Associate Director, Graduate Students & Postdocs (upenn)

Job Description

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.

Posted Job Title

Associate Director, Graduate Students & Postdocs

Job Profile Title

Associate Director C, Student Services, Advising

Job Description Summary

The Associate Director is part of the Graduate Student/Postdoctoral Fellow Team at Career Services. Career Services is a centralized office which serves all undergraduates and most graduate students at Penn. This team is focused on masters and doctoral students, postdocs, and graduate alumni from 7 of 12 schools at Penn: Annenberg, School of Arts and Sciences, Carey Law School, Perelman School of Medicine, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Weitzman School of Design, and the Wharton School. To support the career and professional development of graduate students and postdocs at Penn, this role has three areas of focus: 1) individual career advising, 2) building and cultivating relationships with key stakeholders across campus and beyond including faculty, alumni, and employers, and 3) enhancing career opportunities for graduate students through experiential learning opportunities. The Associate Director will actively contribute to programming to support graduate students in exploring their career goals and reports to the Senior Associate Director of the Graduate Student/Postdoctoral Fellow Team.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Along with the Graduate Student/Postdoc team, advise graduate students, postdocs, and graduate alumni on all aspects of career planning and development through individual career advising appointments, mock interviews, and same-day advising hours.
• Create and implement engaging, informative, and actionable programs, including workshops, panels, and other events on topics ranging from exploring careers to preparing for the faculty job search to interviewing and negotiating job offers.
• Plan, manage, and implement the annual PhD Career Exploration Fellowship (CEF) program, including overseeing engagement with new and returning hosts, fostering professional development and community-building opportunities for Fellows, and assessing overall program effectiveness. Hire and supervise a PhD student to work as our PhD Professionalism Fellow who supports the CEF program.
• Design and implement a faculty job search prep camp for PhDs and postdocs seeking faculty roles. Lead a cohort of PhDs and postdocs on the academic job market during the fall semester.
• Establish and maintain relationships with faculty across 7 of Penn’s graduate schools. Collaborate with campus partners, including the Grad Center and the Center for Teaching and Learning, to develop and execute programming. Contribute to the development of novel approaches in collaboration with campus stakeholders to support the professional development of PhD students/postdocs. Connect with underserved populations across campus through outreach to student/postdoc groups and campus initiatives.
• Contribute to team and office priorities, including internal office committees and office-wide events such as career fairs. Design and create digital materials (blog posts, videos) for the Career Services website. Contribute to social media to both advertise and raise awareness of programming. Oversee communications of resources from the Center for Graduate Career Success, track engagement with their platforms by graduate and postdoctoral populations, and identify opportunities to increase campus usage.
• Represent Penn and Career Services in local and national conferences to stay current with industry standards and changes; participate in planning and implementation of the GCC annual career fair in 2024 to be held in Philadelphia.

Qualifications

Required

• A Bachelor's degree and 3 to 5 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience, are required; a Master’s or doctoral degree and 2 to 3 years of experience are preferred.
   

Preferred

• Understanding of and appreciation for graduate study (or lived experience!) at the master’s, PhD, or postdoc level.
• Demonstrated cultural competence to work with a diverse range of students/postdocs, with the ability to support graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and alumni who are applying to a variety of careers.
• Excited to work as a part of a multi-team office and to take the initiative as we evolve our approaches to graduate student career support.
• Proven ability in program planning, communication and teamwork, with a strategic mindset to create value and impact beyond our office.
• A desire to create innovative programming reflecting the changing needs of students/postdocs and the world of work.
• Outstanding presentation skills in different formats and for different audiences, with comfort creating digital content and resources.
• Eagerness to learn and apply new technologies and tools, and a comfort with learning by doing.
• Quick learner, with ability to assimilate and retain large volumes of information on careers and fields of graduate study.
  View Orignal JOB on: postdocjobs.one
• Collaborative nature with a willingness to work across teams, divisions, and Schools at Penn.
• Demonstrated relationship building and networking skills.
• Effective multi-tasker, with ability to juggle multiple priorities.
• Positive, can-do attitude and outlook, with a sense of humor and high energy to support a positive team environment.
   

Application Requirement

• A Cover Letter and Resume/CV are required to be considered for this position. Please upload your Cover Letter where it asks you to upload your Resume/CV; multiple documents are allowed. Feel free to take advantage of our cover letter and resume resources as you apply: https://www.youtube.com/@PennCareerServices/videos

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Student Services

Pay Range

$51,824.00 - $73,500.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile. 

Affirmative Action Statement 
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements 
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay