ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Associate Provost for Career and Professional Development

Amherst, Massachusetts

The University of Massachusetts Amherst seeks a seasoned and strategic leader to serve as the inaugural Associate Provost for Career and Professional Development (Associate Provost).  The Associate Provost will drive innovation and provide strategic leadership in the design, development, implementation, assessment, and direction of career and professional development-related programs and services at the flagship campus. The Associate Provost will serve as a key university leader in setting the overall strategic direction and support for career services at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Founded in 1863, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is one of the nation’s top public universities. UMass Amherst is the largest public research university in New England, and as the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system, plays a particular and leading role in making a profound, transformative impact for the common good. The institution is distinguished by the excellence and breadth of the activities in its nine colleges and schools. True to its land grant roots, UMass Amherst is engaged in research and creative work in all fields and is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a doctoral university with the “highest research activity” or R1. The state’s innovation economy has expanded, and supports one of the nation’s most robust economies.  The University has demonstrated their capacity for leadership in several key fields of importance to the state and the nation, and will expand these areas based on the intersection of campus strengths and evolving workforce and other important societal needs.

Reporting to and working closely with the Senior Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education, the Associate Provost is part of the senior leadership team in the Office of the Provost and will play a critical role that integrates, aligns, and increases the University’s institutional capacity in career and professional development services. The Associate Provost will work to expand and integrate collaborations with alumni and employers to increase internships, co-ops, and post-graduate opportunities for students. The individual will also work with various internal and external stakeholders to provide more experiential opportunities locally, regionally, and globally, including facilitating students’ access to the vibrant economy of the Greater Boston area. The Associate Provost will work to coordinate the campus-wide career services network so it can work collaboratively to coordinate activities when appropriate in order to provide a seamless experience to undergraduate students. The Associate Provost will focus predominantly on strategies involving the undergraduate student population, but will also collaborate with the Graduate School.

The Associate Provost will serve in several capacities, including: fostering internal and external relationships; establishing metrics by which to determine the direction and outcomes of career services; advocating for student career readiness and preparation; integrating career services components into the overall academic mission; and supporting an enterprise that serves an increasingly more diverse student population. They will understand the importance of working collaboratively to enhance the strong career and professional development centers in the professional schools, including the Chase Career Center in the Isenberg School of Management and the Career Development and Experiential Learning Center in the College of Engineering, while initially directing most of their efforts to build the capacity and services of the newer Career Centers in other colleges on campus. In addition, they will build strong collaborations with Corporate Relations and Research and Engagement units.

The ideal candidate will provide strategic and effective campus leadership on known and emerging issues in career and professional development, as well as development of relationships with internal and external campus partners. The Associate Provost must be flexible, intellectually curious, and possess a strong commitment to advocating on behalf of student success.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has retained the services of Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist the Search Committee in its identification and review of candidates. Confidential inquiries, nominations, referrals, and curriculum vitae with cover letters should be directed in confidence to:

Rebecca Kennedy, Partner

Sydney Giller, Associate

Isaacson, Miller

263 Summer Street

Boston, MA 02210

www.imsearch.com/6716

Electronic submission is strongly encouraged

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.