Assistant Director of Career Development (2 positions available)
Bennington College
Job Type: | Full time
Location: Bennington, Vermont, United States
Bennington College invites applications for an Assistant Director, Career Development to join a growing and vibrant Career Development and Field Work Term Office. Bennington is in the midst of an immensely exciting and transformative period in its history. The college is seeing growing interest from prospective students leading to record applications, increased selectivity, and steady enrollment growth in the last three years. The Assistant Director joins the Career Development and Field Work Term Office at a critical moment as Bennington engages the campus in dialogue and planning on elevating the strategic position of the Field Work Term (FWT) experience within the college’s academic program and the overall arc of the Bennington student lifecycle.
The Assistant Director, Career Development is responsible for assisting with the planning, implementing and delivering of all Career Development and Field Work Term Office programs and services, and providing primary leadership in the areas of career counseling and career decision-making for all students. Responsibilities include delivering 1:1 career counseling services to students, assisting students in developing marketable skills through experiential learning opportunities, assisting students in securing meaningful work through job search coaching and referral to appropriate resources, developing and communicating career development resources (e.g., career guides, sample documents, etc.), expanding and promoting career development programs for students, and preparing and delivering career development-related workshops and webinars.
In addition, the Assistant Director, Career Development is responsible for taking on a pivotal role in the Field Work Term program, an annually required experiential work term that contributes to the developmental model for progressive career education. This work involves overseeing specific operational and administrative components, which encompass Field Work Term registration, approvals, assessment, and graduation requirements, as well as processing Field Work Term stipends, waivers and medical accommodation requests. Additionally, the Assistant Director, Career Development, provides Handshake account support to students, develops standard operating procedures and processes related to Field Work Term administration, coordinates events, and spearheads special projects. This position demands regular interaction with students, staff members at all organizational levels, and external stakeholders.
Career Development/Student Career Advising
Assists with planning, implementing and delivering the Career Development & Field Work Term Office’s initiatives, educational and developmental programs, and services.
Provides individual career advising appointments to students and documents appointment notes in Handshake, Bennington College’s online career management platform.
Counsel students on career-related issues. Assess needs and support students in career exploration; assist students in all phases of their Field Work Term and post-graduate job search process.
Act within scope of practice and provide referral to other offices/services as needed.
Serve as a vital link between the Career Development & Field Work Term Office and the student body, providing students with information about the academic requirements of Field Work Term. Assist with managing the Field Work Term e-mail inbox, directing inquiries to the appropriate staff member to ensure timely responses. Staff weekly drop-in hours (virtual and/or in-person) to answer questions, direct students to resources, and troubleshoot issues.
Attend weekly meetings with the team to report outcomes of student career counseling and FWT related concerns.
Assess needs of all stakeholders and develop career development programs (including presentations, walk-in sessions, workshops, etc.) through working collaboratively with faculty, staff, and/or student organization leaders.
Conduct online research and peer school outreach regarding trends in higher education, experiential education, cooperative education, and career services.
Field Work Term Program Support
Assist with the review of all Field Work Term registrations according to protocol, including requirements for student work and supervision, alignment between learning objectives and Plans, and risk and liability considerations. Communicate registration approval or denial to students in person/virtual.
Work with Associate Director on college wide communication platforms i.e. weekly e-newsletters to ensure that relevant information is being shared across campus.
Participate in the Field Work Term assessment process, a year-round process with three cycles corresponding to the winter, summer, and academic-year field work experiences.
Collaborate with the Academic Services team to identify and assist students with academic warning, risk of withdrawal or dismissal, or unresponsiveness to FWT deadlines and requirements.
Assist the Associate Director in managing the Field Work Term Requirements Tracker, the centralized list of all students’ FWT graduation requirements, completed FWT’s, and FWT waivers.
Provide support in the allocation of FWT grants according to financial need status; meet with students as needed to discuss grant-related issues and problem-solve around areas of financial need. Consult with the Business Office to ensure eligible students are issued need-based FWT stipends upon FWT registration approval.
Support the Associate Dean and Assistant Director, Employer Relations manage various aspects of programming and project management functions related to FWT Fellowships (e.g., student outreach, information sessions, resume/cover letter reviews, financial aid, housing, etc.)
Assist with managing administrative processes related to Handshake (e.g., generating Handshake user accounts for new students at the start of each academic term and sending welcome emails; maintaining accurate records by importing changes to term standing, graduation dates, and enrollment status at the end of each term).
Support the Associate Dean and Associate Director with additional duties and special projects related to Field Work Term Program administration as needed.
Bennington serves a diverse student population inclusive of members of ethnically/racially minoritized, international, LGBTQIA+, and disability communities as well as diverse gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, and political beliefs. Our staff and faculty also reflect diverse and intersecting backgrounds and identities. All employees are expected to be respectful and responsive to these differences in the service of building community that promotes student and employee success and community cohesiveness. Each individual (faculty, staff and students) will be accountable for upholding these values. The College’s approach to pluralism and inclusivity—both as fields of inquiry and practice—is to prioritize flexible thought, and to invite the examination of access, value, power, and privilege through its institutional policies and areas of study. We encourage applicants from diverse realms of interest, backgrounds, experience, and accomplishment to apply.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in psychology, human resources or related required; Master’s degree in counseling, human resources or related field preferred.
Demonstrated experience in human resources development, career development; experience administering and interpreting career assessments (certification to administer MBTI, Strong Interest Inventory, CliftonStrengths among related tools).
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral), professional demeanor, and ability to develop a natural rapport with college-aged students from a wide range of circumstances and backgrounds.
Ability to work effectively with a variety of clients including faculty, students, administration, and employers.
Ability to handle multiple projects effectively in a self-directed manner, to solicit and receive constructive feedback, to work collaboratively with team members, and to maintain focus and composure in a fast-based work environment. Demonstrated success managing large-scale administrative processes a plus.
Ability to exercise good judgment and handle sensitive information with discretion; ability to uphold academic standards in a fair but flexible manner; ability to give and receive feedback from a positive learning stance.
Strong technological and organizational skills required. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Suites. Demonstrated success in working with database management systems and CRMs a plus, preferably in the career services field.
Bennington College requires the successful completion and acceptable results of a background check. The College may consider a remote or hybrid work arrangement.
The College
Bennington College offers a comprehensive benefits program that includes medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance, retirement, and tuition benefits including Tuition Exchange scholarships. The College also offers an on-site fitness center as well as generous time off benefits.
Bennington College is a laboratory for innovation in higher education. At Bennington, learning and making—on campus and in the field—are inseparable, and its graduates are noted for their outsized impact on the world’s stage. This campus celebrates the ongoing making of work—shared on walls, in shows and performances, in lectures and readings, and in conversations—and believes that equity, diversity, and inclusivity are vital to a collaborative community. This position captures, contributes to, and reflects the ethos of this creative community.
Nestled at the foot of the Green Mountains in Vermont, the campus consists of approximately 370 acres. The College was named one of ten with the best architecture by Architectural Digest. From campus, it is a short drive to the cultural offerings of the northern Berkshires in Massachusetts, Albany, New York, and many of Vermont’s top recreational centers. New York City, Boston, and Burlington, Vermont are all within three and a half hours by car.
To apply, please visit https://apptrkr.com/4563638
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Bennington College is fully committed to advancing antiracism and social justice throughout all aspects of the institution. The impetus of this work was President Laura Walker’s establishment of the President’s Working Group on Anti Racism (PWG) with the goal of becoming an antiracist, equitable institution "that is more diverse, more inclusive and is actively fighting against racism while exploring the intersections of class, gender, and other vectors of identity and positionality."
Bennington College’s inaugural Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and College Diversity Officer, Dr. Alfredo Medina, has prioritized working collaboratively with all constituents in dismantling systems, policies, and programs that are systemically racist and to consistently create and sustain equitable systems and solutions to challenges at the college. Additionally, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) Associate Director is charged with overseeing educational and social justice literacy training and programming on campus for students, faculty and staff. The ODEI works to finalize an action plan that incorporates PWG recommendations and addresses system and policy related initiatives.