ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, LAUNCHPAD, Center for Career Development

The Launchpad Program at Boston University was established through a generous endowment to support students in exploring career options, developing career competencies, and building professional networks early in their college careers through a wide range of experiential learning opportunities. The Associate Director oversees all aspects of the Launchpad program including the distribution of nearly $500,000 in awards to students annually, ensuring students have equitable access to these valuable experiences as an on-ramp to future career success.

As a member of the Center for Career Development (CCD) team, the Associate Director reports to the Director of Internships and Industry Partnerships and works closely with the Associate Director of Employer Engagement and Assistant Director for Internship Programs. The Associate Director supervises the Launchpad Program Manager and is responsible for overall performance of the program including employer relationship building, cultivation of experiential learning opportunities, the student experience, budget oversight, and program evaluation and development. The Associate Director will represent Launchpad to a wide variety of constituents including students, parents, alumni, and employers, and collaborate with colleagues across campus to enhance student career success.

Essential Functions:

• Provide leadership for the Launchpad program, including program design and development, employer and alumni engagement, student preparation, selection and experience, budget management, award distribution, program evaluation and future growth in alignment with strategic priorities.
• Set the strategy for outreach to employer partners, and lead by example in developing new employer relationships and cultivating opportunities for students in the Boston area and beyond, while ensuring that current relationships are maintained and supported.
• Oversee program budget, including multiple funding sources, to see that available funds are spent annually in keeping with relevant policies and procedures, model future spending, and ensure all program budget and related data are monitored and reported as needed.
• Engage stakeholders in evaluating program policies, procedures and participation, and seek feedback from constituents, to inform future program development and improve student and employer experience.
• Develop and implement the marketing and communication strategy for Launchpad to reach key audiences including students, parents, alumni, employers, prospective donors and partners across campus to position the program as a unique attribute of the student experience at Boston University.
• Represent the CCD and Boston University in professional associations, conferences, and networks focused on experiential education, internship funding, and career development. Stay current on trends in experiential learning, internship policy, and best practices in program assessment. Contribute to the field through presenting, publishing, or serving on committees at local, regional, and national levels.

Required Skills

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, marketing or other relevant field, master’s degree preferred, and at least 5-8 years of experience in career services, student affairs, business, marketing or other related field.
• Program management experience including budgeting, program design and delivery, evaluation and improvement, and the ability to collect, analyze and report on client and program data to inform future planning and decision making.
• Experience in marketing, sales, or customer relationship management to develop partnerships with employers to offer wide range of experiential learning opportunities for students.
• Experience supervising professional staff, providing leadership, managing multiple projects and fostering teamwork to produce results.
• Cultural competency, commitment to inclusion, equity and engagement of all students, including students from marginalized communities.
• Highly collaborative, able to conduct outreach and develop relationships with diverse constituents including students, faculty, staff, alumni and employers.
• Ability and eagerness to learn and utilize computer applications, systems, AI, and social media.
• Flexibility to work occasional evenings or weekends as needed to support CCD activities.
• This is a hybrid position, eligible for two days of remote work per week throughout the year.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.