Assistant Director of Career Advising

Merrimack College is a selective, private college in a beautiful, residential setting — just minutes from Boston, Massachusetts.

Position Overview & Responsibilities

The School of Liberal Arts at Merrimack College has an opening for an Assistant Director of Career Advising. This position will report to the Assistant Dean of Student Advising and Services and will work with another advisor as part of a team. In this role, the Assistant Director of Career Advising is responsible for nurturing and building long term engagement with their portfolio of students, guiding and mentoring them to make continual academic progress, and assisting them in career exploration, professional development, and job preparedness/search. This role melds together career and academic advising to provide richer, more in depth, engaging and holistic student interactions. Case management and meeting with students is an important component of this position.

The following are key responsibilities:

• Provides holistic academic and career advising for a given student caseload, as determined by the Assistant Dean. Counsels, monitors, takes initiative to outreach, and supports these students in their progress towards degree completion, academic success, exploration of interests and careers, and in their gaining job/career.
  
  
• Takes a lead role in creating professional development training for other advising staff to provide consistent career advising for students across programs/degrees. Serves as key resource for advising center/staff, providing info on techniques, tools, and best practices in all areas of career advising.
  
  
• Keeps current on best practices in student professional development, career specific competencies and skills, current workforce trends, employer needs and expectations, and industry opportunities aligned with majors/programs/skills.
  
  
• Acts as a liaison between O’Brien Center for Career Development and the school, in collaboration with the school’s Assistant Dean to leverage the O’Brien Center’s resources on career exploration, info on available job/internship opportunities, and tailored programming to best prepare the school’s students for successful career launches and readiness.
  
  
• Serves as key communicator internally (e.g., speaking to classes, group meetings, sending out targeted job, internship, or professional development opportunities, etc.) and externally (e.g.,admission events, networking events, etc.) on student professional development. Works with school faculty, staff, and administration to create communication plans to assist students in each major/program to gain networking and job or job-related skills.
  
  
• Advises students individually and/or in groups to create or update resume, highlight strengths and skills for an elevator pitch or interview, develop professionally, prepare for interviews, and communicate effectively with industry professionals and managers. Delivers professional development workshops and sessions, as needed, for specific groups of students.
  
  
• Collaborates with Vice President of Student Affairs and Success, Associate Vice President of Access, Success, and Achievement, and O’Brien Center staff/Employer Relations staff, along with advising center staff and Assistant Dean, to continuously improve student support and services, implement initiatives to improve retention and graduation, and deliver an exceptional student experience.
  
  
• Works on projects analyzing student academic performance and/or career preparation to provide insights to help improve Assistant Dean’s planning and programming.
  
  
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Counseling, related area, or area within the respective school.
  
  
• 3-5 years of career development and counseling experience, preferably in a higher education setting.
  
  
• Collaborative and team-focused working style with the ability to multi-task and thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
  
  
• Strong organizational skills, with some business/professional/education experience preferred.
  
  
• Professional communication skills, and excellent writing and presentation skills.
  
  
• Ability to engage with faculty, staff, and senior administrators.
  
  
• Demonstrated evidence of leadership skills.
  
  

Application Materials Should Include:

• Cover letter stating motivation and interest in the position, citing experience relevant to the qualifications and including experience with, and commitment to, our Catholic Augustinian mission, our values, and our desire to be a more inclusive institution of higher learning.
  
  
• Resume
  
  

This position is subject to the successful completion of a criminal background check.

Statement on Our Mission

Merrimack College is a Catholic Augustinian institution of higher education committed to building a culturally and racially diverse community. Our mission is to enlighten minds, engage hearts and empower lives and is inspired by our Catholic faith and the Augustinian tradition of seeking truth through inquiry and dialogue.

Merrimack College seeks candidates who understand, respect and can contribute to Merrimack’s Augustinian mission and values and advance our work in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion. We strongly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups. All candidates should describe in their application previous experience related to equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as how they will engage in fostering a culture that supports our Augustinian mission, our Catholic faith and our values of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Required Vaccinations & Remote Work:

Unless otherwise stated above, this is an on-campus position. This opportunity is not a remote or hybrid position as employees are essential in order to provide a fully on-campus, residential college experience for our students and the community. Merrimack College currently has a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. Students, faculty, and staff are required to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

About Merrimack College

The only Catholic, Augustinian institution of higher education in New England, Merrimack College is a private, independent, coeducational institution with more than 5,000 undergraduates and graduate students from 32 states and 37 countries, and comprises schools of liberal arts, science and engineering, health sciences, education and social policy, and business. The college’s 260- acre campus is approximately 25 miles north of Boston in North Andover and Andover, Massachusetts. Merrimack is a Master’s Colleges & Universities/Medium Programs institution in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Merrimack is one of the fastest growing educational institutions in the country and has steadily climbed up U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of Best Colleges, coming in 46th out of 170 schools ranked in the Regional Universities North category in 2020. Merrimack is also listed as one of the top 10 most innovative schools and placed 35th for best undergraduate teaching programs among schools in the U.S. News category.

Merrimack College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.