Associate Dean for Career Services

Department

Law Senior Leadership

About the Department

The University of Chicago Law School occupies a unique niche among this country's premier law schools. Located on a residential campus in one of America's great cities, UChicago Law offers a rigorous and interdisciplinary professional education that blends the study of law with the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. Students, faculty, and staff form a small, tightly knit community devoted to the life of the mind.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Dean of the Law School, the Associate Dean for Career Services manages all Office of Career Services (OCS) operations and functions and represents the Law School in career services-related professional organizations and activities. The Associate Dean supervises career services strategy, programs, and initiatives; provides direct career counseling and support to students and alumni; and manages other department operations as needed. This position is also a member of the Law School’s senior leadership team and participates in strategic planning and administrative decision making.

Responsibilities

• Develops, implements, and oversees comprehensive career services support for law students and alumni in various stages of their education and professional development. 
• Supervises the Director of Career Services, the Director of Public Service and Pro Bono, and the Director of Judicial Clerkships.  
• Provides strategic and operational leadership for OCS, as well as internal and external professional development opportunities for the team. 
• Leads and directly provides career counseling and related services to students and alumni.  
• Oversees all OCS programming, including interview programs, student training and coaching programs, networking programs, and educational programs on a range of career-related subjects.  
• Oversees all public service and pro bono programs and initiatives.  
• Oversees all OCS aspects of the judicial clerkship process in support of faculty, students, and judges.  
• Liaise with and support faculty committees as requested, including the Career Services, Public Interest, Clerkships, and Law Teaching committees. 
• Represents the Law School and OCS at recruitment and alumni events and external legal career services programs, including conferences hosted by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP). 
• Manages the development, review, and revision of OCS communications, publications, and policies. 
• Leads the collection, analysis, and dissemination of legal employer career information and trends for students and alumni and oversees the maintenance of data and platforms for career purposes.  
• Maintains records to enable the Career Services team to provide comprehensive services to students and alumni and to fulfill internal and external reporting obligations. 
• Analyzes data and produces internal and external reports about student employment outcomes and patterns, including the collection and compilation of data required for reporting to organizations such as the ABA Section of Legal Education and NALP as well as other entities that request data for law school evaluation purposes. 
• Provides information about law student employment outcomes and patterns to the media, employers, students, alumni, faculty, and internal administrators. 
• Provides key input, leadership, and support to ABA compliance reporting and site visits as needed. 
• Oversees the OCS budget and produces annual and periodic budget projections and reports for OCS.  
• Participates in Law School-wide and other departments’ events as needed, including graduation, orientation, admitted students events, and Law School Council. 
• Partners with the Dean and other Associate Deans to provide leadership to the Law School in all top administrative matters. 
• Manages managers and professional staff within Career Services. Establishes performance goals, allocates resources and assesses policies for direct subordinates.
• Develops new and current programs, such as on-campus recruiting events and career management programs, to support students and alumni in post-graduate planning and career pursuits. 
• Performs other related work as needed. 

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications 

Education: 

• J.D., Ph.D., or advanced equivalent strongly preferred. 

Experience: 

• 5+ years of experience managing career services or another student services office strongly preferred. 
• 7+ years of experience providing career or recruitment services to law students, lawyers, or others in a legal profession strongly preferred.
• Prior experience working within a law school or other unit of higher education strongly preferred. 
• Prior experience supervising a multi-functional team strongly preferred. 

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Familiarity with accreditation standards and compliance reporting requirements. 
• Familiarity with database management systems.  
• Excellent computer skills including proficiency with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, internet research, and databases. 

Preferred Competencies 

• Expert counseling, organizational, interpersonal, and oral and written communication skills and meticulous attention to detail.  
• Demonstrated competency in developing efficient and effective solutions to diverse and complex problems. 
• Interact with great tact and discretion with wide range of people from different backgrounds.  
• Respect and protect the confidentiality of counseling and institutional information.  
• Strong leadership skills and collaborate across a team.  
• Perform efficiently and with a positive outlook under stress. 
• Juggle multiple tasks and deadlines. 
• Strong public speaking and presentation skills. 

Working Conditions 

• This position is available for partially remote work based on the business needs of the Law School.  
• Work some evening, weekend, and early morning hours.  
• Travel as needed. 

Application Documents 

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

Job Family

Student Affairs & Services

Role Impact

People Manager

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$185,000.00 - $215,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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