Occidental College
Los Angeles, California
Associate Vice President and Executive Director
Hameetman Career Center
Occidental College invites applications from leaders in career services for the position of
Associate Vice President and Executive Director of the newly established Hameetman Career
Center.
About Occidental College
Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or “Oxy” for short, is a selective, private, co-educational
liberal arts college in Los Angeles, one of the oldest on the West Coast. Distinctive in its
educational mission, Oxy brings together nearly 200 faculty members and 2100 undergraduate
students. Students choose among 31 academic majors, including seven interdisciplinary majors
and a self-designed course of study. Steeped in a commitment to the public good, Occidental
College embraces an interdisciplinary academic focus to empower its students to pursue lives
of leadership in an increasingly complex, interdependent, and pluralistic world.
The College’s strategic plan presents a bold vision for Occidental “to be recognized as the most
distinctive urban liberal arts college in the country.” Anchored by the four cornerstones of
excellence, equity, community, and service, a deliberate focus on the successful outcomes of
the Occidental student experience flows through the strategic plan and provides a framework
for Oxy’s newly established Hameetman Career Center, a focal point for students’ postgraduate preparation. Read about Occidental’s strategic plan at: http://www.oxy.edu/ourstory/strategic-plan-2012-2017.
About Occidental Students
Occidental College students are self-motivated, independent-minded, and intellectually
talented. They are also highly engaged during their years on campus, participating in over 100
clubs and organizations. As well, NCAA Division III athletics and club and intramural sports
engage a significant percentage of Oxy students. The student community is tightly knit:
seventy-five percent choose to live on campus all four years.
As rich as their academic and extra-curricular experiences are, students also benefit from a
community of care around their post-graduate career success. Occidental’s four-year
discernment and exploration model prepares them for life beyond graduation. Recent
destination surveys show that 80% of Oxy graduates are employed within one year of
graduation, 21% are enrolled in graduate or professional school, and 9% are both employed
and enrolled. Additionally, a 2014 survey of alumni from the past 20 years reported that 79%
of Occidental graduates secured advanced degrees.
About the Position
The Associate Vice President and Executive Director of the Hameetman Career Center is a
newly created senior leadership position, reporting to the Vice President of Academic Affairs
and Dean of the College. Primary responsibilities include:
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Oversee a team of seven professionals, with planned expansion ahead.
Provide innovative and collaborative leadership to engage students in the multiple
approaches to identifying and pursuing their chosen careers.
Support actively the unique challenges of students from diverse backgrounds, including
first-generation and international students.
Serve as primary career liaison with trustees, alumni, parents, and other key
stakeholders.
Develop relationships across the College and externally to enhance the career
development and post-graduate professional success of Occidental students.
Work closely with the President and the Advancement Office to engage potential donors
in support of the operations, services, and programs of the Hameetman Career Center.
Set the strategic agenda, extending the current strategic plan and developing goals,
objectives, and key performance indicators for outreach.
Oversee annual destinations survey, ensuring significant knowledge rate, accurate
reporting, and effective communication of results to faculty, parents, senior
administration, and other stakeholders.
Develop an assessment strategy to evaluate the success of Career Center services and
programs and to gauge the learning outcomes of students utilizing the Center.
Serve as an ambassador for Occidental College, participating actively in relevant
association and networks, and establishing a Hameetman Career Center Advisory Board.
The Successful Candidate
The Associate Vice President and Executive Director of the Hameetman Career Center will be a
visionary leader in career services who brings a contemporary, creative, and global perspective
on careers to the role and who will be a champion for Occidental College’s innovative approach
to liberal arts education.
As the primary architect of a newly imagined Center, the successful candidate will possess the
following qualifications:
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Master’s degree in higher education, business, or related discipline.
At least eight years of professional experience in a leadership role in career services,
recruiting, advancement, higher education administration, human resources, student
services, or related field.
Demonstrated leadership in evidence-based and consensus-driven decision making
leading to optimal results.
Experience with supervision, team development, and collaboration across institutional
departments.
Expertise with strategic planning and budget management.
Comfort with developing and sustaining relationships with employers, donors, and other
partners to strengthen career opportunities for students.
Understanding of the career ambitions of today’s students pursuing degrees in a nonvocational oriented liberal arts setting.
Knowledge of current career development practices, employment trends, technologies,
and innovative programming in the context of liberal arts education.
Experience designing and delivering programs, services, and events that fully engage
students in career discernment, industry awareness, and valued professional
connections.
Ability to cultivate, maintain, and enhance a vast network of employer relationships
leading to internship and entry level opportunities for liberal arts trained students and
graduates.
Superior written and verbal communication skills. Ability to articulate a compelling
narrative about the value of career services.
Demonstrated commitment to the competencies and ethical guidelines developed by
NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers).
Salary and Benefits
Occidental College is committed to a competitive salary for the Associate Vice
President/Executive Director position. Occidental proudly offers senior staff a competitive
benefits package.
Procedure for Candidacy
Review of credentials will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. For
fullest consideration, interested individuals are encouraged to submit their applicant materials
as soon as possible. Complete applications should include a cover letter that addresses
responsibilities and requirements described in this leadership profile and a current resume or
curriculum vitae.
All applications must be submitted electronically to resumes@oxy.edu.