Director of Career Development & Experiential Education Programs / Instructional Specialist I, 12 Month Salaried

Department

Business Career Services - Herbert Wertheim College of Business

Responsibilities

The Director of Career Development & Experiential Education provides strategic leadership for the graduate professional development program, as well as for undergraduate and graduate experiential education programs throughout the Herbert Wertheim College of Business. The director designs, delivers, and scales hands-on career development opportunities that connect classroom learning to real-world business practice, working at the intersection of students, faculty, employers, and community partners. This 12-month, full-time, non-tenure track Instructional Specialist position blends teaching and academic oversight with program leadership to ensure career development and experiential education are academically rigorous and aligned with workforce needs while strengthening students’ readiness, professional development, and successful post-graduation outcomes.

Under the supervision and guidance of the Director of Business Career Services (BCS), the Director of Career Development & Experiential Education will:

Academic & Instructional Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and delivery of graduate career development programming and courses, particularly for MBA, MSF, and MSBA students, including curriculum development, staffing/instructor selection and training, assessment, and course evaluation.
• Oversee academic experiential education and credit-bearing internships (UG & Grad; in-person/online), directing academic internship courses and enrollment processes, including student eligibility, deliverables, and performance expectations.
• Partner with faculty, program directors, and academic leadership to align experiential education with curriculum requirements, degree pathways, and accreditation expectations.
• Deliver curricular materials that integrate active learning, competency-based assessment, and reflective practices across graduate programs and experiential education modalities (learning outcomes, grading/assessment, required documentation, compliance checkpoints).
• Maintain a structured approach for vetting experiences, confirming academic requirements, and facilitating course engagements that support learning and skill application.
• Ensure programs' policies enforce student work-integrated learning conduct, safety, accessibility, accommodations, and necessary affiliation agreements or compliance documentation.

Programs Development & Student Engagement:

• Lead programmatic elements of the graduate professional development program and undergraduate/graduate experiential education, driving student-centered career development initiatives that strengthen career readiness and expand industry immersion.
• Develop, implement, and improve experiential education strategy, including end-to-end oversight of internship/co-op programs, service learning, immersion experiences, and digital badging/micro-credential initiatives.
• Maintain and improve end-to-end executive education programming structures (e.g., general business and major-specific frameworks), including policies, guidelines, and workflows.
• Advise students on career readiness, experiential learning pathways, and professional development; promote opportunities and support students’ progression from career exploration to placement.
• Develop and execute student-facing and employer-facing communications, outreach, recruitment/marketing campaigns, and informational resources to increase engagement.
• Support and coordinate college career programming such as networking events, skills-building workshops, and employer/industry presentations.
• Co-design employer-sponsored experiential projects, capstones, and apprenticeship models with academic units.

Employer & Industry Relations:

• Build, sustain, and expand employer partnerships and pipelines for experiential opportunities, projects, career immersion, and micro-credential recognition for undergraduate and graduate students.
• Work with the employer development team to plan and execute employer development and graduate recruiting strategies for master’s students.
• Partner with existing and prospective employers to identify needs and create aligned experiential opportunities.
• Serve as an additional key contact for hiring employers, campus recruiters, talent acquisition partners, and graduate admissions recruitment partners to strengthen placement outcomes and relationships.
• Coordinate with appropriate university offices on employer agreements, site concerns, and issue resolution when needed.
• Train BCS staff on experiential education pathways and student placements by major, including timelines aligned with industry recruitment cycles and key employer targets.

Data Management and Reporting:

• Drive achievement of graduate experiential KPIs (e.g., placement rates, offer conversion, engagement, satisfaction, skill application outcomes) using data-informed strategies.
• Manage experiential learning outcomes reporting end-to-end; maintain accurate records and dashboards in BCS systems/platforms; analyze trends to inform strategic decisions and continuous improvement.
• Produce periodic reports and briefings for BCS leadership and academic partners, using findings to recommend program changes.
• Establish an annual assessment cycle for experiential learning (student learning outcomes, employer feedback, course evaluations) and lead continuous improvement initiatives.
• Serve as functional owner for experiential modules within BCS software, platforms and learning management systems, including data standards and user guidance.
• Publish and maintain experiential education program materials (handbooks, eligibility criteria, timelines, FAQs, and evaluation rubrics) for students, faculty, and employers.

Business Career Services Support & College Collaboration:

• Collaborate with the Dean’s Office and college stakeholders to advance the Herbert Wertheim College of Business strategic plan through cross-functional initiatives.
• Lead and/or coordinate college experiential learning committee(s) and advisory board(s); collaborate with advising, academic departments, and centers to expand experiential education opportunities and improve workflows.
• Support recruiting events, workshops, and career coaching during high-volume periods.
• Assist with facilitation/administration for other BCS professional development programs (e.g., Undergraduate Professional Development, Engage 100, Business Living-Learning Community) as scheduling and staffing needs require.
• Perform other duties as assigned: Responsibilities may evolve based on center growth and changing student/employer needs.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher-level terminal degree in higher education, education, business, instructional design, career development, or a related field (or equivalent qualifications based on professional experience).
• Experience with course instruction and teaching methodology. Knowledge of principles and practices of program planning, development, and evaluation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Terminal degree or higher in a related field; OR record of advanced practice and leadership in experiential education or career development.
• Experience with NACE standards and the principles and practices of career coaching.
• Experience in business school environments and familiarity with graduate programs (MBA, MSF, MSBA).