Description

The salary range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

Job Description Position Summary:

Lead the career services advising team, providing essential support to students and alumni throughout their career development journey, while maintaining close collaboration with the Senior Manager of Career Education and Advising. Oversee the WGU Career Services Center to ensure comprehensive assistance for all students and alumni in career education, job search, and pursuit of employment opportunities aligned with their academic pursuits. Continuously broaden the client/user base and scope of services to offer a diverse range of support. Collaborate with various university teams to create a holistic "career everywhere" experience. Contribute to the execution of strategic goals and initiatives while spearheading the expansion of clientele and service offerings to meet evolving needs.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities: Supervision and Leadership

• Collaborate with the Senior Manager of Career Education & Advising 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.

Operations Management

• 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.
• Additional duties and responsibilities are required to advance the mission of Career & Professional Development

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities

• 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.
• Responds with urgency to organization needs and exhibits excellent judgment to deliver results.
• 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.
• Team player and demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative work environment.
• 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.

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Typically requires a University Degree or equivalent experience and a minimum of 3 years of supervisory experience.
• 3 years minimum experience leading teams of direct reports, demonstrating adaptability, nimbleness in decision-making, and creative thinking based on student behaviors, departmental needs, and other relevant factors.
• Understanding change management methodologies, such as ADKAR, to effectively navigate organizational transitions and ensure the successful adoption of new initiatives to meet evolving departmental needs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree preferred
• 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.

Working Conditions

Periodic travel required for college summits, regional commencements, in-person planning sessions, etc.

Disclaimer: This Job Description has been designed to indicate the general nature, essential duties, and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this classification. It does not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications that are required of the employee to do this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. This Job Description does not constitute a contract of employment and the University may exercise its employment-atwill rights at any time.

As an equal opportunity employer, WGU recognizes that our strength lies in our people. We are committed to diversity.