Career Services Director, Strommen Center for Meaningful Work

Augsburg University has maintained a strong academic reputation defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies since 1869. A safe and welcoming campus in the heart of Minneapolis, Augsburg offers undergraduate and graduate degrees to nearly 3,200 diverse students.

Augsburg’s mission is to educate students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. The Augsburg experience is supported by an engaged community that is committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.

Augsburg invites individuals who share our mission and commitment to intentional diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging to join our community.  In particular, Augsburg invites BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, individuals with disabilities, women, veterans and those from underrepresented or marginalized backgrounds are encouraged to apply. 

Summary of Position 

The Director of the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work provides strategic leadership for career services for students and alumni at Augsburg. This includes working with faculty and staff to integrate career exploration and preparation into the curriculum and co-curriculum, and building connections for alumni to support students' career goals. This position takes the lead on strategic relationship building with employers to ensure that Augsburg is an institution of choice for local and national recruiting efforts. This position supervises all staff members of the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work and the Program Director of the Reell Office of Seeing Things Whole.  

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide direction and set the overall strategy for the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work including annual goal setting and assessment of effectiveness.
• Partner with School Directors, faculty, and other academic leaders to integrate career exploration and development into the curriculum. 
• Partner with Student Life to support student exploration of careers through co-curricular programming.
• Hire, train, and supervise full-time and part-time professional staff, manage program budgets, supervise collection of data and evaluate the effectiveness of the programming, and focus on staff professional development.
• Expand external partnerships with employers from all industry sectors to better serve Augsburg student employment and internship needs and develop sponsorship opportunities.
• Partner with Institutional Advancement to build a strong network of alumni who support Augsburg undergraduate and graduate students through recruiting, networking, and mentoring activities designed to meet changing needs in a dynamic global economy.
• Coordinate fundraising efforts including grant writing in partnership with Institutional Advancement related to Career Services and corporate giving.
• Manage relationships with vendors and membership organizations that the Strommen Center partners with to improve the student experience.

Additional Responsibilities

• Create and provide opportunities for Augsburg senior leaders, faculty, and staff to make connections with key business and foundation leaders throughout the Twin Cities, greater Minnesota, and across the country.
• Other duties as apparent or assigned by supervisor(s). 

Work Environment and Physical Demands

• Typical work environment is an office.
• Regular computer and phone use. 
• Sedentary work for long periods of time.
• Frequent talking/communication.
• Occasional local, regional, and national travel.
• Occasional long or irregular hours for special events (evenings and weekends).

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Five (5) years of relevant professional experience in career and internship services, career counseling, and/or employer relations.
• Experience supervising professional staff and managing a department. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree.
• Experience in higher education.
• Demonstrated skill in fostering new institutional relationships, marshaling professional networks, budget management, and planning.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Able to work effectively with a diverse portfolio of responsibilities and in a team environment.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Must be organized and detail-oriented.
• Must be flexible and able to respond to the changing needs of the institution.
• Must be self-motivated and able to work with minimal direction.
• Must have interpersonal skills to interface effectively with staff, faculty, students, board members, and administration.
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively in a diverse work environment.
• Ability to be attentive to details, be accurate and precise.
• Ability to reason and analyze, think creatively, and take calculated risks.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality; and demonstrate patience, understanding.
• Ability to travel within and outside the region to cultivate corporate and other relationships beneficial to Augsburg.

Application Requirements

Please submit a resume and cover letter to be considered for this position. 

Compensation and Benefits at Augsburg

• The compensation range is $68,000 - $75,000 per year, DOQ.

Augsburg University offers a competitive and comprehensive total rewards program including: 

• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• A generous 403(b) matching program with an employer contributions of up to 8% upon eligibility
• Up to 100% tuition remission for employees, spouses and dependents, and participation in the Tuition Exchange program with colleges and universities throughout the US
• Generous paid time-off, including 14 paid holidays, 12 sick days, 2 community service days, and vacation of up to 22 days per year immediately upon hire
• Employer-paid STD, LTD and life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for all employees

Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Statement

Augsburg is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, or any other protected class.  

Augsburg University is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, national origin, familial status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status or public assistance status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. 

If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete our application process, please contact our Human Resources Department at phone number: 612-330-1058 or email: [email protected].