent on the satisfactory results of the aforementioned, in addition to compliance with the requirements cited in this job description.

ADA/OSHA: This job description defines the essential or fundamental job duties of this position. It is assumed that employees hired for this position can perform the essential functions of this job without imposing risk of substantial harm to the health or safety of themselves or others. It may also include marginal functions, generally defined within Title 1 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

DISCLAIMER: This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this position. Duties and responsibilities can change and develop over time; accordingly the College reviews job descriptions on a periodic basis and may make changes of business necessity.

AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT: Employment with the College is “at-will” meaning that the terms of employment may be changed with or without notice, with or without cause, including, but not limited to termination, demotion, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, duties, and location of work. There is no agreement express or implied between the College and you for continuing or long-term employment. While the College has every hope that employment relationships will be mutually beneficial and rewarding, employees and the College retain the right to terminate the employment relationship at will, at any time, with or without cause. The President is the only person who can modify or alter the at-will employment relationship.

Claremont McKenna College hires and promotes individuals on the basis of their qualifications, consistent with applicable state and federal laws, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Inquiries may be directed to the Director for Human Resources, 528 N. Mills Avenue, Claremont, California 91711-4015, (909) 621-8490. All applicants must complete and submit an online application to be considered for an open position.

Employment is contingent upon new employee providing documents verifying U.S. citizenship or, for aliens, documents verifying legal permission to work in the United States, applicant's acceptability for positions requiring use of a college vehicle is contingent upon a driving record acceptable to the College's automobile liability insurance. Promotion from within is encouraged whenever qualified employees of Claremont McKenna College are available. Interested employees of the College are urged to contact the Office of Human Resources if qualified for any open position. Please do not contact departments directly.

Disability Accommodations

In compliance with applicable laws ensuring equal opportunities to qualified individuals with a disability, CMC will make reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual (applicant or employee) with a disability if the disability affects the performance of essential job functions, unless the accommodation results in an undue hardship for the College. Employment decisions are based on the merit and not an individual’s disability.

An applicant or employee who requires an accommodation should contact the immediate supervisor and the Human Resources Office. If multiple accommodations are identified that do not pose an undue hardship for the College, the selection of an accommodation will be at CMC’s discretion. To request disability accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Human Resources at (909) 621-8490 or hr@cmc.edu for assistance.