Manager – Career Services

Manager – Career Services

Requirements

• Demonstrate the WGU cultural beliefs and leadership principles in all aspects of service to students, employees and partners of WGU. Influence through direct and indirect management.
• Must be technologically competent: Data entry, Outlook email and calendar, MS Office, database, or equivalent experience is required.
• Strong understanding of data collection, reporting, and analysis.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, writing and listening skills with ability to work effectively with other university departments, with all levels of management and diverse groups of people; ability to present information to large and small groups of employers and/or students.
• Ability to work independently with only minimal management oversight, and exercise broad independent judgement.
• Strong ability to be attentive to detail. Ability to work cross functionally with other university departments.
• Ability to multitask and maintain a high level of organization in day-to-day processes.
• Basic management knowledge to lead such as work scheduling, prioritizing, coaching, and process execution. Broad knowledge of the job area obtained through education and/or experience.
• Proficiency in developing and reporting success metrics and measurable benchmarks, including collecting, analyzing, and presenting data.
• Familiarity with career management tools such as Handshake, Big Interview, and other integrated job databases.
• Proficient in computer skills including Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and internet navigation, with the ability to quickly adapt to and master additional software relevant to the Career Development profession.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Senior Manager, Student Experience to make strategic business decisions that prioritize and enhance the student experience, ensuring initiatives align with and enrich the learner’s educational journey.
• Manage the career services advising operations to ensure efficient, timely, and effective programs and services to its users.
• Supervise, lead, and provide direction for a team of direct reports focused on educating students and alumni in career management and mobility.
• Manage staff performance, evaluation, and professional development, including merit consideration and related personnel matters.
• Assess team needs to design effective training materials and resources that drive continual improvement of services.
• Lead tailored and group staff training sessions to foster advisor professional growth and elevate the quality of coaching services provided.
• Develop and execute effective onboarding and training processes for new staff.
• Participates in professional development activities to ensure professional growth and knowledge needed to provide effective leadership and program development.
• Collaborate with the Senior Manager to develop comprehensive short- and long-range operating plans encompassing budgets, programs, personnel, technology, and equipment, while also jointly assessing the efficiency of procedures and processes, including the utilization of technology for service delivery.
• Constantly monitors, analyzes, and evaluates current scope of services offered through career services and plans, implements, and directs new programs based on departmental strategic goals and initiatives.
• Collect qualitative and quantitative data on student interactions with the career services department, leveraging this information to drive program enhancements, initiatives, and projects.
• Offer backup assistance and support to the advising team as required, which may involve helping with escalated appointments.
• Curate blog content contributed by the advising team, ensuring it aligns with organizational goals and audience needs, while also helping manage advising/education website content and operational communications.
• Coordinate and handle significantly complex and critical operational functions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree preferred
• Experience building new career programs in an educational or non-profit setting.
• Demonstrated project management, time management, organization, and team coordination skills.
• Understanding or familiarity with NACE Principals for Ethical Practice and other career related best practices.
• Proficiency in metric measurement, data collection, reporting, and analysis.