Assistant Director of Career and Professional Development

Engineering a world of possibilities

Mines Career Center has an exciting opportunity for a new Assistant Director!

As our next Assistant Director for Career and Professional Development you will be responsible for leading, designing, and delivering comprehensive career readiness services and institution-wide professional development programming. In fulfilling the mission of the Career Center, Vallejo-Irvine Program (VIP) for Professional Development, and campus-wide professional development efforts, this role combines high-impact, career and professional development advising knowledge with the strategic coordination of professional development programs and services, ensuring a seamless transition from student to professional for all Mines graduates.

In this role, you will provide expert oversight on curriculum, program assessment, resource development, and student development. Key responsibilities include workshop and programmatic management, academic course coordination, leadership in resource development, and supervising student staff.

This is a full-time, 12-month position. This work takes place primarily on campus in Golden, Colorado. An opportunity for hybrid work may be available based on business needs. For more information on the career center, please visit https://www.mines.edu/careers/.

Primary Responsibilities

Career and Professional Development Programming and Management (40%)

• Program Management: Manage and strategically expand the Career Center/VIP workshop request process, actively increasing professional development offerings campus wide.
• Academic Partnerships: Cultivate and grow professional development presentations and student engagement within the classroom by increasing strategic partnerships with academic departments and expanding the scope of career readiness resources available to faculty.
• Resource Development: Lead the Career and Professional Development advising team in identifying, developing, and curating comprehensive, accessible resources aligned with current career readiness and professional development best practices. Serve on campus committees for development of scaled professional development for students.
• Signature Events: Support Career Center, VIP, and the campus-wide professional development efforts in the development and coordination of signature events and programs, including end-to-end event coordination, marketing strategy, campus collaboration, volunteer recruitment, and program assessment.
• Staff Supervision: Supervise student employees, specifically directing their efforts to support VIP and Professional Advantage professional development programming and logistics.
• Career Days Event Support: Support Career and Professional Development Advisors with Pre-Career Days programming and events.

Academic Course Coordination (25%)

• Course Coordination: Serve as the course coordinator to all Career Center led courses including CSM 250: Engineering Your Career Path and CSM 550: Navigating Your Career Path.
• Curriculum Management: Direct the coordination of the semester course schedule, manage course catalog updates, recruit and train teaching faculty, coordinate guest speakers, and maintain/update the Canvas course shell and curriculum.
• Student Outreach: Lead course marketing efforts to students to ensure high enrollment and engagement.

Data, Assessment, and Institutional Reporting (15%)

• Assessment Leadership: Lead the Career Center in the development and implementation of program assessment, specifically relating to NACE Career Readiness and VIP Competencies and measuring learning impact of programming. Support Career Center participation in TRAIL and contributions to university co-curricular transcript.
• Annual Reporting: Assist with departmental Annual Report and support the Associate Director for Career and Professional Development with First Destination Survey data collection as needed.

Career and Professional Development Advising (15%)

• Direct Advising: Provide individualized professional development support to undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent alumni by maintaining a limited schedule of appointment availability and supporting Career Center advising drop-in hours. Note: More support to advising may be necessary in the weeks prior to Career Days each semester.

Minimum Qualifications:         

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from an accredited university.
• Three (3) years of professional experience in career services, college recruiting, or coordinating professional development programs.
• Demonstrated experience in programming, workshop, or event development, management, and assessment.
• Prior experience supervising or managing student or professional staff.
• Excellent public speaking, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in counseling, career development, higher education, student development, or a related field.
• Five (5) or more years of experience in a university career center or professional development role, preferably one focused on STEM education.
• Experience teaching a credit-bearing course or leading a formal, extended training curriculum.
• Knowledge of NACE Career Readiness Competencies and ability to apply them to career and professional development services.
• Demonstrated success in cultivating and stewarding relationships with faculty, staff, alumni, and/or industry partners.
• Proficiency with career services technology (e.g., Symplicity) and data analysis tools for reporting outcomes.

Salary and Benefits

$69,000 - $72,000

Mines takes into consideration a combination of candidate’s education, training and experience as well as the position’s scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, work location, and external market and internal value when determining a salary level for potential new employees.

Colorado School of Mines offers a robust portfolio of benefits for all employees. For this role, that includes:

• Flexible health and dental care options
• Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year – including a week-long winter break for entire campus.
• Fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution
• Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents)
• Free RTD Ecopass

All Mines employees also have access to discount programs through the State of Colorado and free tickets for Mines Athletics home games, as well as access to the state of the art Recreation Center (fitness classes and training, swimming pool and more) and equipment rentals through the Outdoor Rec Center. We are proud to have recently opened an on campus daycare center. For more details about benefits at Mines, visit mines.edu/human-resources/benefits.

How to Apply

Complete an online application (personal information, demographic information, veteran status)

• Upload a resume or CV
• Upload a cover letter

Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. This posting may be used to fill more than one vacancy based on business needs. References will not be contacted until later in the selection process and you will be informed before that contact is made.

Application review will begin January 26, 2026. While this posting will remain open until filled, please apply by January 25, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Applications received after that date may not be reviewed.  

It is the intent of Mines to comply with the applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, and their implementation rules and regulations, in support of equal opportunities for qualified applicants with disabilities. To meet this goal, Mines will make reasonable accommodations during the employment selection process and within our working environment.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on our site as a result of your disability. You can request a reasonable accommodation by contacting our Human Resources team at  hr@mines.edu or 303.273.3250 for assistance.

Successful Completion of a Background Investigation is Required for this Position.

About Mines & Golden, CO

When the world looks for answers, the world looks to Mines.

Colorado School of Mines is a top-ranked public university solving the grand challenges facing our society, particularly those related to the Earth, energy and the environment. Founded in 1874 with specialties in mining and metallurgy, Mines’ scope and mission have continually expanded to meet the needs of industry and society. Today, we are the No. 36 public university in the nation, recognized for our innovation and undergraduate teaching in science, technology engineering and math (U.S. News and World Report, 2025).

Mines graduates are change makers, boundary breakers and problem solvers. Since our earliest days, a Mines education has been and continues to be a transformational opportunity, with one of the strongest returns on investment out there for talented STEM students of all backgrounds.

At the same time, Mines faculty members are pushing their fields in new directions, whether that’s manufacturing, space resources, quantum engineering, carbon capture or more. Mines was recently classified as a R1 “Very High Activity” research institution by Carnegie, a notable feat for any university but particularly one of our size.

That size – roughly 8,200 undergraduate and graduate students – also translates to a close-knit campus community, where employees have opportunities to get involved in multiple ways, continued professional learning is valued and everyone can make an impact.

Community Alliance groups bring together employees for professional development, networking, and community involvement, and all Mines employees also have access to the wealth of activities happening every day on campus – nationally-renowned speakers, special events and Mines traditions like Engineering Days, just to name a few.

And don’t get us started on our hometown. We are located in the heart of Golden, Colorado --with its charming historic downtown and nearby hiking trails – and in close proximity to all that Denver and the Rocky Mountains have to offer. That includes the sunny, high-altitude climate and outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities that make the Denver area an ideal place to live, work and play.

Are you looking for an inspiring, mission-driven workplace where you can contribute to solving the world’s problems and educating the next generation of change makers? Are you an individual who values a community where our individual perspectives and experiences enrich the educational and work experience?

Look to Mines.

Equal Opportunity

Colorado School of Mines is committed to equal opportunity for all persons.  Mines does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), ancestry, creed, marital status, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status or current military service. Further, Mines does not retaliate against community members for filing complaints regarding or implicating any of these protected statuses.

Mines’ commitment to nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and equal access is reflected in the administration of its policies, procedures, programs and activities and in its efforts to achieve a talented student body and workforce.

Through its policies, procedures and resources, Mines complies with federal law, Colorado state law, administrative regulations, executive orders and other legal requirements to prevent discrimination (including harassment or retaliation) within the Mines campus community and to address potential allegations of inequality or concerns for safety.

Colorado's premier engineering and applied science university for 150 years and counting