ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER

Since its founding in 1850, Rochester has been committed to preparing its students for success in their future life and career roles, and the quality of the student experience has been a central value. The University of Rochester is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities for its excellence in research productivity (one of only 28 private universities in the U.S. to earn the distinction) and is consistently ranked among the top 40 national research universities in the United States.

The University occupies a beautiful setting located along the banks of the Genesee River and is home to the world-renowned Eastman School of Music, the closely integrated School of Arts and Sciences and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Simon Business School, the Warner School of Education and Human Development, the School of Medicine and Dentistry, the School of Nursing, and the Eastman Institute of Oral Health. Rochester, located in an especially beautiful part of the United States proximate to the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario, is among the most livable cities in the nation, with exceptional artistic and cultural amenities and a very high quality of life at a reasonable cost.

This is a particularly exciting moment and an inflection point for Rochester. Sarah Mangelsdorf, a nationally recognized psychologist and higher education leader, assumed the presidency in July 2019. President Mangelsdorf’s vision for Rochester builds on the University’s distinctive strengths and broad excellence while encouraging greater collaboration across schools and promoting key values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. David Figlio, a leading economist specializing in K-12 and higher education research, joined as provost in July 2022 and is collaborating with President Mangelsdorf and other University leaders to launch an ambitious and distinctive strategic plan this year.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Assistant Dean and Executive Director is the lead visionary and external-facing executive driving the enhancement, expansion, organization, and implementation of initiatives related to the pre-and post-graduation career exploration and development of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering (AS&E) students and young alumni. As the “chief career officer” for the College and Greene Center (and often times the University) with external constituents, the Assistant Dean works in collaboration with deans and other University leaders, academic departments/faculty, student services colleagues, career development teams, the Office of Advancement & Alumni Relations, corporate and ed-tech partners to create innovative partnerships, programs, internships, and opportunities that will serve students from their first year to their post-graduate careers.
 

Key priorities for the Assistant Dean include:

• Aligning the mission, services, and organizational structure of a comprehensive unit to reflect progressive best practices and measurable outcomes, and key performance indicators.
   

• Leading, growing, and developing a team of professionals that are responsive to stakeholder needs, and market trends.
   

• Deepening and strengthening early talent pipelines through corporate development and alumni engagement.
   

• Developing and growing ways to involve parents and family.
   

• Increasing the breadth and scope of experiential and post-graduate opportunities in various sectors.
   

• Addressing the unique needs of graduate students pursuing non-academic careers.
   

• Enhancing career education and outreach to students in partnership with academic advising and student life resources, and in particular, to international, first-generation, and underrepresented students.
   

• Serving as the principal spokesperson for the Greene Center with the media and other external constituencies addressing internship, career planning, and work-related programs and initiatives, as well as marketing the talents and capabilities of university students.
   

• Managing a $2m+ operating budget that includes a University-allocated budget, revenue accounts, and 10+ endowed and gift accounts.

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The University of Rochester institutional job description outlines the following specific responsibilities to be addressed by the assistant dean/executive director under general direction and with considerable latitude for independent judgment and initiative:

Strategic Leadership

●    Sets overall goals and priorities for the Greene Center in consultation with the Dean of the College and other University leaders. 

●    Consults and communicates with other divisions of the University in establishing these activities and in carrying them out. Coordinates efforts across schools and the college with emphasis on growth, scale, and technology. Provides professional development opportunities to all team members. Develop University-wide career ed-tech strategy.

●    Understands and implements services and programs that advance social justice, equity, and access to career education resources, opportunities, and networks to further Center’s mission.

●    Contributes (in measurable ways) to the overall goals of retention, persistence, and student success of undergraduate students.

●    Meets regularly with deans and other key University faculty and staff for the purpose of ensuring career education is integrated throughout the student experience.

●    Represents the University at professional meetings, alumni functions, employer gatherings, and student meetings (local, national, global); Speaks for the University by making presentations, writing letters and articles, and communicating information to the media, alumni, employers, graduate schools and community groups on career education and work-related issues. 

●    Develops policies and procedures relevant to the Greene Center and serves as the College's primary representative for issues related to career education and life design for students and recent alumni.  

●    Leads comprehensive strategic planning activities and initiatives informed by university priorities and data insights.

●    Serves on University task forces and assists with special projects as requested by the Dean.  
 
Experiential Learning and Curriculum

●    Oversees programs designed to increase internship opportunities for students in conjunction with other experiential learning initiatives and competency development. 

●    Supports and positions office to offer curricular initiatives and embed career education into the academic experience; works with curriculum committee and Dean’s office to evaluate academic policies and ensure alignment.

●    Develops key partnerships with campus partners and faculty to integrate career education into co-curricular experiences and the curriculum.
 
Development and Corporate Engagement

●    Leads a strategic, intentional effort to expand corporate engagement through active cultivation and strengthening of relationships with alumni, parents, and other employer representatives/recruiters to support the career center and the students it serves is essential.

●    Establishes and leverages a system of internal champions within a broad spectrum of corporate, non-profit, governmental, and entrepreneurial organizations that will actively promote the talents and aspirations of Rochester students and graduates.

●    As interest in the global marketplace expands for US domestic and international students, the Greene Center needs to have a proactive strategy for addressing the unique needs and interests of these constituents.

●    Participates in University development efforts to raise funds for these activities including presentations to potential donors and grant writing for foundation support. Works with AS&E liaisons to coordinate and create a fundraising strategy to support various Greene Center funds.

●    Partners with Alumni Relations to maintain and grow strategy for alumni engagement to serve as Greene Center volunteers and part of the career education ecosystem.
 
Greene Center Leadership and Supervision

●    Develops strategies for the College, students, alumni, faculty, and employers that address and are responsive to future of work trends. Ensures that the Greene Center continually aspires to be a dynamic, innovative, and highly collaborative organization that serves a broad spectrum of students and graduates and is responsive to changing trends impacting the marketplace and interests of students, as well as evolving trends and the use of technology. 

●    Directs the activities of the Greene Center, including long-range planning; staff hiring, development, and training; strategic planning and establishment of goals and objectives. 

●    Leads Greene Center Directors and leadership team in leveraging data to forecast trends, drive strategy and coordinate functional areas of the Greene Center.

●    Supervises and evaluates senior staff as they carry out their delegated responsibilities to develop and manage programs to meet these goals. 

●    Oversees the preparation of budget requests for the Greene Center and the administration of the office’s operating budget and relevant endowment accounts. Oversees program reports, projects future expenditures, and ensures fiscal compliance for appropriate federal, state, and institutionally funded programs. 

●    Manages a portfolio of educational technology with regular evaluation of resources and services that can be enhanced through technology deployment.
 
Assessment

●    Conducts comprehensive assessment of the organization - including mission, vision, and values, as well as services/deliverables/programming, staffing model, appointment scheduling, website, and branding on a regular basis.

●    Develops and evaluates services, resources, and strategies that will encourage all students to engage with the Greene Center and career education in general, beginning in their first year of study.

●    Ensures collection of first destination data and data coordination with institutional research. Advocates for continued career education data collection including experiential learning and alumni career mobility.