- Job Type: Officer of Administration
- Bargaining Unit:
- Regular/Temporary: Regular
- End Date if Temporary:
- Hours Per Week: 35
- Salary Range: $65,000 – $75,000.
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.
Position Summary
The Assistant Director will foster relationships with employers and facilitate job and internship opportunities for Master’s and doctoral students across the 70+ graduate programs in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. They will partner with appropriate staff, faculty, and administrators to develop and implement strategic plans focused on students’ career development and employer relations; represent the office to internal and external audiences; and maintain a robust job board, an accurate employer database, and up-to-date employer engagement records. This position requires occasional travel for employer meetings and evening events.
Responsibilities
Outreach and Communications (40%)
- Builds and maintains relationships with a diverse set of employers (international and domestic, on-campus and off-campus) and alumni interested in hiring graduate-level talent;
- Conducts cold outreach to potential new employers to increase the number of employers who post on our job board and participate in recruiting events;
- Serves as the first-line responder for employer inquiries; Partners with recruiters, hiring professionals, and Master’s and doctoral programs to identify potential talent pools in GSAS and build hiring pipelines;
- Tailors employer outreach to the career interests and needs of GSAS’s diverse MA and PhD student population;
- Continuously expands knowledge about career-related needs of GSAS’s graduate student population and accurately communicates that knowledge to employers;
- Contributes to print and web resources and office communications to students such as newsletters, flyers, and email messages to promote events, opportunities, and resources, and share student and alumni success stories;
- Represents GSAS Compass and the School to numerous constituencies, including current and prospective employers, other career development professionals at Columbia and at other graduate schools, and professional organizations.
Database Management (25%)
- Improves systems for planning and tracking employer outreach;
- Manages internal job board on a daily basis;
- Maintains accurate and up-to-date employer contact information;
- Tracks student and alumni engagement, relevant achievements, and employment outcomes for data collection and analysis;
- Grows student and employer use of internal job board and provides user support and training to employers, alumni, and students;
Programming and Event Management (25%)
- Plans, coordinates, promotes, and assists with design of virtual and/or on-campus career fairs, employer information sessions, employer site visits, panels, interviews, and other employer engagements;
- Collaborates closely with other GSAS Compass team members to integrate resources, programming, and support for employers and students;
- Collaborates actively with other Columbia career development offices, student groups, and graduate program staff on employer engagements and outreach and promotion of events and opportunities to students.
Administration and Student Support (5%)
- Contributes to yearly evaluations of GSAS Compass;
- Monitors activities of work-study students;
- Assists in policy development and goal setting for the office;
- Performs other duties as assigned by the director to ensure the success of career services on behalf of the School, its students, and alumni;
- Assists in preparing students for employer events and interactions;
- Occasionally advises students on improving their job search materials.
Other duties as assigned (5%)
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent experience required, and at least 3 years of related work experience;
- Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills with a commitment to customer service, and a desire to apply these skills to building employer relations and serving graduate students;
- Prior experience in one or more of the following: graduate or professional career development, talent acquisition/recruiting in a corporate or nonprofit setting, client management, sales and business development, and/or marketing. Knowledge of employment markets, hiring practices, processes and trends, and strong desire to apply that knowledge to graduate student career and professional development needs;
- An entrepreneurial orientation; the successful candidate will be imaginative, creative, analytical, and flexible.
- Knowledge of career planning and preparation tools and platforms (Symplicity, or a similar platform), and/or experience with database management;
- Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills;
- Excellent organizational, event, and project management skills, and ability to manage multiple projects effectively. Computer proficiency (Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and Zoom);
- Ability to perform off-hour work on occasion.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree preferred;
- Familiarity with graduate education and training in academic fields and associated career outcomes.
Other Requirements
- Interested individuals must supply a résumé and cover letter to be considered. Applications submitted without both a résumé and cover letter will not be reviewed. Finalists will be asked to complete a brief job simulation exercise.
Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran
Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.
Commitment to Diversity
Columbia University is dedicated to increasing diversity in its workforce, its student body, and its educational programs. Achieving continued academic excellence and creating a vibrant university community require nothing less. In fulfilling its mission to advance diversity at the University, Columbia seeks to hire, retain, and promote exceptionally talented individuals from diverse backgrounds.