Assistant Vice President of Career Services

Position: Assistant Vice President of Career Services

Company: Lafayette College

Location: Easton, Pennsylvania

Reporting Relationship: Vice President of Development & College Relations

Website: https://careerservices.lafayette.edu/

Lafayette College Overview

Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college located on College Hill in Easton, Pennsylvania situated in the Lehigh Valley, about 70 miles west of New York City and 60 miles north of Philadelphia. Lafayette is a highly selective, liberal arts college with an endowment ranked in the top 2% nationally of independent colleges. In an environment that fosters the free exchange of ideas, Lafayette College seeks to nurture the inquiring mind and to integrate intellectual, social, and personal growth.
The College strives to develop students' skills of critical thinking, verbal communication, and quantitative reasoning and their capacity for creative endeavor; it encourages students to examine the traditions of their own culture and those of others; to develop systems of values that include an understanding of personal, social, and professional responsibility; and to regard education as an indispensable, lifelong process. Having completed an extensive strategic planning process, the development team is currently in the public phase of a $400 million comprehensive campaign that will secure the necessary resources to shape and sustain the College's vision for the future.

Assistant Vice President of Career Services

Reporting to the Vice President of Development and College Relations, the Assistant Vice President of Career Services (AVP) provides visionary and strategic leadership while overseeing the development and delivery of programs and resources as part of Lafayette's Gateway Program, which has been nationally recognized, as well as the College's alumni career services program. The AVP drives the enhancement and branding of this highly successful four-year model which engages students beginning in the first year. This position is Career Services' chief ambassador and collaborates with a variety of internal and external stakeholders, including academic affairs, student affairs, enrollment services, alumni relations, corporate relations, faculty, alumni, trustees, parents, and employers in order to foster effective relationships and partnerships. The AVP maintains a student-centered, forward-thinking operation, oversees assessment functions and the articulation of outcomes to internal and external stakeholders, serves as the primary spokesperson with the media on career-related issues of students.

Leading a talented team of eight full-time and seven part-time career professionals in a collaborative and action-oriented style will be a priority for the continued delivery of high quality career services in support of the College's mission. Additional responsibilities include: providing leadership for the expansion of employer outreach programs, developing creative ways to engage an active and dedicated alumni body, overseeing relevant assessment measures to ensure continuous improvement, and leading change to remain responsive to student career development needs and evolving market trends. This position calls for a charismatic, energetic and communicative leader who thrives on connection, collaboration, and authentic engagement with others.

The Successful Candidate
The successful candidate will bring a contemporary, global view of career development to the role, and will promote Lafayette as a preferred source of outstanding candidates for employers across all fields of endeavor, by strengthening existing employer relationships and developing new connections both from within Lafayette networks and beyond, for internships and post-graduate employment.

An advanced degree is preferred with ten or more years of progressive leadership and supervision in career services positions or in a related management field in industry. Demonstrated expertise in current career development models, career assessments, career counseling or knowledge of counseling theory, employment trends, legal issues in employment, and employer cultivation is desirable. Demonstrated ability to think strategically, act collaboratively, and lead organizational change, coupled with a track record of experience developing and supervising professional staff are essential for success.

Additional desired experience and capabilities include: ability to advocate for the liberal arts as strong preparation for a wide variety of employment fields; demonstrated commitment to best practices in career services as well as the competencies and ethical guidelines developed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE); experience managing resources, including budgets and technology; knowledge of effective assessment strategies to inform programs and practice; excellent communication, marketing, and public relations skills; demonstrated competency in working with the needs of diverse student populations; and evidence of innovative activities leading to organizational growth, and experience with program development and delivery models serving the needs of students in the liberal arts and engineering.

Year One Critical Success Factors
The following objectives are the most critical to address and accomplish in year one to ensure success:
• Gain credibility with the Career Services team, direct reports, peers and key colleagues across the College through enthusiastic and dynamic relationship building
• Continue to build a clear value proposition for the Lafayette College Career Services model
• Demonstrate growth in new employer markets
• Create a strategic plan for employer outreach
• Clearly articulate the metrics for student and employer satisfaction
• Engage alumni who can be strategic partners
• Foster stakeholder relationships to identify the needs and expectations of the alumni, faculty, staff and students
• Establish and strategically leverage key campus partnerships
• Support and advance the foundation of Career Services by creating a vision for growth around the model of career development

Key Responsibilities
• Leads effort to identify and expand connections with employers and external constituents to create and sustain excellent internship and employment opportunities for students
• Articulates the vision and services provided by the Office of Career Services to those outside of Lafayette College
• Consults with academic deans and faculty colleagues to ensure that programs and services address student needs and incorporates faculty involvement in identifying opportunities to bridge the skills development that takes place in the classroom and lab environments
• The AVP will oversee and strategically support Career Services staff who will advise, counsel and mentor students; create and implement effective and relevant programs to facilitate and enhance student development on and off campus to expand the Lafayette College brand regionally, nationally, and internationally
• Utilize predictive analytics to gain more certainty about employer hiring trends, shifts in demand and professional skills needed to succeed in the current environment
• Build advocates across campus and Lafayette community in support of critical Gateway program and other innovative career programs to platform as forward-thinking, integrative four year programs
• Partner effectively with the Development team to enhance external cultivation and stewardship opportunities
• Lead and mentor a growing team of career professionals as one progressive and cohesive team within the organization


Education
Bachelor's Degree required, related advanced degree is preferred.

Compensation
A competitive compensation package will be offered to the finalist candidate.

Equal Employment Opportunity
Lafayette College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Application Process
Interested and qualified candidates are welcome to submit a resume and cover letter to: LafayetteAVPCareers@kornferry.com

Confidentiality will be maintained, and references will not be contacted without prior knowledge or approval of the candidate.