About The University of Oklahoma Michael F. Price College of Business
The University of Oklahoma Michael F. Price College of Business is an internationally recognized, comprehensive, research-intensive business school on the rise. The Price College of Business is on an exciting journey to transform business education and become bigger, broader, and better in preparing the next generation of business professionals, leaders, and entrepreneurs our state and country need. Over the past five years, we have experienced significant growth and have become the second-largest and fastest-growing college at OU, with nearly 5,800 students. Creating a comprehensive, best-in-class career development center is essential to this transformation.
The College offers nationally ranked undergraduate, master’s, executive, and doctoral programs across six academic divisions in Accounting, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, Finance, Management and International Business, Management Information Systems, and Marketing and Supply Chain Management. Online program development and delivery have become a strength as we now offer eight online master's programs.
In addition to our primary location on the Norman campus, we operate two additional state-of- the-art facilities to serve our students and the state better. Our Gene Rainbolt Graduate School of Business is a 27,000-square-foot facility in the heart of Oklahoma City's Innovation District. It is home to our full-time, professional, and online MBA programs, the Executive MBA in Aerospace and Defense, and the Price Executive Academy. As an essential player in the Oklahoma entrepreneurial ecosystem, the Tom Love Innovation Hub is a 20,000-square-foot facility whose mission is to help build a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation across OU and Oklahoma and to catalyze the creation and growth of OU and Oklahoma-based startups.
Many Price College graduates have become leaders in their fields and successful entrepreneurs, joining an extensive OU network of nearly 270,000 alums worldwide. A significant strength of Price College is our community of more than 44,000 loyal alumni.
GENERAL OVERVIEW
The University of Oklahoma Michael F. Price College of Business seeks an experienced, entrepreneurial, and student-centered leader to develop and implement a comprehensive and innovative career development strategy to provide a best-in-class career development experience for all Price College students (undergraduate and graduate), alumni and employers and achieve excellent student employment outcomes. In support of the College’s strategic plan, this position provides an exciting opportunity for the chosen candidate to build a new career development center, with substantial support from the Dean, Academic Divisions, Advancement team and University Marketing and Communications.
Reporting to the Dean and serving as a member of the College’s Executive Committee, the Executive Director of Career Development serves as the College’s “chief career officer” and provides strategic direction and management for a team of 14-16 full-time and part-time professionals and 2-4 student workers organized around employer recruiting operations and undergraduate and graduate student career management. The ED will be responsible for creating the necessary roles and overseeing the recruiting process to fill them. The ED manages the Center’s budget and builds and sustains revenue through career events, corporate sponsorships, and other revenue-generation opportunities.
The ED collaborates closely with the College’s Associate Deans, Academic Division Directors, Undergraduate and Graduate Program Directors, Faculty members, Advancement Office, and Price Executive Academy, as well as the University’s Marketing and Communications, Alumni Affairs, Career Center and Graduate College, 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.
Primary Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
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Develop and execute a forward-thinking vision and strategy for career development in consultation with the Dean and other critical stakeholders that aligns with the College's goals and objectives.
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Collaborate with the Dean, faculty, and other stakeholders to integrate career development initiatives into the curriculum and co-curricular activities.
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Develop and implement services and programs that advance student and alumni access to career education resources, opportunities, and networks to further the Center’s mission.
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Oversee and support the teaching of relevant career courses across the college.
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Develop and implement scalable career development solutions to influence and equip students throughout the student life cycle.
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Develop and manage an employer advisory council to advise on center strategy, policies and operations.
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Elevate and grow a culture of internships and experiential learning opportunities for all students; increase student participation through relationships with faculty and employers.
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Continuously review the center’s structure, programs/services, and overall effectiveness; identify emerging trends, opportunities, and challenges, particularly as they relate to the world of work, and adjust the center’s strategy accordingly.
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Contribute in measurable ways to the College’s retention, persistence, graduation and student success goals of undergraduate and graduate students.
People Leader and Manager
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Manage and lead all Center full-time and part-time staff and student workers for undergraduate and graduate students, including specialized master’s students.
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Align the work of the graduate career services team to the overall strategy of career success for the college.
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Foster a culture of continuous quality improvement and set organizational goals and objectives with performance metrics to measure progress and success.
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Ensure the staff is knowledgeable, inclusive, welcoming, and eager to serve. Particular focus should be placed on developing staff to serve clients from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences.
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Develop and implement organizational policies and procedures to ensure compliance with legal requirements and industry best practices.
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Provide professional development opportunities to all team members.
Communication and Collaboration
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Develop and implement a college-wide communication strategy, in collaboration with OU Marketing and Communications, to promote the vision and services available to all Price students and alumni.
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Represent the College to recruiting partners in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Dallas-Fort Worth, and other regional areas and beyond.
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Represent the College by making presentations, writing letters and articles, and communicating information on career education and work-related issues to the media, alumni, employers, graduate schools, community groups, and students.
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Serves as the College's primary representative for career education and career design issues for students and recent alumni.
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Serve on college and university committees and assist with special projects as requested by the Dean.
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Collaborate with the university career center on university-wide initiatives and with OU Online on providing career development services for Price College online program graduate students.
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Participate in regional, national, and international professional and industry associations and seek leadership roles when possible.
Assessment, Analysis, and Reporting
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Assess student learning outcomes and use data-guided decision-making to inform center strategy.
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Identify employer and job market trends and share this information widely with college constituents.
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Manage robust data collection processes and a data analyst to provide semi-annual impact reports and annual reports highlighting student employment outcomes and innovative programs and services.
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Collaborate with university marketing and communications to ensure a broad distribution of reports to stakeholders through multiple media and channels.
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Support the college's efforts to report relevant information for AASCB accreditation, rankings, and other external metrics.
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Guide the ongoing use of assessment tools and data collection techniques; monitor key performance indicators to gauge the effectiveness of Center efforts and determine effective means of providing service; ensure the compilation and distribution of career outcomes data, including first destination and alumni surveys; and research employment trends affecting career opportunities and preparation of students while benchmarking College outcomes against those of peer institutions.
Budgeting and Resourcing
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Manage center income and expense budgets, plan strategically for future fiscal years, and identify new opportunities for additional funding and support.
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Collaborate with the College’s Advancement team to cultivate, solicit, and steward donors to support the Career Development Center.
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Pursue revenue-generating activities, such as career fairs and corporate career events, to ensure sufficient financial resources for the center.
Technology and Facilities Management
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Manage Handshake operations (in cooperation with OU Career Center) and PeopleGrove operations (in collaboration with Alumni Relations Coordinator).
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Maximize the creative and effective use of technology to enhance the center's ability to provide efficient and world-class service.
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Provide facility management of all career development spaces.
Minimum Education & Experience:
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Graduate degree with an emphasis in a discipline directly related to staffing, employment, career development, career planning, or other human resources discipline (including business, educational administration, counseling, college student personnel, or a related field) AND a minimum of eight years of progressive experience in a college career services office or similar management-related experience in the field of career development, student development, competency development and experiential learning, and/or corporate relations/corporate recruiting.
OR
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Undergraduate degree with an emphasis in a discipline directly related to staffing, employment, career development, career planning, or other human resources discipline (including business, educational administration, counseling, college student personnel, or a related field) AND a minimum of ten years of progressive experience in a college career services office or similar management-related experience in the field of career development, student development, competency development and experiential learning, and/or corporate relations/corporate recruiting.
OR
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Undergraduate degree in any field of study and at least twelve years of progressive experience in a college career services office or similar management-related experience in the field of career development, student development, competency development and experiential learning, and/or corporate relations/corporate recruiting.
Preferred Experience, Skills and/or Abilities:
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Demonstrated knowledge and experience with career development theory, techniques, and data-driven program assessment tools.
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Competency with career development industry trends and best practices to guide continuous data collection, monitor key performance indicators, and gauge the effectiveness of Center programs and services.
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Experience in building successful partnerships with employers across multiple sectors.
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A robust understanding of and passion for the transforming global workplace, especially concerning the skills gap, generational shifts, and the use of AI and other tools at work.
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Substantial experience managing staff and budgets and developing collaborative partnerships across diverse and complex professional environments.
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Demonstrated knowledge of the higher education environment and business schools.
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Demonstrated ability to partner with University Advancement professionals in cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donors.
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Demonstrated commitment to the highest ethical standards of professional practice and personal and professional integrity.
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Ability to work independently and to delegate effectively.
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Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects and stakeholders.
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Ability to maintain a professional demeanor and uphold confidentiality.
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Strong oral and written communication skills, including public speaking.
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Strong interpersonal and networking skills, including emotional and cultural intelligence.
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Demonstrated effectiveness in leading large teams by building trust and effective collaboration.
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Ability and commitment to working with people from diverse backgrounds.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Commensurate with experience.
As a business school academic, Professor Phelps has lived and worked in the U.S., France, and Canada and has taught or consulted in more than 30 countries around the world.
Prior to joining OU, Professor Phelps served as Associate Dean of Executive Programs and Education, Professor of Strategy and Organization, and Marcel Desautels Faculty Fellow at the Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University. As Associate Dean, he was a member of the faculty’s executive and academic committees, oversaw three executive masters’ programs and the McGill Executive Institute, and led the development and implementation of the faculty’s five-year strategic plan.
Before McGill, Professor Phelps was a member of the Strategy and Business Policy faculty at HEC Paris, where he directed large bespoke executive programs. Prior to that, he was an Assistant Professor of Management and Organization and Dempsey Faculty Fellow at the Foster School of Business, University of Washington.
Professor Phelps received his Ph.D. from the Stern School of Business, New York University, and MBA and BA degrees from San Diego State University.
Professor Phelps’s research, which has been published in leading management journals, intersects strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation and has been cited over 8,000 times, according to Google Scholar. His book, Cracked It! How to Solve Big Problems and Sell Solutions Like Top Strategy Consultants (co-authored with Bernard Garrette and Olivier Sibony), was published in 2018 by Palgrave Macmillan and has garnered considerable media attention. He has received multiple research awards and research grants and is a member of the editorial boards of four leading academic journals.
Professor Phelps is the past Chair of the Academy of Management Technology and Innovation Management Division and the Knowledge and Innovation Interest Group of the Strategic Management Society. In 2011, he initiated and co-founded the European Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation (SEI) Doctoral Consortium and continues to serve on its executive committee.
Professor Phelps has delivered keynote presentations, executive training programs, and consulting engagements to more than 75 organizations in Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. He has designed and directed numerous executive development programs, including the HEC Paris-Atos GOLD Talent Development Program, which received the EFMD Excellence in Practice Award for best custom talent development program. In recognition of his teaching excellence, he received the Pierre Vernimmen BNP Paribas Award at HEC Paris and undergraduate and MBA professor of the year awards at the University of Washington.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
This position offers a competitive salary and benefits. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, current resume, and three references as one document, either in Word or a PDF. The file name should start with your first name and then your last name, such as “John Doe – OU Price College of Business Application.” This should be emailed to search@careerleadershipcollective.com with the subject “Application for OU Price College of Business Executive Director.”
To be considered, interested applicants should submit the requested materials no later than Monday, June 17, 2024, 11:59 EDT.
LEADERSHIP BIO:
Corey Phelps
Fred E. Brown Chair of Business and Dean of the Michael F. Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma
