Director of Career Readiness

About This Role The Director of Career Readiness provides strategic, institution wide leadership for advancing student career development and post-graduation success. The Director leads the Career Center as a central coordinating hub and guides a collaborative approach to career readiness that supports students throughout their academic journey and into meaningful employment or graduate study. Utilizing career ecosystem concepts this role emphasizes embedding career readiness competencies into the curriculum and co curriculum, aligning employer engagement with academic programs, and ensuring equitable access to high quality career development opportunities. The Director advances a coordinated career readiness model that leverages partnerships with faculty, employers, alumni, and student support services to strengthen student outcomes. People and Career Readiness Leadership: Provide leadership and supervision for professional, university support, and student employees within the Career Center. Build a collaborative, outcomes focused culture that equips staff and campus partners to support student career readiness. Recruit, train, evaluate, and support staff; assign responsibilities aligned with institutional priorities; and make recommendations related to hiring, promotion, compensation, and separation. Lead professional development initiatives focused on career integrated learning, inclusive advising practices, and evolving workforce needs. Campus Integration and Faculty Engagement: Lead team in partnering with deans, department heads, and faculty to integrate career readiness milestones into coursework, degree pathways, and applied learning. Establish and lead programs to support faculty who embed career readiness into instruction, share effective practices, and serve as career readiness advocates within their disciplines. Provide consultation, tools/systems, and frameworks (synchronous and a-synchronous) which enable broad faculty participation and support career readiness at scale. Represent career readiness priorities in institutional planning and cross division initiatives. Oversee career technology platforms and communications strategies that deliver timely, personalized career guidance. Employer and Workforce Partnerships: Develop and sustain strategic employer partnerships that enhance student career readiness through internships, applied learning and early talent pipelines. Provide leadership for employer engagement strategies that align with academic programs and workforce demand while reducing duplication of efforts across colleges, including on campus recruitment events and career fairs. Coordinate employer advisory groups and collaborate with advancement and foundation partners to strengthen workforce development initiatives and external support. Assessment, and Outcomes: Oversee the collection, analysis, and reporting of student career outcomes. Design and develop measures for assessing career ecosystem and embedded career development. Use data and assessment insights to inform strategy, support continuous improvement, and guide institutional decision making. Communicate results through reports, dashboards, and presentations for internal and external stakeholders. Program Operations and Budget Management: Oversee day-to-day operations of the Career Center, including program planning, service delivery, marketing, technology platforms, and facilities planning. Develop, manage, and monitor the Career Center budget across multiple funding sources; ensure effective stewardship of institutional and external resources. Pursue opportunities to enhance funding and sustainability of career readiness initiatives. About Us The Career Center facilitates the career readiness of all students throughout the K-State community. The Career Center offers an extensive career library, free assessments for exploring majors/careers, job search training, career advising, employer connections, and a staff dedicated to assisting students in the career development process. Worksite Description This position is On-site. All employees must reside in the United States when they begin working to comply with state law. K-State is unable to provide remote or hybrid work opportunities for residents of the state of Idaho. What You'll Need to Succeed Minimum Qualifications Requires a bachelor's degree and five years of relevant experience in career services, student success, workforce development and leading cross-functional initiatives. Requirements may be met through a combination of work experience and education. Preferred Qualifications Master's degree in higher education, student affairs, education, human resources, organizational leadership, or a related field Minimum of five years of progressive experience in career services, student success, workforce development, or a related field Demonstrated experience leading teams and cross unit or institution wide initiative Seven years of progressive experience in higher education leading career development activitie Experience embedding career development or career readiness into academic curriculum or faculty led initiative Demonstrated ability to build and sustain partnerships with faculty, employers, and campus stakeholder Experience with budget oversight, assessment, and data informed decision makin Strong leadership, communication, and change-management skill Commitment to ensuring access for all students to career readiness practices Additional Role Information Ability to work occasional evening and irregular hours for special events Sponsorship eligibility Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship How to Apply Please submit the following documents Resume Letter of Interest 3 professional references with names/emails/phone numbers Application Window Applications close on: May 22, 2026 Anticipated Hiring Pay Range 79,926-105,894 You may also be interested in Biosafety Animal Technician Manhattan Biosecurity Research Institute Fellow (Post Doc) Manhattan Physics Assistant Dean & Director of Conduct Manhattan Student Supp & Accountability Why Join Us Kansas State University offers a supportive and inclusive community, dedicated to your professional growth. While specific benefits may vary by position, many roles come with comprehensive packages that support your well-being and work-life balance, including health and life insurance, retirement plans, and generous paid time off. To learn more about benefits that are available for various positions, visit our benefits overview page. Work Authorization and Sponsorship Employees must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of employment. International candidates who require employer-sponsored work authorization are welcome to apply. Eligibility for visa sponsorship depends on several factors, including but not limited to, the job's occupational requirements, specific duties, wage level, the candidate's qualifications (such as degree field) and available departmental resources. As a result, not all positions or applicants will be eligible for sponsorship. Equal Employment Opportunity Kansas State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, national origin, disability or status as a protected veteran. Remote and Hybrid work options Some positions are eligible for remote or hybrid working arrangements. An employee who is working in a remote or hybrid capacity for K-State must reside within the United States in order to comply with all federal and state laws, filings, or tax requirements. Remote and hybrid work arrangements are not available for anyone who resides in the state of Idaho. Relocation to Kansas Kansas participates in the MakeMyMove program, which connects eligible newcomers with participating communities offering financial incentives, housing support, and local perks to help make your move easier and more rewarding. If relocating from outside of Kansas you can visit the site to apply online for the program incentives. Background Screening Statement Upon acceptance of a contingent offer of employment, a candidate may be subject to a background check per K-State's background check policy. Interview Preferences Kansas State University honors interview preferences for qualified applicants who are veterans or individuals with disabilities. Eligible applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, submit all required application materials, and submit required preference documentation by the closing date on the job advertisement will be granted a first-level interview. The disability and veteran interview preferences do not apply to student employment positions, temporary positions, athletics positions, academic and administrative department heads*, positions that require licensure as a physician, and positions that require that the employee be admitted to practice law in Kansas. Heads of Departments refers to any individual holding a primary leadership role responsible for the overall strategic direction, management and operational oversight of a recognized academic or administrative unit within the university. To learn more about interview preferences at K-State, please visit our interview preferences page.