Assistant/Associate Director, Career Services

Description

Assistant/Associate Director

Career Services

Reports to: Director, Career Services

Full-time, Exempt

Salary: $60,000-70,000 annually

VLGS Benefits and PTO include: 

- Full benefits (medical, dental, vision, etc.). 

- 403b including 4% employer contribution.

- 2 weeks of paid vacation in addition to paid personal and sick days. 

- 11 paid holidays plus two weeks of paid “Dean’s Days” for Summer and Winter breaks. 

- Employee Assistance Program.

- VLGS course participation with tuition assistance.

- Flexible schedule potential.

Vermont Law and Graduate School is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We grow and learn better together with a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students. In recruiting for faculty and staff, we seek unique backgrounds to enrich and challenge our community. 

 Please attach a resume and cover letter for consideration. 

Position Summary:

Vermont Law and Graduate School is excited to announce an opportunity to join our tightknit, student-focused Career Services team. We are looking for an Assistant/Associate Director to work with students on academic, professional, and career development. Located on the bank of the White River in South Royalton, VT, VLGS is a mission-driven institution with a strong environmental and social justice focus. Our students are diverse, passionate, and driven. 

As part of the Career Services team the primary focus will be working closely with students to prepare them for the legal job market across a wide range of legal and law-related practice settings. You will be joining a collaborative and experienced office sincere in our desire to ensure the success of our students. 

The Assistant/Associate Director works with the other members of the Career Services staff to perform the critical functions of the office, with primary focus on career counseling of JD and Joint degree students and alumni; career-related programming for all JD degree students; outreach to potential JD degree employers, and office administration relating to employment outcomes for JD degree students. The position has a special focus on counseling and student programming primarily for 1L and 2L students. Often this means working with students one-on-one or in small group settings to secure summer positions, map out career/professional plans, review and develop application materials, prepare for interviews, and many other areas. 

Career Services Mission and Goals:

Every day our office endeavors to work closely with the VLGS community and beyond to further our mission and goals. We are looking for applicants who are enthusiastic about building relationships, increasing student engagement, and expanding our office’s presence across campus

Career Services Mission – In support of the VLGS mission, Career Services empowers students to realize their goals, talents, and passions by providing resources, support, access to opportunities, and guidance that lead to successful and meaningful careers in an evolving and diverse society.  

Career Services Goals

1) To foster strong ties with the alumni community for the benefit of current students and the VLGS community.

2) To enhance, promote, and protect the reputation of VLGS to employers.

3) To contribute to the institutional development of VLGS by collaborating with other VLGS departments. 

4) To comply with all mandated reporting requirements. 

5) To promote diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility by supporting our students and educating them about the vast array of opportunities in the legal field.

6) To build and maintain relationships with a variety of employers that complement differing student interests and perspectives. 

Essential Functions and Principal Accountabilities

Career Counselor (50%)

• Meet with JD students regarding summer and post-graduate employment.
• Advise students on aspects of the legal job market, legal profession, and law related practice settings. 
• Advise students on professionalism and application strategy.
• Help students evaluate and navigate difficult decisions. 
• Provide students with realistic perspective (kindly and tactfully).
• Advise students on strategies to best utilize their time at VLGS.
• Advise on how to maximize educational experience while working towards the goal of professional/career development.
• Answer general questions and direct students to appropriate departments and offices if more detailed information is needed.
• Review/edit resumes, cover letters, writing samples, and other application materials.
• Review/edit materials for student applications (with Recruitment Coordinator).
• Fall semester - collect/organize all 1L resumes (with Program Coordinator).
• Coordinate the review of all 1L resumes (with all JD counselors).
• Meet with all 1L and 2L students (at least once) during the fall and spring semesters (with Director). 
• Record basic information and plans regarding geography, areas of interest, and other information that will be helpful for the office and advising. 
• Record, update, and review student plans and progress towards summer and post grad employment.
• Track & record employment data – follow office reporting procedure when a student has a summer or post-graduate position. 
• Collaborate with other VLGS departments (Experiential, ASP, Registrar…) to assist students and ensure they achieve their career/academic goals and gain experience. 

Programming Lead (25%)

• Plan, coordinate, and present/host information sessions, professional development, and alumni/employer talks (Supported by Director and other OCS staff).
• Including 1L, 2L information sessions; resume/cover letter/application development, and a variety of other sessions throughout the year.
• Consider and test innovative ways to conduct outreach to students. Including the development of an online career services course.
• Coordinate the 1L Mock Interview Program.
• Arrange space, interviewers, materials, and other requirements for 1L mock interviews at the end of January.

Campus Presence (15%) 

• Actively participate in campus activities to raise the office profile among students. 
• Develop relationships with student groups, student leaders, and others to promote office goals and programs. 
• Collaborate with other departments (Alumni, Externships…) to support and build relationships with employers and alumni. 

Employer Relations (5%)

• Meet with past employers to maintain and promote the hiring of VLGS students for summer and post-graduation positions.
• Seek out and develop relationships with employers with positions and opportunities suitable for our student body and/or a particular set of students. 
• Work closely with Recruitment Coordinator to track and secure job postings. 

Symplicity and Canvas Administrator (5%)

• Be familiar with the operation/administration of Symplicity (OCS Employer Database).
• Upload and manage student and employer information. 
• Regularly update and maintain data.
• Provide backup for Recruitment Coordinator.
• Other tasks as needed.
• Maintain and monitor Career Services Canvas Course (With other Counselors). 
• Ensure material are updated and accessible.
• Create or update new learning modules as needed.

Social Media Account Support (<1%)

• Monitor and assist Program Coordinator with OCS Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media accounts. 
• Provide Program Coordinator with potential jobs for posting and occasionally post positions as needed.

Requirements

Required Education, Skills and Experience:

• JD strongly preferred.
• Professional experience in legal or other business fields required.
• Understanding of and appreciation for inclusion, including the ability to work with students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds, identities, and viewpoints.
• Knowledge of strategies, methods, and procedures for seeking professional legal employment, including familiarity with the legal employment market.
• Knowledge of the environmental law and policy or restorative justice fields beneficial.
• Ability to plan, coordinate and lead programs of varying lengths.
• Ability to communicate with students in groups and in one-on-one sessions.
• Knowledge of legal employers and their hiring needs.
• Ability to prioritize work, multi-task and meet deadlines.
• Strong problem solving, communication, interpersonal and organization skills.
• Team player with strong collaborative skills.
• Willingness to work a flexible schedule (occasionally outside normal business hours) and to travel at times throughout the year.
• Experience in Career Services, legal recruitment, or law school administration preferred.

Other Requirements: 

• Proficiency in an MS-Windows based environment. 
• Must be able to adapt to new and emerging technology as established and communicated by the law school. 
• Familiarity with Symplicity or similar software is beneficial but not required.
• Familiarity with Canvas or similar software is beneficial but not required. 
• Ability to communicate clearly and fluently in English by phone, email, and in-person with internal and external constituents.
• Must be able to work legally within the United States without sponsorship. 
• Ability to sit and/or stand at a desk and focus on a computer for extended periods of time; repetitive motions using keyboard/mouse.
• Ability to perform all essential functions of the job with or without basic accommodations.

Application Requirements:

Please attach a resume and cover letter for consideration. If you are applying from a third party website (Indeed, etc.) and are unable to attach additional materials to your online application, please apply directly at https://www.vermontlaw.edu/community/about-vls/employment-opportunities or email required documents to Christine Moyer, cmoyer@vermontlaw.edu.

As part of our commitment to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, candidates who meet the qualifications for this position and who require accommodations to apply should contact Human Resources at jobs@vermontlaw.edu. Vermont Law and Graduate School strives to raise the bar for being an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, place of birth, marital status, disability, veteran's status, HIV status, pregnancy, genetic information, health insurance status, and crime victim status.  

PM20

Salary : $60,000 - $70,000