"Director, Career Services"

As an integral member of the HGSE Academic Programs and Student Services team, the Director of Career Services plays a key leadership role in creating, implementing, and assessing professional development and career services for master’s and doctoral students in education. The Career Services team’s mission is to help HGSE students thrive during their programs and successfully prepare for meaningful, impactful careers in the field of education.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

The Director leads and oversees the Career Services team, which focuses on career exploration, professional development, and job search and advancement services for our 1,000+ HGSE master’s and doctoral students. In addition to managing staff, the Director oversees strategic planning, budgeting, and key initiatives directed toward supporting students’ career readiness and fostering connections among students, HGSE faculty, and employers. Specific responsibilities include:

Strategic Planning

• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for career development services that supports the diverse career pathways of HGSE master’s and doctoral students across education sectors
• Design a data-informed approach to define success metrics for student career engagement and outcomes, establishing measurement criteria and evaluating progress to drive continuous improvement
• Provide high-level oversight of the HGSE Career Services and related web presence in collaboration with the HGSE Communications and Engagement Office
• Create scalable career resources, programs, and coaching services that address early-, mid-, and senior-level career trajectories in education and related fields
• Build and strengthen relationships with employers and organizations across P-20 education, nonprofits, government, edtech, and other relevant sectors to expand opportunity pipelines for HGSE students
• Identify and implement strategies for ongoing faculty engagement in students’ career development and in advancing the goals and mission of Academic Programs & Student Services and HGSE
• Partner with the Career Services team to ensure all services, opportunities, and initiatives are inclusive, values-driven engagement that highlight impact, and connect graduates to employers, alumni, and to the School’s mission.
• Monitor education workforce and labor market trends to inform career advising, program development, and employer partnerships
• Represent HGSE on School- and University-wide committees related to career services and student professional development

Team Management

• Evaluate existing strategies, procedures, and processes to ensure maximum coordination, synergy, and efficiency across Career Services team members
• Convene direct reports and team members on a regular basis to ensure cohesion, transparent communication, and collaborative decision-making
• Model inclusive leadership in team meetings, hiring, and performance management
• Serve as a resource to all direct reports, stepping in as needed to provide additional support and/or coverage

Resource Management

• Oversee Career Services budgets, working with team members to ensure expenses and projections are accurate and within financial allocations
• Provide guidance and advocacy about resource allocation to ensure high-quality development and delivery of career services and programming

Working Conditions:

• Work is performed in an office setting
• HGSE is currently developing dynamic workplace models which will actively support a combination of on-campus and remote work (within a state in which Harvard is registered to do business) where business and operational needs allow. You and your manager will discuss the best schedule based on your role and operational need. If your role allows for remote work, please note that all remote work must be performed within a state in which Harvard is registered to do business (CA (Only Exempt), CT, GA, IL, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VA, VT, and WA). Please also note that Harvard will withhold each applicable state’s required tax and other withholdings from your paycheck for the time you work there.

Physical Requirements:

• Sitting using near vision use for reading and computer use for extended periods of time
• Lifting (approximately 20 to 30 pounds), bending, and other physical exertion