Associate Director Career Services

Are you a bold strategist with a vision to transform career development in agriculture and life sciences?  

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Iowa State University seeks an experienced and forward-thinking Associate Director for Career Services to lead strategic initiatives that enhance student career readiness, employer engagement, and post-graduation outcomes. This high-impact leadership position will shape the future of career readiness connecting students, alumni, faculty, and employers at one of the nation's most influential agricultural and life sciences colleges. This position reports to the CALS Associate Dean for Academic Innovation and will lead an Assistant Director for Career Services who will manage the Student Experience related to careers, including the Pathways to Innovation and Leadership program, and a Career Services Specialist. 

The Associate Director for Career Services will drive all College of Agriculture and Life Sciences career services activity, working directly with the Dean, Associate Deans, Department Chairs, industry partners, and department staff to develop innovative programming that facilitates the successful launch of students into their agriculture and life sciences careers.

Key Responsibilities include: 

• Drive Vision and Influence: Lead strategic initiatives for career readiness and employer engagement. Collaborate with senior leadership and external stakeholders to champion bold ideas and bring them to life. 

• Integrate Career Development Across CALS: Embed career readiness into recruitment, retention, and experiential learning programs such as Honors, Start Something CALS, Study Abroad, Study USA and Science with Practice. 

• Deliver Workforce Intelligence: Provide strategic guidance to CALS leadership on labor market trends, evolving skill demands, and student outcomes to guide impactful decision-making. 

• Advance Innovation in Student Career-Ready Development: Oversee the CALS Pathways to Innovation and Leadership programs, equipping students with the skills and mindset to thrive in a rapidly changing world. 

• Expand Strategic Partnerships: Cultivate relationships with employers, alumni, and industry leaders to grow internship pipelines, networking opportunities, and career pathways. 

• Strengthen External Engagement: Partner with the CALS Development Office and ISU Foundation and lead an advisory council to deepen employer, alumni and donor collaboration. 

• Represent CALS and Shape Policy: Serve on the university-wide Career Services Council and contribute to professional organizations. Develop policies and communication strategies that elevate the consistency and impact of career services. 

• Execute Strategic Oversight of Career Events: Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the planning, coordination, and execution of the nation’s largest agriculture career fair, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and driving stakeholder engagement at the highest levels. 

This is an exceptional opportunity to lead, innovate, and shape the future of Career Services in one of Iowa State University’s most dynamic and interdisciplinary colleges. Career paths in CALS span agriculture, life sciences, and natural resources offering an exciting opportunity to champion distinct student ambitions and employer partnerships across industries. 

As Associate Director, you will provide strategic direction to a talented team, building on the office’s strong foundation while defining the next era of career education and engagement in CALS. This high-impact role calls for creativity, vision, ability to influence and adaptability in a rapidly evolving career landscape. You will foster a culture of innovation and leverage emerging tools, including AI, data analytics, and micro-credentials to strengthen career guidance, employer engagement, and student outcomes.  

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position. 

 Level Guidelines
• Provides input into annual departmental objectives and action plans
• Accountable for achievement of key annual objectives for a department
• May provide input into institution policy within area of functional expertise
• Responsible for functional output of a department or work team
• Manages subordinate staff
• Has full management responsibility for direct reports, specifically the authority to hire, fire, and counsel
• May provide input to the budgeting process
• Requests approval for financial actions beyond a limited scope
• May provide input into financial decisions that impact department or work area