Director, Career Design & Programming (Promotional Opportunity)

General Summary of Position:

This being a promotional opportunity, only current UML Employees with the same Bargaining unit are eligible to apply for this position.

The Director of Career Design and Programming provides leadership for the university's career development ecosystem, integrating career education into the student experience.

The Director leads a team of career development professionals and works collaboratively with academic colleges, employers, alumni, and community partners to create a scalable and inclusive career programming agenda aligned with institutional priorities and evolving workforce trends. The position serves as a key leader in advancing student success, career outcomes, career readiness, and employer partnerships.

Career Programming Strategy and Leadership

• Develop and execute a comprehensive career programming strategy that supports student success, career awareness and readiness, and post-graduation outcomes.
• Design and oversee a portfolio of career education programs, including workshops, career development series, networking events, industry panels, employer engagements, broad-access career development courses, and career-focused learning experiences.
• Create innovative programming that addresses career exploration, major-to-career connections, job, co-op and internship search preparation, graduate school planning, and lifelong career management.
• Ensure programming meets the needs of diverse student populations, including undergraduate, graduate, international, first-generation, and historically underserved students.
• Identify emerging workforce trends and translate them into relevant student learning opportunities.

Career Design and Student Development

• Lead the integration of career design principles into career education programming and services.
• Promote student-centered approaches that encourage self-discovery, purpose exploration, career experimentation, reflection, and informed decision-making.
• Develop frameworks, resources, and learning experiences that help students connect academic experiences, co-curricular involvement, and career goals.
• Collaborate with career advisors to ensure alignment between individual advising and broader programming efforts.
• Develop initiatives designed to prepare staff with knowledge and skills relevant to career design, experiential learning, workplace trends, etc.

Career & Co-op Advising and Student/Alumni Coaching

• Provide individualized and group career advising supporting career exploration, decision-making, and professional development.
• Assist students with career planning, goal setting, and identifying career pathways aligned with their academic and personal interests.
• Advise students regarding cooperative education, internships, and other career-connected experiential learning opportunities.
• Review and provide feedback on resumes, cover letters, curricula vitae (CVs), LinkedIn profiles, portfolios, and graduate school application materials.

Staff Leadership and Management

• Supervise and develop professional and student staff responsible for career education and programming initiatives.
• Establish priorities, goals, and performance expectations aligned with departmental objectives.
• Promote a culture of innovation, collaboration, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

Employer and Campus Partnerships

• Collaborate with employer relations staff to develop programs that connect students with industry professionals and employment opportunities.
• Build strategic partnerships with academic departments, student affairs units, alumni relations, and external organizations.
• Engage employers and alumni as presenters, mentors, panelists, and program partners.
• Foster cross-campus collaboration to embed career readiness competencies throughout the student experience.

Program Assessment and Continuous Improvement

• Establish measurable learning outcomes and success metrics for career programs.
• Collect and analyze participation, engagement, and outcome data to evaluate program effectiveness.
• Utilize assessment findings to enhance program quality, student engagement, and institutional impact.
• Prepare reports and presentations demonstrating program outcomes and career center contributions to student success.

Minimum Qualifications (Required):

• Graduate degree in relevant discipline
• 10+ years of experience relevant to the role
• Demonstrated skills in program management at-scale and staff supervision
• Prior experience with career advising with progressive responsibilities

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in an administrative role in higher education

Special Instructions to Applicants:

This being a promotional opportunity, only current UML Employees with the same Bargaining unit are eligible to apply for this position.

This is a full-time, benefited SEIU professional union position in grade P20. Anticipated salary based on qualifications/experience within range: minimum $85,689, 25th quartile: $98,542 and midpoint: $111,396.

Please include a resume with your application. Names and contact information of three references will be required at the time of application. Submission of a cover letter is optional.

Working at University of Massachusetts Lowell

Located in the culturally and historically rich Merrimack Valley in northeast Massachusetts, the University of Massachusetts Lowell is a vibrant research university that offers its 13,000 students more than 120 bachelor's, master's, professional master's and doctoral degree programs. Exciting opportunities in experiential and service learning, scholarship, community engagement, and international partnerships can be found across the Colleges of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Engineering; Management; Sciences; School of Health and Environment; and Graduate School of Education.

This is a time of unprecedented growth and opportunity at UMass Lowell. Student enrollment and retention have improved annually. Research funding and alumni giving have increased significantly and the campus has embarked on the construction of two new academic buildings: the Emerging Technologies & Innovation Center and the Health & Social Sciences Building.

The University of Massachusetts Lowell is committed to increasing diversity in its faculty, staff, and student populations, as well as curriculum and support programs, while promoting an inclusive environment. We seek candidates who can contribute to that goal and encourage you to apply and to identify your strengths in this area.

Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Massachusetts Lowell is to enhance the intellectual, personal and cultural development of its students through excellent, affordable educational programs. The University seeks to meet the needs of the Commonwealth today and into the future and supports the development of sustainable technologies and communities through its teaching, research, scholarship and engagement.