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Job Description
Director of Career Services Laguna College of Art + Design Laguna Beach, CA Job Details Full-time $75,460 - $90,552 a year 5 hours ago Benefits AD&D insurance Paid holidays Disability insurance Health insurance Dental insurance Vision insurance 403(b) Life insurance Qualifications LinkedIn Google Workspace Spreadsheets Content editing Academic institution experience Word embeddings Employee relationship building Colleges/universities Productivity software Community relationship building Grammar Experience University experience Full Job Description Laguna College of Art + Design is seeking a full-time experienced Director of Career Services. The College is located in an internationally recognized arts colony in Laguna Beach, California and offers a diversity of majors in Animation, Graphic Design and Digital Media, Fine Art, Game Development, Illustration, and Entertainment Design.
Position Summary:
The Director of Career Services develops partnerships with industry and community leaders to create and cultivate employment and internship opportunities for current students. This position creates and manages processes to help LCAD graduates find employment aligned with their education, coordinates Industry Open House, and hosts bi-annual part-time job and community fairs.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Advises students and alumni on career preparation and job searching through online self-scheduled appointments, drop-in advising dates, recorded workshops, and asynchronous feedback. In collaboration with the Director of Student Life + Conduct, plans and executes the part-time, summer, and community-service job fairs. In collaboration with the Director of Student Life + Conduct, plans and executes the Student Art Market event. Manages and maintains the LCAD job board, posting and tracking internships, part-time employment, full-time employment, competitions, volunteer positions, and other related art and design opportunities. Reviews and finalizes student resumes for full and part-time employment and internships, supported by a resume-template library, workshops, and AI-assisted first-pass review. Collaborates with the Office of Academic Affairs, Department Chairs, and faculty to create career-related and co-curricular activities. Builds partnerships and cultivates relationships with employers, alumni, and industry contacts to develop internship and job opportunities. Serves as the liaison between employers and Department Chairs, providing potential opportunities for review. Creates and maintains an internship database. Aligns career services initiatives with institutional accreditation standards, tagging activities to standards in real time and maintaining a continuous evidence repository using standardized reporting templates. Industry Open House (IOH) Plans, executes, and evaluates the Industry Open House event. With the support of the Director of Marketing + Communications, maintains the industry contact database, ensuring information is updated and validated for future events. Develops, promotes, and increases regional, national, and global industry participation using automated email campaigns and alternative attendance options. Tracks student job placements resulting from IOH. Strengthens student-employer connections through LinkedIn profile workshops and an institutional LinkedIn presence. Conducts ongoing program review and evaluation of IOH performance. Works with the Alumni + Donor Relations Manager to centralize Alumni information and participate in Alumni stewardship events. Handshake Leads the implementation and ongoing optimization of Handshake, ensuring alignment with institutional career services goals and student engagement strategies. Serves as the primary administrator of the Handshake platform, overseeing student and employer account management, system updates, and institutional branding. Provides Handshake training and onboarding for faculty, staff, and students, ensuring consistent and effective use across campus. Works with the Department of Marketing + Communications to develop custom workflows and communication campaigns to promote Handshake to current students, staff, faculty, and alumni. Institutional Research Tracks student employment outcomes and reports to senior leadership through automated exit and six-month post-graduation surveys with scheduled distribution and follow-up. Reviews, assesses, and evaluates exit survey student data. Prepares 6-month survey results for promotion, assessment, and dissemination. Collaborates with the Dean of Academic Affairs and the Office of the Registrar + Institutional Research on a connected data source that automatically captures student participation in internships, job fairs, and community service.
Other Duties:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Position Requirements, Experience, and Education:
This individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This individual must have a desire to work in a team-oriented environment that serves a diverse population. Education Bachelor's degree required or commensurate education and experience. Master's degree in Higher Education, Business, or Student Affairs preferred. Experience 5-7 years of professional career services experience in higher education required. Supervisory Responsibility This position supervises Career Services student workers as needed. Position Requirements Intermediate to advanced skills required within: Google Workspace Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Microsoft PowerPoint Mac OS computing platform Handshake or similar job board related websites LinkedIn Learning Must be student-centered with a demonstrated commitment to providing leadership in a richly diverse and multicultural campus environment. Ability to develop strong relationships with all levels of employees, management, students, Industry Open House participants, and community members. Ability to adapt to change with a positive attitude. Excellent listening, written, and verbal communication and interpersonal skills required. Ability to work independently as well as part of a team required. Strong organizational skills and being detail-oriented required. Must be self-motivated, focused, and proactive. Excellent spelling, grammar, and editing skills required. Ability to multi-task and work in fast-paced, demanding environment required. Experience in higher education preferred. Must be able to drive personal vehicle for business purposes and must pass DMV background check and have minimum insurance requirements as set by LCAD. This individual will also be able to perform the following essential functions: Regular attendance is considered an essential job function; the inability to meet attendance requirements may preclude an individual from retaining employment. Take and follow directions. Work cooperatively with others. Receive and respond appropriately to constructive criticism. Display a positive attitude. Balance multiple tasks and priorities. Performs other essential duties and tasks specific to the position.
Physical Essential Functions:
Sitting, typing, and moving from one place to another. This position takes place indoors in an office environment sitting at a desk and working in front of a computer. Occasional lifting of up to 25 lbs.
Business Hours:
Regular business hours for the College are Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM. Regular hours may vary based on the College's needs and type of position. Weekend and evening hours may be required. Travel may be required to employer sites, job fairs, conferences, etc.
Classification and Status:
This is an exempt position. This is a regular, full-time position. This is a benefits-eligible position.
Anticipated Hiring Range:
$75,460 - $90,552 per year The posted salary range reflects the College's anticipated hiring salary range, but the final salary range is subject to negotiation and additional factors, such as the candidate's background, experience, and alignment with institutional needs.
Background Check:
This individual will be required to undergo a job-related background check, inclusive of employment and education verification. Some positions may require successful completion of a post-offer agility test. Employment is contingent on satisfactory results of the aforementioned, in addition to compliance with requirements cited in this job description.
At-Will Employment:
Employment with the College is "at-will" meaning that the terms of employment may be changed with or without notice, with or without cause, including but not limited to termination, demotion, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, duties, and location of work. There is no agreement expressed or implied between the College and you for continuing or long-term employment. While the College has every hope that employment relationships will be mutually beneficial and rewarding, employees and the College retain the right to terminate the employment relationship at will, at any time, with or without cause. The President is the only person who can modify or alter the at-will employment relationship.
Benefits if applicable:
Medical, dental, and vision healthcare benefits, 403(b) retirement savings plan, paid vacation, paid sick and paid holidays, life insurance/AD&D, long term disability, LCAD tuition benefit, among other benefits. Waiting period may apply. Full time position; salary commensurate with experience. Qualified applicants are encouraged to submit a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to . Laguna College of Art + Design is an
Equal Opportunity Employer:
All applicants and employees have equal employment opportunities with Laguna College of Art + Design ("LCAD") regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), color, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and/or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, uniform service member status, military or veteran status, marital status, age, protected medical condition, physical or mental disability, genetic characteristics, political affiliation status, domestic violence victim status, reproductive health decision making, medical leave or other types of protected leave, use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace for California employees, any combination of the foregoing characteristics, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Employment shall be based solely on LCAD's needs and the individual's qualifications.
