Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Director of Advising & Career Services

Class: Management | Exempt status: Exempt | Grade: M

The Director of Advising & Career Services serves as the College’s leader for the delivery of advising and career services for students. The position is responsible for the implementation of a holistic case management model of guidance for students related to: academic planning; career exploration and decision-making; academic progress monitoring and interventions; academic and learning support; transfer and employment planning; and College navigation support. The position supervises Pathway Guidance Managers that lead teams of staff advising students to ensure that proactive and wraparound support is provided for all students to complete their academic and career goals. The position works closely with Student Affairs and Academic Affairs leadership to operationalize collaborative and cross-functional guidance to completion for students within their academic and career pathway.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provides strategic and operational leadership and accountability for the College-wide delivery of high-quality and high-impact advising and career services, including academic planning; transfer and employment planning; career exploration and decision-making; academic progress monitoring and interventions; resource referral; and College navigation support.
2. Ensures culturally responsive and inclusive academic advising and career services delivery that centers historically underserved and marginalized communities; accountable for flexible service delivery modalities that support access and equitable student outcomes.
3. Designs, develops, implements and maintains a holistic case managed service delivery model for student support;
4. Engages staff, sets expectations and ensures consistency of practice and quality across all Academic and Career Pathways in alignment strategic initiatives. Provides guidance on best practice and continually reviews programing to update as needed to best support student success.
5. Partners closely with other Academic & Career Pathways Guidance leaders and staff to inform the development and design of systems, structures and tools that support consistent and quality delivery of services to students, such as: technology platforms, training and development curriculum, peer advisor programming, and assessment/continuous improvement practice.
6. Builds and maintains collaborative and productive partnerships across Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, administrative/systems services, and shared governance bodies in order to integrate the planning and execution of holistic, proactive, and seamless delivery of student services. Implements student guidance initiatives in support of a guided pathways operating model that results in continually improving outcomes for students.
7. Ensures staff knowledge of, and institutional compliance with, federal/state/College regulations, policies, and guidance related to advising, career and employment services. Supports accreditation standards documentation and reporting. Communicates the impact of potential legal or regulatory changes that impact the College.
8. Collaborates with external transfer partners and analyzes and recommends institutional engagement opportunities.
9. Provides ongoing needs assessment and gap analysis related to advising and career services delivery. In collaboration with management, exercises leadership in achieving optimal organizational efficiency and effectiveness, including implementing initiatives to improve work processes and enhance systems and staff performance.
10. Oversees, analyzes, and makes budget decisions in alignment with College strategy, values and priorities. Forecasts funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies. Approves expenditures and implements budgetary adjustments as appropriate.
11. Supervises management, academic professionals, classified, technical/support, and/or student staff. Reinforces staff’s development of PCC’s leadership competencies. Evaluates, supports, and provides guidance on professional development plans and goals for assigned areas of responsibility in accordance with practices, policies, and collective bargaining agreements. Hires, evaluates, trains, disciplines and recommends dismissal of staff as necessary.
12. Implements and promotes advancement of the district’s equity goals and assists in the hiring of staff that reflects the diversity of the district. Enhances equity-minded talent management, including recruiting, hiring, and employee retention practices.
13. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Environment

Work environment includes frequent disruptions and changes in priorities. Work is generally performed in an office environment with frequent interruptions and irregularities in the work schedule. Working hours may vary and occasional evening or weekend work is required. Frequent travel to other locations is required. No special coordination beyond that used for normal mobility and handling of everyday objects and materials is needed to perform the job satisfactorily.

Minimum Qualifications

Master’s Degree in Counseling, Psychology, Human Resources, Education, Administration or related field. Three (3) years of progressively responsible professional experience with college students in an academic advising, career services, or consulting capacity in a higher education environment with experience providing program/project management or coordination. Two (2) years of management/supervisory experience.

OR Bachelor’s Degree in Counseling, Psychology, Human Resources, Education, Administration or related field AND five (5) years of progressively responsible professional related experience with college students in an academic advising, career services, or consulting capacity in a higher education environment with experience providing program/project management or coordination. Two (2) years of management/supervisory experience.

OR Bachelor’s Degree in any field AND seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional related experience with college students in an academic advising, career services, or consulting capacity in a higher education environment with experience providing program/project management or coordination. Two (2) years of management/supervisory experience.

OR nine (9) years of progressively responsible professional related experience with college students in an academic advising, career services, or consulting capacity in a higher education environment with experience providing program/project management or coordination. Two (2) years of management/supervisory experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Supervisory principles;
• Program development, budgeting, and management;
• Policy and procedure development and administration;
• Public administration and higher education principles and practices;
• Applicable local, state and federal laws, codes, rules, and regulations;
• Health, safety and emergency preparation, business and operational continuity, and response.

Skills in:

• Strategic leadership and management;
• Planning, implementing, improving, and evaluating operations, programs, policies, procedures, financials;
• Evaluating research to identify potential solutions, resolve problems, and provide information;
• Utilizing data and assessment outcomes for communication and making continuous improvements for programs and services;
• Working with diverse academic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students and staff.

Ability to:

• Communicate and execute a vision for student-centered (flexible, multimodal) delivery of services through oral and written mediums;
• Drive systemic change for racial and social equity and justice;
• Manage and mediate conflict and sensitive topics;
• Counsel, direct, and facilitate professional development of employees while motivating them toward goal achievement;
• Apply independent judgment to interpretation and application of rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.

New: 5/2021

Portland Community College is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other protected class.