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Position Title:Associate Director Career Services

Job Group:Professional & Scientific

Required Minimum Qualifications:Bachelor’s degree and 7 years of related experience

Preferred Qualifications:Master’s degree.

Proven success building and sustaining strategic partnerships with employers, industry organizations, alumni, and campus partners to advance shared goals.

Demonstrated ability to provide strategic leadership for career services, workforce development, or industry engagement initiatives with measurable impact.

Experience leveraging workforce trends, labor market data, and industry insights to inform career development strategy and drive continuous improvement in programs and services.

Job Description:

Are you a bold strategist with a vision to transform career development in agriculture and life sciences?

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Iowa State University seeks an experienced and forward-thinking Associate Director for Career Services to lead strategic initiatives that enhance student career readiness, employer engagement, and post-graduation outcomes. This high-impact leadership position will shape the future of career readiness connecting students, alumni, faculty, and employers at one of the nation's most influential agricultural and life sciences colleges. This position reports to the CALS Associate Dean for Academic Innovation and will lead an Assistant Director for Career Services who will manage the Student Experience related to careers, including the Pathways to Innovation and Leadership program, and a Career Services Specialist .

• ​ The Associate Director for Career Services will drive all College of Agriculture and Life Sciences career services activity, working directly with the Dean, Associate Deans, Department Chairs, industry partners, and department staff to develop innovative programming that facilitates the successful launch of students into their agriculture and life sciences careers. ​

Key Responsibilities include:

+ Drive Vision and Influence : Lead strategic initiatives for career readiness and employer engagement. Collaborate with senior leadership and external stakeholders to champion bold ideas and bring them to life.

+ Integrate Career Development Across CALS : Embed career readiness into recruitment, retention, and experiential learning programs such as Honors, Start Something CALS, Study Abroad, Study USA and Science with Practice.

+ Deliver Workforce Intelligence : Provide strategic gu idance to CALS leadership on labor market trends, evolving skill demands, and student outcomes to guide impactful decision-making.

+ Advance Innovation in Student Career-Ready Development : Oversee the CALS Pathways to Innovation and Leadership program s , equipping students with the skills and mindset to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

+ Expand Strategic Partnerships : Cultivate relationships with employers, alumni, and industry leaders to grow internship pipelines, networking opportunities, and career pathways.

+ Strengthen External Engagement : Partner with the CALS Development Office and ISU Foundation and lead an advisory council to deepen employer , alumni and donor collaboration.

+ Represent CALS and Shape Policy : Serve on the university-wide Career Services Council and contribute to professional organizations. Develop policies and communication strategies that elevate the consistency and impact of career services.

+ Exec ute Strategic Oversight of Career Events : Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the planning, coordination, and execution of the nation’s largest agriculture career fair, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and driving stakeholder engagement at the highest levels.

This is an exceptional opportunity to lead, innovate, and shape the future of Career Services in one of Iowa State University’s most dynamic and interdisciplinary colleges. Career paths in CALS span agriculture, life sciences, and natural resources offering an exciting opportunity to champion distinct student ambitions and employer partnerships across industries.

As Associate Director, you will provide strategic direction to a talented team , building on the office’s strong foundation while defining the next era of career education and engagement in CALS . This high-impact role calls for creativity, vision, ability to influence and adaptability in a rapidly evolving career landscape . You will foster a culture of innovation and leverage emerging tools , including AI , data analytics , and micro-credentials to strengthen career guidance , employer engagement, and student outcomes.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Level Guidelines• Provides input into annual departmental objectives and action plans• Accountable for achievement of key annual objectives for a department• May provide input into institution policy within area of functional expertise• Responsible for functional output of a department or work team• Manages subordinate staff• Has full management responsibility for direct reports, specifically the authority to hire, fire, and counsel• May provide input to the budgeting process• Requests approval for financial actions beyond a limited scope• May provide input into financial decisions that impact department or work area

Appointment Type:Regular

Number of Months Employed Per Year:12 Month Work Period

Time Type:Full time

Pay Grade:PS810

Application Instructions:To apply for this position, please click on “Apply” and complete the Employment Application. Please be prepared to enter or attach the following: 1) Resume/Curriculum Vitae 2) Letter of Application/Cover Letter If you have questions regarding this application process, please email [email protected] or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485. Why Choose ISU? Iowa State Employees enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as: • Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans • Generous vacation, holiday and sick time and leave plans • Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa) • Life insurance and long-term disability • Flexible Spending Accounts • Various voluntary benefits and discounts • Employee Assistance Program • Wellbeing program • Iowa State offers WorkFlex options for some positions. WorkFlex offers flexibility on when, where, and how you do your work. For more information, please speak with the Hiring Manager.

Original Posting Date: October 9, 2025

Posting Close Date:October 30, 2025

Job Requisition Number:R17924

By focusing on the future and providing the best student experience possible, Iowa State University (http://www.iastate.edu/) attracts students and faculty who want to make a difference. With a comprehensive land-grant mission of education, research, extension and outreach, we produce scholars whose ideas change the world. And through Innovate at Iowa State, we provide innovative and entrepreneurial opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Located just 30 minutes north of Des Moines, the city of Ames was recently named one of the Top 10 cities in the U.S. for campus life and career opportunities.

Iowa State University is a welcoming community of students, faculty, and staff. Campus community members have a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and are committed to engaging with each other respectfully as outlined in the university's Principles of Community (https://www.iastate.edu/principles-community) . Iowa State recognizes that diverse intellectual and philosophical perspectives are vital to innovation, critical thinking skills, and a dynamic academic community that fosters the land-grant ideals of putting science, technology, and human creativity to work.

All offers of employment, oral and written, are contingent upon the university’s verification of credentials and other information required by federal and state law, ISU policies/procedures, and may include the completion of a background check and/or a consumer credit check.

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515-294-7612, email [email protected].

If you have questions about the application process please email [email protected] or call 515-294-4800 or Toll-Free at 1-877-477-7485. Iowa State University provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should email [email protected] or call (515) 294-4800 or Toll-Free: (877) 477-7485. TTY users are welcome to use the Iowa Relay Service number by dialing 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2942.

General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources (https://www.hr.iastate.edu/careers/compensation) website. Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications.