Director Workforce Development Jobs in Cleveland, GA

Location : Demorest (Main) Campus
Job Type: Full-Time Staff
Job Number: 202600168
Division: Student Affairs
Department: Counseling and Career Services
Opening Date: 06/30/2026
Founded in 1897, Piedmont University is a private, comprehensive liberal arts university with an enrollment of approximately 2,000 students at campuses in Demorest and Athens, Georgia.
Description
The Director of Career Services provides visionary leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for career development programs and services that support student success, career readiness, experiential learning, and post-graduate outcomes. The Director advances Piedmont University's Strategic Plan by connecting students to meaningful career pathways, fostering employer and community partnerships, and ensuring students are prepared for successful careers, graduate education, and lifelong professional growth. The position plays a critical role in supporting the university's priorities of investing in student success and support systems, developing career-relevant educational experiences, strengthening regional engagement, and improving student persistence and outcomes.
The Director serves as a campus leader in career readiness initiatives and collaborates extensively with academic affairs, alumni engagement, student support services, employers, and community partners to create an integrated student success experience. Career Services is a key component of Piedmont University's Student Success Center and supports students and alumni through holistic career education and professional development.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Planning

• Develop and implement a comprehensive career services strategy aligned with Piedmont University's Strategic Plan and student success priorities.
• Establish measurable goals, key performance indicators, and assessment practices related to career readiness, internships, employment outcomes, graduate school placement, and student engagement.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts using data-informed decision-making and best practices in career development.
• Contribute to divisional and institutional planning initiatives focused on student success, retention, persistence, and post-graduation outcomes.
• Represent Career Services on university committees, strategic planning initiatives, and external partnerships.

Career Development and Student Success

• Design and deliver comprehensive career development programs for undergraduate and graduate students throughout the student lifecycle.
• Oversee career services including career exploration, major selection support, career assessments, résumé and cover letter development, interview preparation, networking strategies, job search techniques, and graduate school planning.
• Develop scalable career education initiatives embedded within the student experience from first-year through graduation.
• Collaborate with academic departments to integrate career readiness competencies into curricular and co-curricular experiences.
• Support students in identifying and achieving career goals through individualized coaching and developmental programming.
• Partner with Student Support Services, Counseling Services, Academic Success, and other student support units to provide holistic support that removes barriers to student achievement.

Employer Relations and Workforce Development

• Establish and maintain strong partnerships with employers, industry leaders, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and graduate schools.
• Expand internship, externship, job shadowing, experiential learning, and employment opportunities for students.
• Coordinate employer recruitment efforts, career fairs, networking events, information sessions, and on-campus interviewing programs.
• Develop strategic partnerships that strengthen Piedmont University's regional engagement and workforce development impact.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the university and employers seeking to recruit Piedmont students and graduates.
• Collaborate with community and business leaders to identify emerging workforce trends and employment opportunities.

Experiential Learning and Career Readiness

• Lead initiatives that increase student participation in internships, experiential learning, service-learning, undergraduate research, and other high-impact practices.
• Develop and assess career readiness competencies consistent with national standards and employer expectations.
• Collaborate with faculty to connect classroom learning with career preparation and workforce needs.

Technology, Assessment, and Outcomes

• Oversee career management platforms and related technologies used for student engagement, employer relations, appointment scheduling, and outcome tracking.
• Collect, analyze, and report career outcomes data, internship participation rates, employment statistics, and student engagement metrics.
• Prepare annual reports and strategic assessments demonstrating program effectiveness and alignment with institutional goals.
• Utilize data to improve services, demonstrate impact, and support accreditation and institutional effectiveness efforts.

Staff Supervision and Budget Management

• Provide leadership, supervision, mentoring, and professional development for Career Services staff and student employees.
• Manage departmental budget, resources, and operational priorities.
• Ensure efficient delivery of services across all university locations and modalities.
• Foster a collaborative, student-centered culture focused on excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Alumni and Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner with alumni relations to strengthen alumni engagement in mentoring, networking, career panels, and recruitment initiatives.
• Develop programs that support career advancement and lifelong professional development for alumni.
• Engage parents, families, and external stakeholders in career readiness initiatives where appropriate.

Typical Qualifications
Education and Experience
Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Counseling, Career Development, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in career services, student affairs, workforce development, employer relations, or related higher education settings.
• Demonstrated experience developing career readiness programs and employer partnerships.
• Experience supervising professional staff and managing departmental operations.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience utilizing data, assessment, and technology to improve programs and services.

Preferred Qualifications

• Seven (7) or more years of professional experience in higher education career services.
• Experience leading employer engagement and workforce partnership initiatives.
• Knowledge of NACE Career Readiness Competencies and current trends in career development.
• Experience with career management systems and career outcome reporting.
• Demonstrated success collaborating across academic and student affairs divisions.
• Experience supporting experiential learning, internships, and first-destination outcome initiatives.

Licenses and Certifications
Valid Georgia Driver's License (or obtained within 30 days of hire date) and satisfactory MVR.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Advanced verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Leadership and communication skills such as ability to exchange ideas and opinions, make presentations to students and faculty, etc.
• Decision-making skills such as the ability to make administrative decisions without guidance, interpret policy, establish methods and procedures, assign duties, etc.
• Equipment and software knowledge of standard office equipment including computer, monitor, mouse, copy machine, fax, etc.
• Must have evidence of an ability to work effectively with students and colleagues and have a strong commitment to undergraduate liberal arts education.
• Skill in public speaking, advising, professional writing, program design, project organization and management, time management; use of Microsoft Office software.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Knowledge of student support programs and services.
• Knowledge of student development theory and student personnel administration.
• Knowledge of campus life systems, culture and conventions.
• Program planning, implementation and evaluation skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal and community relations skills and the ability to communicate and work effectively within a diverse community.
• Skill in budget preparation and fiscal management.
• Conflict resolution and/or mediation skills.
• Ability to supervise and train employees/volunteers, to include organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling work assignments.
• Ability to foster a cooperative work environment.

• Ability to plan, organize and direct multiple programs and activities.

Supplemental Information
ENVIRONMENTAL, PHYSICAL, and VISUAL ACQUITY FACTORS
This position requires the incumbent to work in an office environment where they are not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions (as in typical office or administrative work). In this position the incumbent will regularly be required to kneel by bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees; crouch by bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine; reach by extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction; stand by remaining upright on the feet, particularly for sustained periods of time; walk by moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another; use fingering by picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling; grasp by applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm; use feeling by perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips; talk by expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; those activities where detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly; use hearing by perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and making fine discriminations in sound; and, use repetitive motions by making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
The incumbent will be required to perform light work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary Work and the worker sits most of the time, the position is rated for Light Work.
This position requires the incumbent to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, and/or operation of machines (including inspection); using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication of parts at distances close to the eyes.
Non-Discrimination Policy
Piedmont University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of diversity within its faculty, staff, and students.
It is the policy of Piedmont University not to discriminate in its educational programs, activities, or employment on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, race, age, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, veteran status, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
It is the policy of Piedmont University not to discriminate in its educational programs, activities, or employment on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, race, age, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, veteran status, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Inquiries or complaints from students or employees concerning the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sex in this statement should be directed to:
Coordinator for Title IX, Mia Borgstrom
Daniel Hall 213
Demorest, GA 30535
(706) 778-8500 x1504
Inquiries or complaints from students, other than on the basis of sex, concerning any of the prohibitions of discrimination in the statement should be directed to:
504 Coordinator, Letitia Roller
Daniel Hall, - Room 208
1021 Central Avenue
P.O. BOX 10
Demorest, GA 30535
(706) 778-8500
oars@piedmont.edu
Inquiries or complaints from employees concerning any of the prohibitions of discrimination in this statement should be directed to:
Letitia Roller
Assistant Vice President of Human Resources and Compliance
Daniel Hall - Room 208
1021 Central Avenue
P.O. BOX 10
Demorest, GA 30535
(706) 778-8500 x 2858
We offer a complete benefits package to full-time 12-month employees, including:

• Health Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Dental Insurance