Associate Director of Career Accelerators

Associate Director of Career Accelerators Department

DAR-Career Center

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent and 5 years of professional experience

• Master’s degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to design and lead high-impact career programs serving a wide range of student populations.
• Strong understanding of career development theory, student needs across disciplines, and current trends in career education and labor markets.
• Proven ability to develop, implement, and assess large-scale career initiatives and events.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with students, faculty, employers, and alumni.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with career services technologies (e.g., Handshake), data-informed decision-making, and digital engagement tools.
• Professional experience in career services or a related field, with expertise in career exploration, coaching, and workforce skill development.
• Experience supervising staff and supporting the delivery of high-impact career programs.
• Working knowledge of career assessment tools (e.g., MBTI, Strong, Clifton Strengths), including interpretation and application to support student development.

Reporting to the Director of Career Education, this role leads program design, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous improvement. The Associate Director works closely with Employer Relations, the UGA Mentor Program, and Academic Integration to embed the accelerators within the broader career ecosystem, while guiding staff and partners in delivering high-impact, cohort-based experiences. It provides strategic leadership for the Career Accelerator Initiative, ensuring it is scalable, data-informed, and aligned with institutional priorities for student success and post‑graduate outcomes.

• Knowledge of management and supervisory practices, leading and motivating teams, and effectively managing staff performance and workflow.
• Knowledge of career evaluative tools and frameworks for identifying strengths and preferences; skill in analysis and interpretation; and ability to apply findings to support development outcomes.
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects, prioritize competing demands, and work effectively with a wide range of populations in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Technical proficiency with enterprise software systems.

• Work in a standard office environment.
• Travel in and out of state as necessary.
• Sit and work at a computer workstation for extended periods of time.
• Work using electronic mail, telephone, face‑to‑face discussions, paper form correspondence.
• Communicate effectively in writing, speaking, and listening.
• Organize and establish priorities;
  Remember detail; multi‑task.
• Lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.
• Walk, stand, stoop, lift, kneel, climb.

• Lead the vision, structure, and long-term strategy of the Career Accelerator Initiative.
• Identify target academic programs and student populations using institutional and engagement data.
• Design scalable, cohort-based models aligned with workforce needs and university priorities.
• Ensure integration with key Career Center initiatives (e.g., Arch Ready, Mentor Program, Career Fairs).
• Partner with the Director of Career Education to align accelerators with broader career education strategy.

Percentage of time: 35

• Serve as the primary connector across Employer Relations, Mentor Program, and Academic Integration to ensure coordinated program delivery.
• Cultivate employer, alumni, and faculty partnerships to support mentorship, programming, and experiential opportunities.
• Engage Career Center consultants in accelerator programming, including coaching, workshops, and student support.
• Collaborate with campus and advancement partners to support program growth and…