Director Of Career Operations, Data & Systems

Director Of Career Operations, Data & Systems

American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world.

The Director of Career Operations, Data & Systems provides strategic leadership for the infrastructure that enables scalable, equitable, and high-impact career education and experiential learning. This role oversees the operational backbone of the Career & Experiential Learning portfolio, including systems and platforms, data and reporting, administrative services, budget and operations support, and institutional storytelling grounded in outcomes.

Reporting to the Vice Provost, the Director ensures that programs are supported by strong systems, clear processes, reliable data, and compelling narratives that demonstrate value to students, faculty, institutional leaders, and external stakeholders.

This role is intentionally non-programmatic and is focused on enabling frontline staff and academic partners to concentrate on student learning and engagement.

Essential Functions

1.) Career Systems and Platforms

• Provide strategic oversight of career and experiential learning platforms, ensuring usability, integration, data integrity, and alignment with institutional priorities.
• Partner with campus stakeholders (e.g., Office of Information Technology, Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, Advancement, Registrar) to support system integrations and shared data governance.
• Lead vendor relationships, contracts, and platform optimization.

2.) Data, Reporting, and Compliance

• Orchestrate the collection, analysis, and use of career outcomes, experiential learning participation, and graduate census data.
• Ensure data quality, equity analysis, and compliance with institutional, state, and accreditation requirements.
• Translate data into actionable insights for internal decision-making and external reporting (e.g., trustees, rankings, accreditation, advancement).

3.) Budget and Operations Leadership

• Manage operational planning and budget support for the Career & Experiential Learning portfolio, including forecasting, tracking, and reporting.
• Develop efficient, scalable operational processes that support growth without proportional increases in staffing.
• Serve as a strategic partner to senior leadership on resource allocation and operational sustainability.

4.) Front Desk and Administrative Infrastructure

• Oversee front desk and administrative services to ensure consistent, student-centered intake, scheduling, and triage.
• Design workflows and service models that support access, equity, and operational efficiency.
• Supervise administrative staff and ensure clear role expectations and performance standards.

5.) Communications

• Oversee governance of the office website, ensuring accuracy, accessibility, clarity, and alignment with institutional messaging.
• Establish content standards, workflows, and accountability (in partnership with campus communications).
• Oversee strategic use of data and outcomes in career-related communications and storytelling.
• Translate career and experiential learning outcomes into compelling narratives for senior leadership, advancement, admissions, and external audiences.
• Support the alignment of career outcomes data with broader institutional goals, including recruitment, retention, and alumni engagement.
• Ensure consistency of messaging across reports, presentations, and digital platforms.

6.) Supervision

• Supervise staff responsible for operations, systems, data analysis, communications infrastructure, and administrative services.
• Provide leadership that emphasizes clarity of roles, process improvement, and cross-functional collaboration.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• This position will supervise three full-time staff members.

Competencies:

• Acting Ethically and with Integrity.
• Building and Supporting Teams.
• Championing Customer Needs.
• Developing Plans.
• Evaluating and Implementing Ideas.
• Making Accurate Judgments and Decisions.
• Managing Talent.
• Supporting a Diverse and Inclusive Community.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• Full-Time.
• 35 hours per week.
• Hybrid 1 work modality (3 - 4 days on campus).

Salary Range:

• $107,000.00 - $112,000.00 annually.

Required Education and Experience:

• Master's degree or equivalent.
• 8 - 10 years of relevant experience.
• 3+ years of supervisory experience.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Master's degree.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience leading operations, systems, or data functions in a complex organization.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into insights and narratives for varied audiences.
• Experience managing budgets, vendors, and operational processes.
• Experience with career management platforms and student information systems.
• Familiarity with career outcomes reporting, first-destination surveys, and accreditation requirements.
• Experience partnering with institutional research, advancement, or marketing and communications units.
• Commitment to equity-minded practices and the use of data to address outcome gaps.

Other Duties:

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits

AU offers a competitive benefits package. Click here to learn about American University's unique benefit options.

Other Details

• Hiring offers for this position are contingent on successful completion of a background check.
• Employees in staff positions at American University must deliver their services to the university from either the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, or perform work on-site at the university.
• Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
• American University is an E-Verify employer.

Current American University Employees

American University current employees must apply through their employee Workday account. If you are a current employee at American University, please log into Workday and select the Find Jobs report which will take you to our internal career listings.

Contact Us

For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email theworkline@american.edu.

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual's genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.