Assistant Director of Professional Development & Leadership

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $72,000 to $80,000

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

Columbia Engineering is looking for a team player and self-starter to join our Engineering Student Affairs team as the Assistant Director of Professional Development & Leadership. The Assistant Director oversees the administration and execution of our flagship Professional Development and Leadership Program (PDL) of Columbia Engineering. This includes: (1) manage all aspects of the professional development and leadership program, focusing on process improvement and innovation; (2) manage and execute over 250 professional development sessions annually for master’s, doctoral, and undergraduate students; (3) manage the enrollment of the PDL courses, including attendance at individual sessions; (4) recruit, on-board and evaluate/assess the session quality for all
instructors. TheAssistant Director of PDL collaborates across student-facing units to deliver quality support to all Columbia Engineering students.

Responsibilities

• (80%) Professional Development and Leadership:
  
  • Manage operations of the PDL Team to execute the school-wide PDL program, including the
    required MS course (ENGIE4000), Doctoral courses (ENGIE6001-4), and workshops for PDL
    Fellows, doctoral students, MS students, and undergraduate students
  • Assess needs and recruit appropriate course instructors; administer and analyze the
    attendance and evaluation data collected from the course to review the curriculum (core
    modules, electives, workshops) of the PDL program; recommend improvements as needed
  • Coordinate and liaise with the various Departmental representatives (career placement,
    student affairs) on student progress and engagement, and scheduling of electives, workshops
    and activities.
  • Liaise and negotiate with vendors, instructors and speakers in accordance with the School
    and University’s policies and best practices.
  • Support various student/employer/advisor facing systems that facilitate professional and
    career development, including the Columbia Engineering Career Connect system.
  • Collaborate with Graduate Career Placement on opportunities to connect students with alumni
    and industry partners.
  • Escalate urgent issues to Associate Director or Associate Dean.
• (15%) Graduate Student Affairs and Graduate Student Life:
  
  • Serve as an initial point of contact for graduate student questions or concerns.
  • Establish and enforce student and academic affairs policies; educate graduate students,
    administrators, and faculty about school and university policies; review and monitor student
    academic progress; monitor the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) of graduate students
    and preparing warning letters; collaborate with academic departments and faculty to properly
    advise students and develop academic plans to facilitate retention
  • Assist in the coordination of signature graduate student events to provide vibrant student life
    (i.e. Welcome Day, Welcome Month, Graduate Engineers Connect, Engineering Your PhD,
    Class Day, etc.).
  • Collaborate with other ESA units to provide onboarding, orientation and programming for
    doctoral students and ongoing opportunities for professional and career development. This
    includes programs such as Engineer Your PhD (EYP), Three Minute Thesis (3MT), PhD
    Connect, and other doctoral-focused events.
  • Recommended professional development topics for student-facing staff across Columbia
    Engineering; in cooperation with other ESA units, deliver training and workshop opportunities
    to student-facing staff to ensure high level of service to students in all programs.
  • Support the planning, development and implementation of strategic initiatives for Engineering
    Student Affairs.
• (5%) Performs other tasks, duties, and responsibilities as required.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor degree is required; graduate level work is preferred. Minimum of 3 years of related experience
  is required.
• Understand student and academic affairs opportunities and challenges affecting the constituents,
  consisting of a diverse population – domestic and international.
• Strong technical competency is required; demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of student
  services database software and on-line resources, and the willingness and enthusiasm to respond to the
  needs of students in an increasingly technologically dynamic society.
• Proficiency with Google suite of products, MS office (Excel with pivot tables, vlookup), PowerPoint, publishing software, social media, etc.
• Ability to analyze and work with a large volume of student, course and other types data.
• Must be willing to work on occasional evenings and weekends, on a needed basis, especially when on-call
  and student crises arise.
• Possess excellent interpersonal and administrative skills. Ability to work independently and under
  pressure, with high level of attention to detail.
• Candidate must exercise good judgment and flexibility.
• Must be able to prioritize multiple tasks with minimal supervision. Must be able to communicate effectively
  and tactfully with staff, faculty, students, employers, and alumni in small and large group settings.
• Student-centric, positive, mission-oriented, forward-thinking attitude and sense of humor a must! Thanks
  for considering us!

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.