JOB DESCRIPTION
The Program Manager for Career Readiness leads the implementation, integration, assessment, and continuous improvement of the Career Ready Guide and approved related career readiness initiatives. Working directly with designated student populations and in collaboration with faculty, academic programs, student-support offices, and campus partners, the Program Manager integrates career planning, goal-setting, and workforce readiness into curricular and co-curricular experiences. Through faculty support and data-informed program development, the position helps students recognize, develop, and communicate the competencies needed for academic, professional, and post-graduate success. The position provides individualized career coaching, proactive outreach, and career readiness programming to assigned student populations. The Program Manager plans and carries out this work in coordination with the Director of the Muller Center for Careers & Purpose, ensuring that priorities, content, timelines, student-engagement strategies, and program development remain aligned with Center priorities, grant objectives, established program goals, and institutional needs.
JOB FUNCTIONS
Program Implementation and Curricular Integration
- Lead implementation and ongoing coordination of the Career Ready Guide and related initiatives.
- Coordinate the integration of career readiness into first-year and transfer experiences.
- Build collaborative relationships with faculty, course coordinators, academic departments, and student-support offices.
- Develop faculty implementation plans, communication materials, instructional resources, classroom activities, and assessment tools.
- Provide faculty and staff training and implementation support.
Student Coaching, Programming, and Outreach
- Provide student-facing coaching, workshops, classroom presentations, and group learning experiences.
- Develop outreach and engagement strategies for first-year, transfer, and other assigned populations.
- Facilitate career planning, goal-setting, and workforce-readiness activities.
- Coordinate cohort-based career readiness programming for first-year and transfer students, including workshops, classroom activities, and related events.
Program Direction and Center Collaboration
- Develop program design recommendations focused on increasing students use of career readiness competencies.
- Collaborate with the Program Manager for Career Development Technologies and the Career Development Specialist to align outreach, coaching, technology-supported resources, classroom engagement, and referrals.
Assessment and Continuous Improvement
- Monitor participation, completion, engagement, and outcome data.
- Develop and administer assessment processes.
- Collect, analyze, and communicate project data and implementation findings for grant reporting, institutional decision-making, and continuous improvement.
- Gather feedback to inform improvements to the initiative.
- Maintain program documentation and standard operating procedures.
- Remain current on career-readiness frameworks, student development, workforce expectations, and career education.
- Participate in committees, grant activities, and professional development.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This is a full-time, grant-funded position. The work schedule will be established in coordination with the Director of the Muller Center for Careers & Purpose and may vary based on implementation needs and the Colleges academic calendar. Occasional evening and weekend hours may be required for training, student programming, campus events, and outreach activities.
EDUCATIONAL OR OTHER HIRING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POSITION
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelors degree in higher education, career development, student affairs, counseling, education, workforce development, human resources, communication, business, or a related field.
- Experience in career services, academic advising, student success, workforce development, counseling, education, or a related field.
- Experience working directly with students through coaching, advising, teaching, training, workshops, program facilitation, or related student-development activities.
- Experience supporting program implementation, including coordinating activities, managing timelines, developing resources, communicating with stakeholders, and following through on commitments.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and campus partners and to build productive relationships across academic and administrative areas.
- Ability to collect, interpret, and communicate participation, learning, and outcome data for program assessment, reporting, and continuous improvement.
- Strong interpersonal, written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate career readiness concepts clearly to varied audiences.
- Demonstrated project management and organizational skills, including the ability to balance student-facing work with planning, documentation, assessment, and multiple concurrent priorities.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment within established priorities and decision-making structures, recognizing when issues, risks, recommendations, or proposed changes require consultation or approval.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle student and institutional information responsibly while supporting a diverse student population through inclusive, student-centered practices.
Preferred Qualifications
- Masters degree in higher education, student affairs, career development, counseling, education, workforce development, human resources, communication, business, or a related discipline.
- Experience in college career services, first-year experience, academic advising, student success, workforce development, or a related higher education environment.
- Experience integrating career readiness, student success, or developmental learning activities into courses or co-curricular programs.
- Familiarity with career readiness competencies and frameworks, particularly approaches that help students identify, develop, reflect on, and communicate employability competencies.
- Experience designing and delivering faculty, staff, or student training and developing facilitator guides, assignments, presentations, learning resources, or assessment tools.
- Experience with student outreach, communications, public relations, or marketing that supports program awareness, participation, and engagement.
- Experience with data visualization, program assessment, learning outcomes, or grant-supported initiatives.
APPLICATION
Application review will begin immediately and will continue until a candidate is selected. Candidates should submit: Cover letter expressing interest in the position, resume, and list of three professional reference via email to human.resources@newberry.edu with the Subject Line: Program Manager for Career Readiness.