Assistant Director, Experiential Education

Department

ESA External Relations 2

About the Department

Career Advancement serves a student population of approximately 7,000 arts and sciences undergraduate students, in addition to alumni who have graduated within the last five years. Career Advancement plays a vital role in ensuring our students' success after graduation. Career Advancement offers innovative and comprehensive career development services with a focus on pre-professional preparation, experiential education, and opportunities. Through career advising, programs, and comprehensive resources, Career Advancement supports undergraduate students and alumni as they develop the skills necessary to manage their career development, while working with alumni and employers to provide students with meaningful opportunities. For more information, please visit the Career Advancement website at careeradvancement.uchicago.edu.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Director of Experiential Education, the Assistant Director of Experiential Education will manage critical operational functions within Career Advancement, including student payments, vendor relations, and merit scholarship administration, ensuring the accurate and timely execution of financial transactions. This role will also leverage previous industry expertise to prepare students for professional success through employer outreach, one-on-one advising and coaching, workshop and program facilitation, and support for program administration, reporting, and analytics. The Assistant Director will contribute to experiential learning initiatives through employer engagement, event planning, logistical coordination, and student communications.

In addition, the Assistant Director will provide individualized career advising to first-year students, helping them navigate job searches, develop strong application materials, and build early career readiness. The ideal candidate will be highly organized, student-centered, and solutions-oriented, with a strong commitment to customer service and collaboration. This position requires an adaptable professional who thrives in fast-paced environments, builds strong relationships with internal and external partners, and contributes to process improvement and operational excellence across the department.

Responsibilities

• Supports the administration of student payments, including those related to internships, stipends, scholarships, and other financial programs. Assists with vendor payments and purchase orders, working closely with team members and under the guidance of the Director to ensure processes are handled efficiently.
• Helps coordinate the administration of merit scholarship awards. Tracks student placements, supports payment processing, and assists in communicating with scholarship recipients. Responds to routine staff questions and escalates complex inquiries to senior team members as needed.
• Maintains and organizes data related to student payments, scholarships, and program participation. Assists with generating reports and tracking key metrics for leadership.
• Conducts one-on-one career advising sessions with first-year students, providing tailored guidance on resumes, cover letters, job search strategies, and career exploration. Acts as a resource for students, connecting them with additional career services as needed to support their professional development and readiness.
• Communicates frequently with students to share opportunities and help them stay on track for success. Proactively identifies opportunities to ensure students are prepared for and receive career development opportunities.
• Manages and maintains efficient methods to track student data, quantify student engagement, and report on student outcomes. Tracks student progress in securing a job or internship using Salesforce.
• Provides support as necessary for data management and analytics, correspondence, and reporting to senior leadership and other constituents.
• Advises and counsels students concerning employment opportunities and careers by acting as a liaison between students and prospective employers.
• Conducts mock interviews, reviews resumes and cover letters, and coordinates other interview related programming in both individual and group settings.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

• --

Preferred Qualifications

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Preferred Competencies

• Proficiency with data entry, administrative workflows, and learning new systems.
• Outcomes-driven and action-oriented attitude.
• Multitask, meet deadlines, and work successfully and positively in a fast-paced environment.
• Adaptable and able to shift priorities, as needed, to ensure student outcomes and manage leadership priorities.
• Self-starter who works proactively to solve complex problems.
• Deep commitment to customer service, strong interpersonal skills and a high level of professionalism when interacting with internal and external clients.
• Strong coaching or counseling skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills; strong interpersonal, quantitative, and networking skills.
• Develop and deliver presentations; communicate to large groups as well as one-on-one with students, senior management, faculty, and alumni.
• Develop strong relationships with a wide variety of constituents, including employers and external partners like alumni and parents, students, faculty, staff, and senior leadership.
• Problem-solving and reasoning, critical thinking and decision-making skills.
• Exemplary organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.

Working Conditions

• Work evening hours and weekends on an occasional basis, generally 1-2 days per month.
• Travel, generally one or two times per year.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter/Statement of Interest (required)
• Three Professional References Contact Information (required)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Student Affairs & Services

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$72,250.00 - $93,500.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.