Description

ROLE OF THE ASSOCIATE VICE PROVOST AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The AVP/ED provides strategic direction and leadership for the university’s central career services organization. The AVP/ED works closely with academic leadership to advance a transformational vision for career education that reflects Stanford’s commitment to academic excellence, student success, and societal impact, ensuring that career development remains an integral component of the Stanford student experience and advances the institution’s mission and impact.

The AVP/ED will oversee the division’s strategy, operations, and resources supporting undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students while serving as a key representative of Stanford to employers, alumni, and external partners. The AVP/ED is tasked with augmenting external partnerships for improved programming, expanding experiential education opportunities and internships, fundraising, and new opportunities for career placement. The AVP/ED works closely with department chairs, program leaders, academic advisors, faculty, and administrations to integrate student learning outcomes related to career development in the curriculum and provide internships and other applied learning opportunities.
The AVP/ED will lead a team of 35 career education professionals and oversee six direct reports, including the Director of Career Coaching and Education, Director of Employer Relations & Outcomes, Assistant Director of Alumni Career Engagement, Accounting and Budget Manager, Office Manager, and Administrative Assistant.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE ASSOCIATE VICE PROVOST AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

This is an exciting moment for CareerEd as it expands its impact, strengthens partnerships across the university and beyond, and further establishes career education as a defining element of the Stanford student experience. To be successful, the AVP/ED will address the following challenges and opportunities:

Integrate and advance career education across Stanford
The next AVP/ED will advance Stanford’s strong foundation in career education, shaping its next chapter. With technological innovation, evolving student, parent, alumni, and employer expectations, and increasing focus on career outcomes in higher education, the AVP/ED will articulate a clear, cohesive, and distinctly Stanford vision for career education.

Building on a history of innovation within a decentralized ecosystem, the AVP/ED will bring greater coherence to the importance and relevance of career education across the University, positioning it as a developmental, longitudinal experience integrated into the fabric of a Stanford education. This role will balance preparing students for evolving careers with preserving the values of a liberal arts education, helping students connect intellectual inquiry with real-world application and navigate complexity and change.

The AVP/ED will also integrate emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, into career education strategy and champion a data-informed approach, leveraging outcomes, student insights, and labor market trends to serve as a strategic partner across Stanford, guide decision-making, and demonstrate impact.

Establish career education as a defining element of the Stanford student experience

Working closely with Undergraduate and Graduate Education, the AVP/ED will create an integrated career education model that engages students throughout their Stanford journey, beginning their first year. Drawing on data and insights from students and employers, and working closely with faculty, the AVP/ED will ensure that programs and services remain responsive to evolving student and employer needs, interests, and the realities of a rapidly changing world of work. This will entail expanding access to personalized guidance, experiential learning opportunities, and clear pathways that support both traditional and non-traditional definitions of post-graduate success for undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral students, and alumni. The AVP/ED will champion a student-centered approach, ensuring all Stanford students have access to high-quality, relevant, and equitable support for all career paths.

Foster highly collaborative relationships with a broad range of university constituents

The AVP/ED will build strong relationships across Stanford’s decentralized ecosystem to advance a cohesive yet individualized approach to career development and experiential learning. Partnering closely with faculty, academic advising, professional school career centers, and other campus stakeholders, this leader will help integrate career exploration and readiness into Stanford’s liberal arts framework, ensuring self-discovery and enrichment remain the focus.

The AVP/ED will foster collaboration across schools, alumni relations, and campus partners to create more seamless and coordinated programming and services. The AVP/ED will align efforts, leverage shared resources, and reduce duplication where appropriate, ensuring that students, alumni, and employers can access consistent and comprehensive support.

This leader will serve as a key partner to Stanford’s schools and alumni relations teams to strengthen data collection and insight into post-graduate outcomes. They will also work together to further promotealumni engagement in mentoring, networking, and career exploration opportunities that connect students and alumni to a broad range of professional paths.

Serve as a compelling spokesperson for Stanford Career Education

The AVP/ED will serve as a primary external ambassador for Stanford Career Education, fostering meaningful engagement with alumni, employers, and other strategic partners to expand opportunities for students. This leader will build and sustain strong external relationships, create clear pathways for engagement, and help partners effectively navigate Stanford’s ecosystem. Through these efforts, the AVP/ED will strengthen connections between students and industry and elevate the visibility of career education as a core component of the Stanford student experience.

In partnership with alumni relations, advancement, and school and university leadership, the AVP/ED will foster meaningful alumni engagement across a range of professional fields and support fundraising, fellowship development, and other resource-generation efforts. Leveraging employer insights and labor market intelligence, this leader will strengthen employer partnerships and ensure that Stanford students are well positioned for success as emerging leaders in a rapidly evolving global economy.

The AVP/ED will use strategic marketing, communications, and data-driven storytelling to demonstrate the impact of career education, showcase student outcomes, and inspire continued investment and engagement from internal and external stakeholders. This will include working with university leadership to ensure appropriate investments in programming, staffing, and infrastructure to meet evolving student and market needs.

Lead and develop a high-performing team

The Stanford Career Education team is composed of dedicated, mission-driven professionals who are eager to contribute to the next iteration of CareerEd. The AVP/ED will lead and empower this team by setting clear priorities, ensuring resources for success, and fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, accountability, and care.

In the context of recent organizational changes, the AVP/ED will play a critical role in building trust, strengthening team cohesion, and supporting professional growth through transparent communication, active listening, and leveraging the team’s expertise where possible. This leader will align team structure, talent, and resources with institutional priorities while establishing clear goals, expectations, and measures of success.

The AVP/ED will be a strong and consistent communicator, ensuring that staff understand university ambitions, can work together to set and accomplish key priorities, and have access to the tools, technology, professional development, and support needed to deliver innovative, student-centered programs and services.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

The following qualifications and characteristics represent a broad set of skills and attributes deemed important for success as the Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director for Stanford Career Education. While no candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional and personal assets:

   -A Bachelor’s degree with completion of an advanced degree in an academic area strongly preferred;
   -Significant leadership experience in career education or equivalent experience in the private sector, and strong knowledge of current practices in career development;
   -Demonstrated success building innovative career services programs that advance student and institutional outcomes and are integrated with the academic enterprise;
   -Experience cultivating employer, alumni, and external partnerships that expand career opportunities and experiential learning;
   -Experience supporting a diversity of career pathways, from the unconventional to high tech;
   -Proven ability to lead organizational change, develop high-performing teams, and manage complexity;
   -Strong strategic, analytical, and operational leadership skills;
   -Knowledge of evolving workforce trends, recruiting practices, and the impact of emerging technologies, including AI;
   -Exceptional communication, public speaking, collaboration, and relationship-building abilities;
   -Experience navigating complex, decentralized organizations and building alignment across diverse stakeholders;
   -Understanding of the opportunities and challenges unique to a highly selective university environment; and
   -A commitment to student success, innovation, inclusion, and continuous improvement.