Job Description

OVERVIEW

Reporting to the Director of Career and Professional development (CPD), the Academic Advisor and Career Coach serves a vital role in enhancing student success and retention through holistic academic and career advising. This position combines elements of career development, academic advising, and case management, focusing on guiding students through their educational and professional journeys in a liberal arts context. The Coach will lead a cohort of first-year students as part of a career community initiative designed to integrate curricular and co-curricular experiences with applied, professional, and experiential learning embedded in the liberal arts. Additionally, the Coach will collaborate with faculty, including the faculty major advisor, to develop innovative programs and foster partnerships with employers and alumni to support career readiness and student success.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

The Academic Advisor and Career Coach is a student services professional with a critical role in the College’s student success initiative. The responsibilities of the role include guiding students’ career decisions and class selection from their first term until completion; tracking the advancement of students and providing academic case management and advising assistance for students.

The Academic Advisor and Career Coach possesses a general level of knowledge on a wide variety of topics in Student Success but also demonstrates a more specific knowledge of one or more subjects and develops that knowledge as an on-going process, ensuring delivery of integrated, holistic service to students.

Academic and C areer Advising

• Provide one-on-one and group advising sessions to assist students in academic planning, course selection, and degree progression that encourages liberal arts exploration. Maintain student advising notes in online systems including Slate and Handshake.
• Support students in setting career goals, creating academic plans, and developing skills such as resume writing and interview preparation.
• Conduct early interventions for at-risk students, offering personalized plans to enhance academic persistence and success.
• Collaborate with students to create Individual Development Plans (IDPs) that outline academic and career milestones, such as securing internships or completing shadowing experiences.

Career Community Leadership and Development

• Oversee a career community of approximately 60 first-year students, offering mentorship, guidance, and a sense of belonging.
• Design and facilitate programs such as workshops, employer panels, and guest speakers that promote experiential learning and professional development.
• Align academic and career programming to help students integrate classroom learning with real-world applications.

Program Development and Campus Collaboration

• Partner with faculty to integrate career development into academic curricula and align programming with institutional goals.
• Align academic and co-curricular planning to career interests, providing guidance on balancing academic rigor with experiential opportunities.
• Develop and share resources that clarify career pathways and enhance students’ understanding of their options.
• Collaborate with faculty advisors, student services and academic departments to create a seamless student experience.
• Develop and deliver programming tailored to student interests, including:
  • Workshops on career assessments, resume building, and LinkedIn profile creation
  • Guest speakers and panels to discuss career paths, industry insights, and success strategies
  • Coordinate early exposure to the workplace through shadowing programs, employer site visits, and networking opportunities

Data Collection and Reporting

• Monitor student progress within the career community, tracking outcomes to inform program improvement.
• Maintain accurate records of advising interactions, event attendance, and student outcomes to measure the initiative’s impact.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in counseling, higher education, human resource management or a related field from an accredited institution of higher education.
• Three years of professional experience in career or academic counseling in a higher education or other career development environment.
• Expertise with best practices of academic and career coaching in support of holistic student success; understanding of college student development and trends in learning science.
• Must be able to handle a full counseling load effectively, prioritize and adapt to changing priorities, and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Demonstrated strength in developing relationships with diverse populations and proven ability to work in a team.
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Builds rapport with diverse constituents including faculty/staff, students, alumni, parents and other partners.
• General familiarity with the framework and goals of a residential liberal education at a mission-driven institution.
• Works autonomously and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Detail oriented, flexible, and can initiate and manage multiple tasks, projects and events under competing deadlines and shifting priorities.
• Ability to work occasional evenings/weekends and engage in regional travel as needed.

About Ursinus College

Ursinus College is a selective, independent, co-educational, residential liberal arts college of approximately 1500 students located about 25 miles northwest of center city Philadelphia. With a diverse community of students, it is an expectation of all faculty to contribute to the inclusion, engagement, and success of all students.

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