PROSPECTUS
Executive Director Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development
Binghamton University
ABOUT BINGHAMTON
Binghamton University is a world-class institution that unites more than 130 broadly interdisciplinary educational programs with some of the most vibrant research in the nation. Our unique character - shaped by outstanding academics, facilities and community life - promotes extraordinary student success.
Binghamton merges rigorous academics, distinguished faculty and state-of-the-art facilities to engage and challenge its 18,000 students. The high-achieving Binghamton student body also represents a great diversity of life experiences, from first-generation college-goers to international students. Beyond their talent, these classmates share a desire to shape the future through technology, insight, intellectual exploration and community service.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Executive Director will supervise eighteen staff and an office budget of close to $2M with modest additional growth projected. The Binghamton University Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development is a comprehensive program including four core service areas: consulting, early engagement, employer and alumni engagement, and data and operations.
Moreover, there has been exponential growth in program engagement, student appointments, experiential education, and employer services (including significant increases in job and internship postings and alumni engagement). Strong partnerships have been built with the schools (Management, Engineering, and Community and Public Affairs) that have added their own career professionals, as well as Harpur Edge in Harpur College and representatives from all colleges.
First destination data, managed by the Fleishman Center but in close partnership with the Student Affairs Assessment and Solutions for Engagement (SAASE), has been strengthened in terms of both knowledge and placement rate over time. In fact, the university strategic plan placement metric was exceeded by the third year, with the metric now being raised to an aspirational 90%.
The Executive Director of the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development reports to the
Assistant Vice President for Student Success, Kelli Smith, Ph.D., who reports directly to the Vice President for Student Affairs, Brian Rose, JD. Both individuals are highly supportive of and champions for the Fleishman Center, and AVP Smith is involved within the field nationally and globally, most recently being elected to the NACE Board of Directors. VP Rose personally proposed and closed on the naming gift for the Center and strategically secured the centrally located space.
Leading a department with a talented and dedicated staff of 18 in total, the Executive Director has overall responsibility for strategic planning, service delivery and assessment, and budget and personnel management for a predominantly centralized career center that serves approximately 14,300 undergraduate and 3,800 graduate students.
Responsibilities
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Student focused-champion for students, motivated by student engagement and learning
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Integrate mission, vision, values, and commitment to equity and inclusion, and in collaboration with the staff, determine annual ongoing priorities for the Fleishman Center, working diligently to bring these priorities to fruition
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Prioritize developing and maintaining a healthy and thriving work culture and support for staff; commitment to mentorship, empathy and support for professional development; and advocating for the team, with the qualities of being approachable, accessible, visible, and present for the team
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Team-oriented; values the voices and perspectives of the team and integrates team into decision making
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Strong relationship builder with the skills to help expand the campus culture that career education is everyone’s responsibility
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An entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to create revenue-generating programs and services to further drive program enhancements
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Experience establishing and maintaining collaborative alliances with multiple stakeholders, preferably in a complex higher education environment
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Provide students with a robust career framework to tie academics, co-curricular activities, and career exploration together to focus their entire experience toward a career and life purpose
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Expertise in various facets of career development: consulting, employer/alumni, and data, and the changing nature of career services in a post-Covid era.
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Bold, creative, and forward-thinking leadership with the confidence to initiate unique programs and the clarity of vision to articulate the purpose of new initiatives
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Outstanding oral and written communication skills, marketing savvy, and the capacity to convey the distinctive value of the University, our students, and academic and career services programs to multiple stakeholders in a dynamic and compelling manner
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Demonstrated ability to lead an operation that considers and addresses the needs and concerns of persons from culturally diverse backgrounds, including students of color, international students, LGBTQAI+, and non-traditional students, and to foster sensitivity to a diverse and inclusive campus culture
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Proven ability to lead, motivate, and provide effective supervision and support to both professional and support staff
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Demonstrated capacity for success in developing corporate/employer relations strategies that expand employer involvement with the University and the recruitment of students
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Cultivates an environment of valuing, promoting, and celebrating student appointments and takes the lead in evaluating the quality of interactions and developing metrics to describe the impact on important stakeholders
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A truly global perspective and commitment to fostering an understanding of the skills and competencies needed for career success in a global economy
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Proven ability to build rapport with multiple constituencies: graduate and undergraduate students alike, faculty, alumni, parents, staff and employers
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Command of information resources relative to employment trends, emerging job markets, trends in graduate education, opportunities for internships, and experiential learning
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Knowledge and experience with the operation of a comprehensive career services office within a selective college/university environment
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A strong commitment to the use of technology to foster a more efficient overall experience for both students and staff
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A strong commitment to data collection, analysis, and ongoing program evaluation as a central component of strategic planning and program development
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Experience in new program development and bringing about change in a thoughtful manner, as well as proven skill in building consensus among peers, subordinates, supervisors and others
Required Qualifications
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Minimum of a master’s degree in higher education, student personnel, business administration, or equivalent and significant professional experience in career services, staff recruitment, human resources or a closely related field
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Minimum of seven to ten years of progressively responsible professional experience. Experience in a higher education setting is important; however, exceptional candidates with experience in career recruitment, placement and/or counseling in an industry or business setting will also be given full consideration
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Proven capacity to lead an organization/department
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Demonstrated ability to envision, develop, and maintain strong partnerships in academic and corporate settings
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Cultural competence with the ability to lead in a dynamic community with a diverse student body
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Demonstrated leadership and project management skills
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Proven ability to establish a clear vision and goals and metrics to measure success
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The successful candidate must be able to articulate a comprehensive understanding of today’s world of work/employment in the United States and globally and its relationship to student academic and career preparation
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Understanding and appreciation of the career services process from major/career decision through to experiential education and employment/graduate school
ABOUT THE FLEISHMAN CENTER FOR CAREER & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development, formerly known as the Career Development Center and newly named in 2014 after moving to a central campus location with state-of-the art technology with a naming gift from alumni Steve and Judy Fleishman, has undergone significant growth since that time. The most recent annual report speaks to the Center’s impact on students and other stakeholders. It has been recognized at a state, national, and global scale. The Center was selected as the Exemplary Career Center by NCDA in 2017 for providing comprehensive career services to undergraduate and graduate students at Binghamton University. Their work has also earned two innovation awards for innovation from the Global Summit for Career Services, numerous SUNY awards, and most recently as a 2022-23 College of Distinction for Career Development. Additionally, the work of the dedicated team also contributed to the university being ranked in the Princeton Review’s top 20 for career placement for the past 2 years.
The Fleishman Center is committed to Binghamton’s strategic plan’s goal to foster and advance an inclusive campus culture through ongoing training, professional development and open and inclusive dialogue with students, staff, faculty and partners. The team established a Diversity and Social Justice Working Group to continue leading future activities and to develop an anti-racist action plan for the Fleishman Center.
Importantly, the department has undergone a year-and-a-half-long strategic planning process as a team to develop a strategic plan that emerged from that process. The team is invested and excited about the plan, but are looking for a leader to adopt, execute and help move those priorities forward in a way that boldly focuses on our students’ success.
Vision:
Immerse 100% of students in career and personal growth.
Mission:
We create pathways for all Binghamton University students to explore, pursue, and achieve fulfilled lives
through a dynamic network of opportunities and connections.
Values:
Champion for Students
We are champions of students. Students’ growth, learning and overall success is the core of our work. We put students first and empower them with the connections and support to take ownership of their career journey.
Elevate Diversity
We elevate diverse perspectives, experiences and backgrounds and invite them into our work. We
continuously learn from and challenge our own experience and perspectives. We promote the career mobility of all students, creating pathways that enable them to overcome barriers to their career and personal success.
Invest Intentionally
We are purposeful about where and how we invest our resources. We cultivate meaningful relationships with those in the Binghamton University Community who share our commitment to student success. We pursue relationships where everyone is able to achieve their goals.
Engage Wholeheartedly
We engage wholeheartedly with our work, our students, our partners, and each other. We embrace open communication, authenticity, and empathy in our interactions and are committed to creating open and creative spaces where passion and the ideas of all contributors are valued.
Celebrate the Process
We celebrate the process, appreciating the “what” and the “how” of our work. We acknowledge our shared investment in each individual’s career journey. We celebrate and express gratitude for individual victories, our work as a team and the success of our students.
DIVERSITY AND BELONGING STATEMENT
Unity, identity and excellence are our core values. Excellence is inextricably intertwined with diversity, equity and inclusion. We celebrate all aspects of human diversity. We unite and overcome boundaries, creating a campus that values social justice, eliminates barriers to access, and allows individuals to authentically express themselves in all their dimensions. We believe that a thriving campus is one where everyone feels supported, encouraged, and can do their best, and where all voices can be heard, acknowledged and celebrated.
Binghamton University is committed to building and sustaining a diverse and inclusive campus. A premier campus is one that ensures that students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds may have the opportunity to pursue excellence in whatever endeavor they choose so that they too, might become the scientists, scholars and leaders of the coming decades.
Read about Binghamton University's Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award or their initiative to hire diverse faculty.
Leadership Bios:
Kelli K. Smith, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice President for Student Success (she/her/hers)
Dr. Kelli Smith serves as the AVP for Student Success within the Division of Student Affairs at Binghamton University, following the role of the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development Director. Her portfolio includes oversight of three dedicated teams, specifically the Fleishman Center, the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE), and Student Transition and Success which she created with existing resources to better serve Binghamton students. She regularly partners with Academic Affairs on student success-related projects, such as previously coordinating a university-wide team focused on high-impact practices and leading the creation of a Common Read program, now in its third year. She currently co-chairs the university’s Strategic Priority for Engagement, two committees related to enrollment management, and sits on the President’s extended cabinet. She also has adjunct faculty roles for both the School of Management leadership department and the Student Affairs graduate program.
Dr. Smith remains involved internationally in the field of career services, having co-chaired the Global Career Services Summit in Newcastle, UK, and most recently co-chairing this year’s NACE Task Force on the Positioning of Career Services Task Force and joining the NACE Board of Directors. She has conducted numerous presentations related to the field of student affairs and regularly published, including serving as the editor for two Wiley New Directions books related to career services. Under her leadership, graduate career outcomes metrics exceeded the campus strategic planning goal 3 years early, and the Fleishman Center and the CCE have won numerous state, national, and global awards.
Inspired by being a Pell-grant recipient and first-generation college student herself, she created the first campus pantry at her former institution, their first internship scholarship program, and helped champion the creation of Binghamton’s B-First mentoring program. She holds a master’s degree from Indiana University-Bloomington and a Ph.D. in leadership studies from UNL.
Brian T. Rose
Vice President of Student Affairs
Brian T. Rose has served as Vice President of Student Affairs at Binghamton University since January 2008 and oversees both student affairs and auxiliary services. Prior to his arrival at Binghamton, Brian spent 17 years at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey where he served in various capacities in both student affairs and central administration.
Brian teaches law and administration for a higher education graduate program within Binghamton’s College of Community and Public Affairs and has also led undergraduate seminars for the Binghamton University Scholars Program in topics related to higher education, law and urban planning.
Brian currently serves on the Board of Directors for Ascension Lourdes Hospital. Brian previously served on the Broome County Industrial Development Authority Board, the Board of the Phelps Museum and the Board of Directors for the Maine-Endwell Little League, the 2016 Little League World Series Champions.
Originally from Old Orchard Beach Maine, Brian earned his bachelor’s degree in history and international relations from the University of Pennsylvania and his juris doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
APPLICATIONS & DEADLINES
Persons interested in this position should apply online. For more information, visit this link.
Please submit:
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Resume,
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Cover letter, and
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Contact information for three professional references
The deadline to apply is November 7th, 2022.
This job description and prospectus has been designed to indicate the general nature, working conditions and level of work performed by employees within this job. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, working conditions and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.
