Assistant Director, Experiential Education & Employer Outreach

Assistant Director, Experiential Education & Employer Outreach

Company: Villanova University

Job Location: Villanova, 19085

Category: Career Development and Services

Type: Full-Time

Posting Number: 20260144S

Location: Villanova, PA

Work Schedule: full-time/12-months

Department: 257-Clay Center

Position Summary

Why work at Villanova?

• Join a mission-driven organization. Since Villanova University's founding in 1842, we have been inspired by the values of truth, unity, and love, and are a community dedicated to service to others.
• Villanova has been included among the nation's best colleges and universities. VU's inclusion again in U.S. News & World Report's 2025 "Best Colleges" rankings is another indication of the University's continued prominence and forward momentum.
• Villanova's most precious asset is our people. As an employee, you will receive a holistic benefits package, generous paid time off, a competitive retirement savings plan, flexible work options, wellness programs including gym membership, professional development, tuition assistance, and more.

The Assistant Director of Experiential Education and Employer Outreach at the Villanova School of Business serve as member of VSB's O'Donnell Center for Professional Development and Undergraduate Programs team, reporting to the Associate Director for Experiential Education & Employer Outreach. This position will focus on experiential education efforts and the development of corporate relationships that meet the needs of business students and provide professional development coaching to support students' career exploration and holistic development process. This role will act as an ambassador for student participation in externships, internships, and CoOp programs as a critical element of their holistic academic experience and manage the academic internship/CoOp courses and collaborate with VSB entities, University Career Center (UCC), and other campus partners to develop multi-faceted employer relationships and facilitate execution of brand-building plans. In addition to the responsibilities mentioned above, this staff member will manage a portfolio of opportunities, aligned by discipline/industry and student interests, as assigned by the Associate Director and in coordination with UCC's employer relations model. This Assistant Director will play an integral role on the O'Donnell Center team, contributing to the development of a broad range of professional development resources/services, including career programming, curriculum initiatives, and student leadership development.

Villanova is a Catholic university sponsored by the Augustinian Order. The University is an equal opportunity employer and seeks candidates who understand, respect and can contribute to the University's mission and values.

Duties and Responsibilities

Career Coaching:

• Provide individualized, one-on-one support to students through professional development coaching appointments and offer small group developmental workshops.
• Maintain meetings notes and track student progress on defined professional development performance indicators.
• Provide appropriate resources to aid students in exploring various career paths, grow career readiness skills, and develop internship search plans.
• Assist students in identifying their strengths, interests, and values to help them make informed career decisions on internship search and preparation processes

Academic Programs Management:

• Manage assigned academic internship and CoOp programs, including marketing of opportunities, recruiting and preparation of program participants, and faculty approval process.
• Provide curriculum planning guidance in collaboration with Clay Center academic advisors to students who participate in an internship or CoOp course.
• Coach students individually and in groups in regard to meeting the requirements for academic internships/CoOps and fulfilling employer and faculty expectations.
• Advise students on their engagement in CoOps and special initiatives such as the Spring Accounting Internship Program, Global Citizens Program internships, etc.

Experiential Education Initiatives:

• Serve as an ambassador for experiential education among undergraduate business students.
• Collaborate with Associate Directors to implement strategies that advance the college's emphasis on externship/internship/CoOp participation as a critical component of the overall academic experience and process of bridging theory to practice.
• Assist with activities that serve the needs of students with diverse backgrounds.
• Educate the VSB community on the significance of these experiences in increasing students' opportunities for professional success upon graduation; communicate the importance of employers utilizing externship, internship and CoOp programs as the primary source for full-time hiring.
• Support a wide-array of student outreach efforts, development of collateral materials, delivery of an internship/CoOp education series, classroom presentations, implementation of promotional campaigns, and collection of experiential education outcomes data.
• Assist with VSB's engagement with Handshake, Villanova's campus career management portal.

University Partnerships and Employer Relations:

• Collaborate with Associate Directors and the O'Donnell Center team, VSB faculty and academic center directors, VSB Deans, University Advancement, Alumni Office, and University Career Center (UCC) to develop employer partnerships that produce positive outcomes, including internship opportunities, CoOp programs, full-time recruiting, career programs, curriculum enhancements, financial sponsorships, research projects, involvement with business societies, etc.
• Assist VSB centers of excellence with corporate relations efforts.
• Pursue employer referrals/inquiries with the mindset of identifying VSB and University-wide opportunities; facilitate connections between employers and VSB/VU parties, as appropriate.
• Help to engage employers in VSB's high-profile initiatives include the Spring Accounting Internship (SAI), CoOp Programs, market u activities, and Summer Business Institute career events.

Knowledge and Professional Development:

• Collaborate with Associate Director to stay abreast of curriculum developments that may impact employer interest in VSB students' and students' eligibility for internship/job opportunities.
• Maintain an understanding of the knowledge gained by students in their disciplines and resulting skills/qualifications.
• Engage in internal and external opportunities to stay current with career/industry trends impacting opportunities available to our students and their career readiness, enhance understanding of employer needs and relationship development, strengthen career coaching skills, etc.
• Regularly gather information about students' internship/CoOp interests in regard to career paths, geographic, industry and/or company preferences.

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

• Contribute to O'Donnell Center for Professional Development team and Clay Center initiatives, including the on-going development and implementation of the Backpack-to-Briefcase Program professional development curriculum.
• Perform additional duties and assist with special projects as assigned.
• May require occasional off-campus travel and overnight visits.

Minimum Qualifications

Formal Education

• Master's degree required in Higher Education, Counseling, Human Resources, Business or related discipline.

Minimum Work Experience

• Minimum of 2 years of professional experience
• Background in student development, coaching/counseling, experiential education, employer relationship building, and commitment to developing opportunities that serve as a critical component for bridging academic theory to practice.
• Understanding of the interplay between academic curriculum and experiential education.
• Familiarity with broad range of internship/ job market trends.
• High-level of curiosity and desire for continuous learning
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Solid technology skills/aptitude, including Excel, Powerpoint, Canva, Word, Banner, social media, etc.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Team player and high collaborative; ability to work with and gain the respect and confidence of faculty, administrators, alumni, students, and employers.
• Demonstrate a deep commitment to the well-being of the Villanova School of Business and the University, a commitment to the University's Augustinian Catholic heritage, and the advancement of its mission and to serving the needs of a diverse community.

Physical Requirements and/or Unusual Work Hours

May require occasional off-campus travel and overnight visits.

Special Message to Applicants

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until position is filled.

Because of the value we place on the servicing our students, final interviews will be held in-person, on-campus at Villanova University. We invite local and non-local applicants to apply; any candidate travel expenses incurred during the interview process will be the responsibility of the applicant. We thank you for your understanding and look forward to receiving your application materials.

All applications must include the following:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Names of three (3) references

Salary Posting Information

This position falls within salaried grade 13 and the range is $51,000-63,800. The final salary will be determined with consideration of several factors including the selected candidate's qualifications, department budget availability, market data, and internal equity.

Salary Grade 13