About UMass Amherst
UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.
About CICS
Established in 2015, the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) is home to a U.S. News & World Report top twenty-five ranked computer science graduate program and a top-thirty ranked undergraduate program. Today, CICS has 74 faculty, including 40 faculty hired in the past five years. Research funding from industry and government exceeded $21 million in the past year. The college maintains significant research collaborations with more than 50 industry-leading technology companies. Its affiliated research centers include the Center for Intelligent Information Retrieval, the Center for Data Science, the Center for Smart and Connected Society, the Center for Knowledge Communication, the Computational Social Science Institute, and the Cybersecurity Institute. The college offers a world-class education, with 281 PhD students, 396 MS students, and 1732 undergraduate computer science and informatics majors. United by a revolutionary vision for computing research, education, and outreach--Computing for the Common Good--the CICS community is committed to inspiring and educating students from all backgrounds and experiences, and conducting research that improves the lives of the people of the Commonwealth and the world.
Job Summary
The Assistant Director of Experiential Learning is responsible for leading the design and implementation of CICS Careers' Experiential Learning Programs which help students apply knowledge and skills to explore and prepare for rewarding careers. They will support our mission of helping students discover, explore, and pursue professional experiences, as part of an entrepreneurial, student-centric team. Along with the CICS Careers Director and Assistant Directors, they will collaborate with our CICS community (employers, UMass staff and faculty, and a growing network of alumni), to benefit 2,400+ CICS undergraduate and graduate students. We welcome those looking to bring their relevant career skills to higher education.
Essential Functions
- Educates students on experiential learning topics including internships and networking through direct career coaching, as well as scalable platforms and mentors CICS student organization leaders to help them increase these opportunities and market them for broader participation. Uses relationship-building and analytics to increase engagement, especially with historically marginalized communities. Tracks experiential learning outcomes to improve our reporting, dashboards, and related resources.
- Cultivates and maintains new and existing experiential learning opportunities with industry partners in collaboration with the Assistant Director of Employer Relations. Helps organize employer site visits and 'career treks' so students can network and explore different industries and geographies.
- Builds and maintains relationships with UMass Amherst faculty and staff who provide on-campus employment and/or opportunities to optimize experiential learning. Collaborates with faculty on project-based courses, inviting employers and/or alumni to provide classroom support and mentorship. Markets and supports research opportunities for aspiring undergraduates.
- Leads and advertises CICS for-credit internships with faculty and employer partners, helping CICS undergraduate students earn credits towards their degree program.
- Builds relationships with CICS' Alumni population to encourage mentorship and collaboration with students. Coordinates the Alumni Mentorship Program (AMP), matching CICS students with knowledgeable alumni mentors and spearheads career spotlights to help students and alumni reflect on professional experiences and inspire classmates, amplifying existing content and facilitating creation of new content.
- Helps international students navigate policies and procedures in order to participate in experiential learning opportunities and process Curricular Practical Training (CPT) requests in coordination with the International Programs Office.
- Develops a strategic plan to utilize the Mount Ida Campus in Newton, MA for career exploration. Builds relationships with faculty, employers, and alumni in the surrounding areas to create new experiential learning opportunities for students.
- Helps organize and attends career events and hackathons, such as HackUMass and Hack(H)er413, to improve community engagement and satisfaction and to expand upon experiential learning opportunities and benefits.
- Spearheads internship alternatives including technology projects, expanding self-service recommended resources.
- Mentors and co-manages career developer student staff. Assists with student onboarding and continuously trains the team on experiential learning, ensuring they remain abreast of current opportunities and information.
- Assists the Director and faculty with Ventures @ CICS, coordinating student conversations with volunteer Entrepreneurs-in-Residence and experimenting with other cross-campus programming.
- Presents to classes and those attending New Student Orientation about experiential learning opportunities and resources.
Other Functions
- Performs related duties as assigned or required to meet Department, College or University goals and objectives.
- Understands responsibilities with respect to conflicts of interest and behaves in ways consistent both with law and with University policy.
- Contributes toward creating a positive and respectful workplace defined by personal and professional competence, integrity, and collaboration.
- Understands and contributes to implementation of departmental and institutional goals for achieving non-discrimination and creating a respectful, inclusive environment that is supportive of diversity.
- Uses access to sensitive and/or not yet public University-related information only in the performance of the responsibilities of position and exercises care to prevent unnecessary disclosure to others.
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- A Bachelor's Degree in any field and at least 2 years' related or transferable professional experience, preferably in college-level career counseling, advising, education, training, or recruiting. A Master's Degree in a related field may be substituted for the 2 years' required experience.
- Independent initiative. Must have the ability to stay on task and work productively with minimal supervision or guidance. Strong organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to complete assignments in a timely manner, balancing the demands of concurrent and potentially competing projects.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact effectively and create and maintain trusted relationships with a diverse population of staff, faculty, students, and off-campus constituents.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to write concisely, express thoughts clearly, and develop ideas in a logical sequence.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality. The ability to think through problems, organize and seek out data/information, identify key factors and underlying causes, and generate solutions.
- Strong technology skills including professional-level competency with email, calendars, word processing, spreadsheets and databases. Ability to quickly learn and use a variety of new technology and tools such as Handshake, Google Drive, Slack, Notion, Drupal and Trello.
- Ability to periodically travel within the U.S. for conferences, employer site visits, and special events.
- Willingness to perform related duties as assigned or required to meet Department, Executive Area/Division, and University goals and objectives.
- Must understand responsibilities with respect to FERPA, Title IX, Clery Act, and other compliance requirements.
Physical Demands/Working Conditions
Typical office environment.
Work Schedule
- Monday-Friday, 37.5 hours.
- Required to travel nationally as needed.
- Required to work occasional nights and weekends.
- This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee's work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position falls within the Professional Staff Union, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the Professional Staff Union collective bargaining agreement.
Additional Information:
PSU-MTA Bargaining Unit benefits include:
- Paid time off: 20 vacation days, 6 personal days, 14 sick days, and 13 holidays per year.
- Retirement: Eligible for a pension plan (estimate calculator) or 4.3% match on a defined contribution plan.
- Tuition benefits: Free UMass courses for employees (50% off continuing education classes); 15-60% off for spouses and children.
Salary Information
Special Instructions to Applicants
Applicants must submit a resume and the names and contact information for three (3) professional references. References will not be contacted until after the final round of interviews, with advance notice to finalists.
To apply, please follow this link: https://careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-us/job/518895/assistant-director-of-experiential-learning-cics-hybrid
UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.
