Associate Director for Career Development and Partnerships - Penn Engineering

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world‑renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly‑regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

The Associate Director for Career Development and Partnerships provides leadership and operational oversight for career development and industry activation for Penn Engineering’s growing on-campus master’s community (2,000+ students across 15+ programs). Penn Engineering’s residential master’s portfolio is a global, fast‑paced, and career outcomes‑focused community. This leader will create scalable infrastructure that ensures students receive high‑quality career coaching, professional development opportunities, and meaningful connections to employers and alumni—while demonstrating impact through outcomes reporting used to guide school‑level investment.

Reporting to the Managing Director of the Office of Academic Services, the Associate Director will design and launch a modern, data‑informed career ecosystem that blends self‑guided learning, peer/GA supports, targeted 1:1 coaching, and robust industry programming. The role will build and lead a team of two advisors, set clear service standards and KPIs, and cultivate partnerships across engineering and technology sectors.

In close collaboration with Penn Engineering Online and Central Career Services, the Associate Director will co‑create reusable offerings, align resources and data, and scale what works across audiences—while maintaining clear ownership of the residential advising model and in‑person activation.

Early priorities include launching a tiered career support model and establishing student‑facing service standards, piloting three industry‑specific programs with measurable participation and outcomes, and enhancing the knowledge rate of outcomes through an integrated survey and CRM workflow. Ideal candidates are energized by building new models, experimenting with high‑impact formats, and delivering visible results for students and Penn Engineering.

• Build a comprehensive, tiered career development model for residential master’s students (e.g., self‑service learning; peer/GA supports; 1:1 advising), sharing best practices with the Online program’s career support model.
• Develop an annual strategy and calendar that integrates advising, industry programming, and alumni engagement; ensure accessibility for international and career‑switching students.
• Launch cohort‑based career communities (industry pods, peer networking circles, alumni micro‑mentoring) to increase belonging and job‑search momentum.
• Own program design and implementation decisions; lead tool/vendor evaluation and make resourcing recommendations to scale the ecosystem.
• Establish service standards (e.g.,…