Department: Career Advancement
Salary/Grade: EXS/7
Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA) fosters excellence in career development, preparation, and professional opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and alumni by providing comprehensive services and programming and by promoting strong partnerships with employers, academic departments, and the university community. Learn more about NCA here: https://www.northwestern.edu/careers/
Job Summary:
The Assistant Director functions within Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA) as a member of a team that provides comprehensive career and employment services for undergraduate and graduate students across Northwestern's academic units.
The Assistant Director manages a portfolio of industries, which includes key employers and alumni relationships, and is tasked with developing and cultivating new recruiting partnerships of benefit to Northwestern students. This role regularly interfaces with alumni, employing organizations and potential recruiters, donors, students, and other Northwestern community members. This role initiates and manages relationships with finance, banking, real estate, and technology companies and alumni.
The Assistant Director also leads the planning, development, and evaluation of recruiting events, both in person and virtual, that play a critical role in connecting employer partners to Northwestern talent, including coordination of strategic employer visits to campus, management of on-campus interviews, securing and maintaining key corporate relationships.
Note: Some evening and weekend hours may be required.
Pay Range: $63,000 - $67,485, depending on experience, skills, and internal equity.
Principal Accountabilities:
- (15%) Advise and counsel employers on strategic direction based on benchmarks, understanding of the field, and strategic decision making
- (15%) Understand employer's individual needs and circumstances, many complex in nature, and creates, implements and monitors recommendations, partner with internal/external constituencies and resources that meet these needs.
- (15%) Completes administrative activities such as assessment, operations planning, data management, and reporting.
- (15%) Researches best practices and peer institutions and market/economic conditions and recommends changes and enhancements to improve administrative effectiveness, services and/or resources.
- (10%) Connects students with alumni and professionals for employment opportunities. Maintains knowledge of job market trends and hiring practices in a range of fields.
- (10%) Collaborates with student affairs, academic departments, student organizations and administrative offices to develop programs and publicize opportunities spanning a broad range of industries and geographies.
- (10%) Builds and maintains a network of potential employers and alumni that can provide opportunities for mentoring, internships and/or jobs.
- (10%) Engages with associations, organizations, alumni, and employers to encourage experiential education and professional development.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience and 3 years' career counseling/advising in higher education or 3 years' of industry experience; or other relevant experience required; OR
- Successful completion of a full course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a master's or JD or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience and 2 years' career counseling/advising in higher education or 2 years' of industry experience; or other relevant experience required.
Competencies:
- Proficiency in collaborating with management level representatives of external partnerships.
- Ability to quickly adapt to and respond to a variety of student inquiries.
- Ability to consult with a wide range of employer representatives and to market experiential education and internships to business, industry, non-profit, and government employers.
- Strong oral, written, organizational and presentations skills.
- Ability to work effectively as an individual contributor and a team member.
- Ability to respond and manage multiple constituencies and to work with a variety of populations.
- Ability to work independently and with little oversight
- Ability to strategically develop, implement and execute projects
Benefits: At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.
Work-Life and Wellness: Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.
Professional Growth and Development: Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.
Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.
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Northwestern University
Feb 24, 2026