Director of Career and Life Design Center at InsideHigherEd

DESCRIPTION:

Trinity College seeks the next Career and Life Design Center leader to grow the office's impact on the Trinity community and beyond. A nationally recognized office and accomplished career team, the heart of the Center remains providing personalized guidance to each student and alumnus, encouraging them to be curious, find their people, and continue to network throughout their Trinity journey and beyond. The Career and Life Design Center leader will build upon and accelerate the work of growing Trinity's career ecosystem. 

The Director of Career and Life Design provides visionary leadership for Center, overseeing a comprehensive portfolio of services and programs supporting students and alumni navigating college and career transitions. This role ensures the integration of life design coaching, career development, experiential learning, and global connections into a holistic student experience. 

Trinity is a highly selective, independent, nonsectarian liberal arts institution located in Hartford, Connecticut. The college maintains a rigorous academic profile complemented by a vibrant co-curricular program. With more than 2,100 full-time undergraduate students, we consider our location in a culturally and socioeconomically diverse capital city among Trinity's most distinctive assets.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as member of  Student Success and Enrollment Management senior leadership team, supporting the vision and goals of division

   

  Develop, articulate, and execute a strategic plan for the Career and Life Design Center that advances College's mission and aligns with Trinity's strategic plan

   

  Manage department's fiscal plan, annual operations, and staffing budgets effectively

   

  Lead high-performing team of 11  professionals in career and life design coaching, programming, international student services, employer relations, operations, marketing, and retention and transitions

   

  Implement design thinking initiatives to foster student exploration, innovation, and career readiness.

   

  Oversee development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure efficiency, innovation, responsiveness, service orientation, and collaboration

   

  Provide strategic direction and oversight for career and life design initiatives, ensuring a cohesive and innovative approach to career development, life design, and experiential learning across undergraduate, graduate, and alumni populations

   

  Hire, train, and encourage staff to offer exceptional services within career and life design and execute high-impact programs that equip students with lifelong skills

   

  Analyze department effectiveness through data analysis and assess progress toward goals and objectives

   

  Support and promote signature initiatives like Summit to Wall Street and the Kelter Career Leadership Program, early arrival programs like Summit-to-Success Scholars program, mentorship experiences, and Trinity's curriculum

   

  Collaborate with internal and external partners, such as the Entrepreneurship Center, CHER, Advancement, Alumni Relations, faculty, parents, employers, and community organizations in Greater Hartford

   

  Ensure development and advancement of comprehensive employer engagement and experiential learning strategy, shaping institutional priorities around industry partnerships, workforce development, and post-graduate success

   

  Stay ahead of emerging trends in career development, higher education, and global workforce demands to position Trinity as a leader in student success

   

  Represent SSEM division on college and division committees as assigned

   

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Strong experience in successfully leading a career development team leadership

   

  Strong commitment to integrating life design into all initiatives 

   

  Student conduct and advising

   

  Design thinking, life design, and career development best practices

   

  International students and related support services

   

  Best practices in student retention and related programs

   

  Integration of academic and experiential learning, including collaboration with faculty to enhance student development

   

  Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills

   

  Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities and a growth mindset

   

  Passionately serve needs of students from various socioeconomic, racial, and sexual identities, and other perspectives and backgrounds

   

  Use sound judgment and handle complex situations with sensitivity and objectivity

   

  Build on the energy of a strong department and continue to foster strong team culture 

   

  Initiate and complete concurrent tasks with accuracy in a timely fashion. 

   

  Represent department, division, and College with professionalism

   

  Cultivate effective relationships with multiple constituencies, including faculty, students, alumni, parents, and other campus colleagues, to integrate academic and experiential learning opportunities into career and life design initiatives

   

REQUIREMENTS:

5-8 years of work experience.

Areas of expertise: Coaching, Higher Education Management, Management, or related area

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS - Areas of Expertise: Coaching, Counseling, Teaching, Higher Education, Management, or related area. Expertise in navigating higher education  

EDUCATION: Master's Degree (Required)

TYPE: Experienced

NUMBER OF OPENINGS: 1

SALARY: $120-130K 

RELOCATION COSTS: Negotiable

STATE: CT

CITY: Hartford

KEYWORDS: Career Center, Director

SEND APPLICATIONS TO: [email protected]

NOTES:

Submit cover letter, current resume, and three references saved as one document and email to [email protected] with the subject Application for Trinity Director, Career and Life Design. Interested applicants should submit the requested materials before Friday, November 14, 2025.