Job Description

About the Department:

The Student Academic Affairs Office in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University is driven by an intentional and integrated approach to supporting students in the successful completion of their degree from the College and Mason and provides impactful opportunities for them to engage as alumni. Bolstered by the academic advising team across the College, our office assists students throughout their time at Mason, from application to graduation. Our mission is to champion student success in all its forms and to foster a deep sense of belonging and wellbeing through proactive outreach, data-driven initiatives, thoughtful curriculum development, ongoing and readily available communication resources, and a widely varied menu of engagement opportunities for all undergraduate and graduate students in CVPA. Contributing to an all-inclusive, collaborative, and dynamic student-artist community at Mason is central to our mission.

About the Position:

The Career Development & Alumni Engagement Coordinator increases the career readiness of CVPA students, through engagement in career exploration, experiential learning (internships) and job search skill development. This position also increases the overall engagement of CVPA alumni with their school/program and the overall college, by providing paths to impactful work with the college that do not require monetary gifts.

This position will support a hybrid format (remote and in-person work), with required in-person events, workshops and other programming.

Responsibilities:

Leads the design, planning, and execution of a wide range of student-centered events and programs that promote career readiness and align with established benchmarks and learning outcomes. This includes:
Organizing career fairs;
Creating and maintaining online learning modules;
Facilitating workshops; and
Developing innovative programming tailored to diverse student populations;
Collaborates with faculty, employers, and campus partners to ensure programming is relevant, all-inclusive, and impactful;
Conducts post-event assessments using qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate effectiveness, measure student learning, and implement continuous improvements or strategic shifts as needed to enhance overall student success;
Oversees the CVPA Alumni Chapter, helping to plan and deliver impactful engagement opportunities for the alumni population of CVPA through coordination with the university’s Office of Alumni Relations and CVPA’s development team. Focus areas of this alumni engagement effort will include:
New student recruitment and yield;
Current student career readiness (networking events, alumni panels, etc.);
The furthering of alumni creative work in all disciplines; and
Recognition of alumni excellence, such as the Young Alumni Commissioning Project and Celebration of Distinction nominees.;
Coordinates with CVPA’s development team to maintain alumni databases;
Creates and maintains an extensive, searchable and nuanced employer partner database. Includes regular outreach to employers to maintain up-to-date data, as well as outreach to students as needed around opportunities for internships or jobs;
Assists the college’s seven academic schools/programs in the tracking of internship completion rates as required for degree completion;
Develops and maintains online resources for student success; and
As appropriate, actively contributes to relevant university-wide committees including serving on the Mason Internship Network and alumni calendar and events committee.
Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
Demonstrated experience with college students’ career development milestones, large event planning and coordination, and a creative, collaborative approach to engaging university alumni with their alma mater;
Some experience (generally 2+ years) in higher education providing career counseling, academic advising, coaching or mentorship to college students;
Demonstrated proficiency in using career assessment instruments (e.g., Strong Interest Inventory, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Clifton Strengths and Skillscan Driver), designing and delivering presentations, and using Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint;
Experience working with diverse populations;
Demonstrated experience in roles that require the ability to manage multiple initiatives and priorities simultaneously;
Clearly articulated knowledge of and ability to implement and assess programming for students across various degree stages;
Demonstration of exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to build relationships across a diverse academic community;
Skilled in communicating effectively and professionally using tact and diplomacy, and the ability to work effectively as an individual, a team member, and with various groups;
A demonstrated commitment to all-inclusive practices that support all faculty, including those from an array of diverse backgrounds;
Evidence of leadership roles in successful projects that required significant organizational and project management skills;
A collaborative and team-oriented work style and the ability to multitask/prioritize tasks and thrive in a changing, dynamic environment; and
Ability to use data to assess and report outcomes.
Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s degree (counseling, student affairs, higher education, or a related discipline strongly preferred);
Coursework in career counseling or career development theory and practice;
Experience in curriculum development, assessment, and facilitation of career courses or any other teaching experience at the college or K-12 level;
Experience developing positive relationships and partnerships;
Experience with a learning management system software (e.g., Canvas); and
Working knowledge of various technologies to support hybrid work, including career services management software (e.g., Handshake, Zoom, MS Online Suite).