Associate Director of Career Strategy

The Associate Director of Career Strategy reports to the Assistant Dean of Career Strategy and is an essential member of the Career Strategy team providing leadership, career counseling and career development support to the student and alumni constituencies of the W&L Law School community. The Associate Director will deliver career-related programming and offer individualized career advice based upon their professional expertise to facilitate the varying interests and career goals of the students while fostering W&L Law’s commitment to cultivate broad-minded, highly skilled, and honorable lawyers and leaders. Through relationships cultivated with employers, the alumni community, and colleagues, the Associate Director will support the mission of the office to aid the transition from law student to legal industry professional.

One of the smallest of the nation's top-tier law schools, Washington and Lee School of Law has a student body of around 375, and a student-faculty ratio of around 6.7 to 1. Lexington is a college town of 7,000 residents situated in the majestic Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The university is a three-hour drive from Washington, D.C., a two-hour drive from Richmond, VA, and a one-hour drive from Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, and Roanoke. A central aspect of the Law School’s mission is to promote a diverse, equitable, and collaborative community. We continually strive to foster an inclusive campus community that recognizes the value of all persons regardless of identity.

Washington and Lee University actively promotes a dynamic and inclusive environment that allows students and employees of multiple backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to learn, work, and thrive together. Successful candidates will contribute to that environment and exhibit potential for excellence in their areas of expertise.

Visit jobs.wlu.edu to learn more about working at W&L, our benefits, community, and living in the area.

Essential Functions:

• Counsels law students and alumni on job search strategies at various stages of their career and professional development.
  
  
• Meets frequently with students and student organization leadership, developing connections and a strong understanding of student professional goals and aspirations.
  
  
• Uses understanding of student goals to network with alumni, faculty, and industry contacts in the legal professional and related industries.
  
  
• Develops a large network of connections in various channels to assist in developing student contacts.
  
  
• Assists law students and alumni with preparation for job applications and interviews by conducting mock interviews and reviewing resumes and cover letters.
  
  
• Works with the Assistant Dean to track and manage auditable American Bar Association (ABA), National Association for Law Placement (NALP) and US News data that is used in mandatory reporting.
  
  
• Gathers and analyzes informational and statistical employment reports and surveys produced by the department and/or national organizations to inform career advising.
  
  
• Plans, develops, and presents educational programming on career-related topics.
  
  
• Presents and speaks to all constituencies about the work of the office, including presentations to prospective students, current students, alumni, and the Board of Trustees.
  
  
• Conducts employer engagement to increase the market presence of Washington & Lee Law School students and alumni in varying geographic legal markets.
  
  
• Collaborates with the Assistant Dean and law school leadership on matters of strategic importance related to the growth and management of the office.
  
  
• In collaboration with the Office of Law School Advancement, facilitates mentoring relationships between alumni and students and the active engagement of alumni in skills development and career-related programming.
  
  
• Acts as the primary resource for alumni seeking advice on career strategy.
  
  
• Assists with training and supervision of other roles in the office, including the Senior Recruitment Coordinator and student Rachford Fellows in consultation with the Assistant Director of Career Strategy.
  
  
• Additional related duties as assigned.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications:

• A Juris Doctor degree is required and prior career services or recruitment experience in a legal or higher education setting is expected or equivalent experience.
  
  
• A strong commitment to student engagement is essential.
  
  
• An in-depth knowledge of and experience in the private legal sector is strongly preferred, as well as knowledge of government, non-profit, and/or public interest legal settings.
  
  
• A high level of emotional intelligence and self-awareness is required to be a successful member of the Office of Career Strategy team.
  
  
• Strong oral and written communication skills and a demonstrated ability to disseminate timely and accurate information to colleagues and constituents alike.
  
  
• Ability to take initiative and exhibit strong attention to detail.
  
  
• Supervisory or program management experience preferred.
  
  
• Experience in the practice of law or a similar professional workplace is preferred.
  
  
• Experience with talent management or recruiting is preferred.
  
  
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion is critical.
  
  

Minimum Pay: $75,000 - Pay Commensurate with Experience

Application Instructions:

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. A resume and cover letter are required. Please upload these documents when prompted on the application form. You will be asked to provide names and contact information for three professional references.

Application instructions are at https://www.wlu.edu/employment-opportunities .

Physical Requirements:

• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling.
  
  
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
  
  
• Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
  
  

Working Conditions: The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Types of Work: Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Position Type:

Exempt, Full Time, Benefit Eligible

Washington and Lee affirms that diverse perspectives and backgrounds enhance our community. We are committed to the recruitment, enrichment, and retention of students, faculty, and staff who embody many experiences, cultures, points of view, interests, and identities. As engaged citizens in a global and diverse society, we seek to advance a positive learning and working environment for all through open and substantive dialogue.

Washington and Lee is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As such, we are interested in candidates who are committed to high standards of scholarship, performance and professionalism and to the development of a campus climate that supports equality and diversity in our faculty, staff and student body. Job description requirements are representative, but not all-inclusive of the knowledge, skill, and abilities needed to successfully perform this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.