Professional Practice Advisor

POSITION: Professional Practice Advisor

SUPERVISOR: Director of Student Affairs

DEPARTMENT: Academic Affairs

SALARY: $33,000-$35,000

The Art Academy of Cincinnati is seeking a full-time, experienced, and student-centered Professional Practice Advisor to join our team. This role is a vital component of AAC's student services and academic support system, working within the Student Affairs division to foster an environment of exploration, professional growth, and student success that reflects the college's mission and vision. The position includes a six-month probationary period, after which a formal review will be conducted to assess performance and support continued success in the role.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Professional Practice Advisor supports students in developing the skills, knowledge, and experiences necessary for success throughout their college experience at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and in their careers beyond graduation. Through professional development opportunities, career preparation resources, academic support, advising, and experiential learning initiatives, this position helps students connect classroom learning to real-world creative practice while fostering personal, academic, and professional growth.

The Professional Practice Advisor oversees AAC's Career Center, supporting students in exploring and pursuing pathways within the creative industries through career planning, internships, employment support, graduate school advising, portfolio development, networking opportunities, and experiential learning. The position connects students with artists, employers, and community partners while helping them develop the professional and life skills necessary to sustain meaningful careers in the arts, design, writing, and creative industries.

The Professional Practice Advisor also serves as the advisor to all first-year students and as the instructor of record for the internship course. Beginning in a student's first year at AAC, the position develops and implements programs, workshops, resources, and professional-readiness initiatives in an inclusive, supportive, and student-centered manner.

This position is full-time and exempt, with hours commonly scheduled Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Flexibility in schedule is required to accommodate special events, student programming, internships, and periods of increased activity throughout the academic year. If the Professional Practice Advisor holds a terminal degree, they may teach one course per semester in the candidate's area of expertise, if scheduling allows (paid by separate stipend contract). This position reports to the Director of Student Affairs.

Essential duties:

• Represent AAC and its mission, serving as the face of AAC's Career Center.

• Oversee the Career Center and provide comprehensive career services advising in areas including:

• Career/ professional options

• Cover letters / CV / resume building

• Graduate school, residency, and grant applications

• Interview preparation

• Salary, wages, contracts, and employee rights

• Marketing and self-promotion

• Small business and entrepreneurial resources

• Oversee the internship course each semester (mentored by the Associate Dean)

• Coordinate all student on-campus employment positions, including Federal Work Study

• Design, coordinate, and lead programming and initiatives that support professional readiness, student success, and inclusion for AAC's community of approximately 250 students, including occasional career-focused programs during Common Hour and other designated times, as well as the setup and cleanup associated with these events

• Serve as the main point of contact for all external student professional development opportunities in collaboration with the Executive Director of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean.

• Develop and sustain relationships with local businesses and institutions to create new student internships, including networking offsite to cultivate these connections.

• Serve as the advisor for all First Year Students (mentored by the Registrar), including advising on:

• Understanding and reading student degree audits

• MyAcademy navigation

• Serve as the liaison for AAC Study Abroad programs in collaboration with the Faculty Coordinator.

• Collaborate with the Executive Director of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean and the Director of Student Affairs on curricular and student-life initiatives related to Career Services

• Serve on the Retention Committee

• Work in collaboration with the Associate Director of Academic Success on the creation and management of a peer mentor program

• Initiate all associated Career Services marketing activities, including press releases, digital communications, and social media outreach, in coordination with the Executive Director of Enrollment, Marketing, and Student Success and/or the Marketing Team.

• Track expenses and maintain the Career Services budget

• Represent the school at various community events and business meetings

• Participate in travel when and where needed

• When time allots and during the summer semester, assist the Department of Student Affairs in all capacities.

• Additional duties that drive our Vision and fulfill our Mission as assigned and required by the President, Executive Team, and Director of Student Affairs

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Demonstrated experience in career services, experiential learning, student advising, higher education administration, or related fields within arts, design, or creative education environments.
• Strong organizational, leadership, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to manage multiple programs, initiatives, and student-support responsibilities simultaneously.
• Excellent written, verbal, and communication skills, with experience developing programming, workshops, and professional development resources for students.
• Proven ability to build collaborative relationships with students, faculty, staff, alumni, employers, community partners, and creative industry professionals.
• Familiarity with career development, internships, professional practice, graduate school preparation, and emerging pathways within the arts and creative industries.
• A collaborative, proactive, and student-centered approach to fostering professional readiness, inclusion, engagement, and student success across the AAC community

Reporting Structure

This full-time, salaried position reports to the Director of Student Affairs and collaborates closely with the President; Executive Director of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean; Executive Director of Enrollment, Marketing, and Student Success; and Executive Director of Facilities to advance AAC's mission and uphold its standard of excellence.

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Arts Administration, Nonprofit Leadership, Fine Arts, Design, Art History, or a related field; Master's Degree required if adjunct teaching in the degree program
• Strong time management skills and attention to detail
• Willingness to collaborate across departments and with a wide range of constituents
• Effective written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to analyze, interpret, and manage information effectively
• Computer proficiencies with Mac and PC, Microsoft Office
• Proficiency with the role of technology, especially social media platforms in the pursuit of professional opportunities, job searches and self-promotion in creative industries
• Experience in an AICAD or other art college setting
• Ability to lift, move, and carry objects up to 50 pounds unassisted and heavier objects with assistance

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in developing and managing professional readiness services to students in higher education
• Knowledge of current trends in professional and entrepreneurial fields
• Experience in running an LLC, non-profit or entrepreneurial business
• Minimum of two years of experience relevant to the position and job responsibilities
• Leadership and project supervision experience

Program Summary

The Art Academy of Cincinnati's mission is to create and sustain radical, forward-thinking, contemporary visual artists and designers whose creative contributions make a substantial difference in all the lives they touch. AAC, established in 1869, is an independent college of art and design. Degrees granted are the Associate of Science in Graphic Design; the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Design, Illustration, Painting and Drawing, Photography, Print Media, Digital Arts Animation, and Sculpture; and the Master of Arts in Art Education. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), AAC is a charter member of both NASAD and the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD). AAC is also accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE).

AAC is committed to building a culturally diverse educational environment and encourages candidates representing diverse backgrounds to apply. AAC is committed to policies of equal opportunity and non-discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or gender expression, age, or disability, and veteran's status, as protected by law. This includes all educational programs and activities, admission of students, advertisements, and conditions of employment. This policy is consistent with relevant governmental statutes and regulations, including those pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

All the policies and procedures of AAC can be reviewed in the Employee Handbook available on the AAC's website or by seeing the Human Resources Manager.

Any changes to AAC Employee Handbook override the terms of this description.

For more information, please visit www.artacademy.edu.

Application Information

To apply, please submit the following:

• Letter of Interest addressing the job summary and desired qualifications
• Curriculum Vita
• Unofficial college transcripts
• List of three references and contact information, including email and phone numbers

For full consideration, apply by June 15, 2026

Preferred start date of July 1, 2026