Careers

About UMass Amherst

The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450-acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued—and thrives, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We believe every member of our university community can contribute to our ongoing success by striving for the highest level of excellence as we seek breakthrough solutions to mounting environmental, social, economic, and technological challenges in our world. 

About CICS

Celebrating 60 years of pioneering contributions to computing, the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) at UMass Amherst is home to approximately 900 graduate and 1,800 undergraduate students with programs that are ranked among the top twenty-five in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. CICS research encompasses all major technical specializations across the profession and serves as the focal point for interdisciplinary computing research at UMass Amherst. More information about the college and its revolutionary vision for computing research and education—Computing for the Common Good—can be found at cics.umass.edu.

Job Summary

The Assistant Director of Graduate Student Careers supports CICS Careers' mission of helping graduate students discover, explore, and pursue professional experiences, as part of an entrepreneurial, student-centric team. Along with other CICS Careers staff members, they collaborate with the CICS community of employers, UMass staff and faculty, and a growing network of alumni to benefit CICS Master’s and PhD students.

Essential Functions

• Develops specialized, scalable resources to prepare current graduate students and alumni for experiential learning opportunities and careers in both industry and academia. Collaborates with CICS graduate academic advising, the UMass Graduate School, Office of Global Affairs, and other UMass career centers on strategic initiatives and resources.
• Provides personalized career coaching to graduate students. Discusses internship and job search strategies based on industry trends and encourages career exploration. Develops individualized career plans and facilitates individual career development skills. Trains and mentors student staff on career coaching methods and best practices.
• Advises faculty and staff regarding computer science employment and occupational trends and implications for graduates. Encourages faculty to support career exploration and development of graduate students.
• Contributes to comprehensive career data collection, analysis, and reporting in collaboration with other members of CICS Careers. 
• Co-manages the career development software and recommends technology and process updates. 
• Identifies access and barrier issues limiting the participation and success of students from underrepresented backgrounds and collaborates to design and implement steps to advance participation and career success of all graduate students.
• Develops content for marketing of CICS Careers resources and programming and promotes through a variety of channels to increase graduate student engagement, satisfaction, and outcomes. Creates innovative ways to spotlight Master’s and PhD success stories. 
• Facilitates graduate student recruitment with a wide variety of existing and prospective employers by building and maintaining relationships with alumni. Facilitates mentorship opportunities between graduate students and alumni.
• Collaborates with CICS Careers staff, as well as UMass faculty and research centers, on the creation and maintenance of experiential learning programs.
• Plans, organizes, and attends career events including networking socials, career fairs, employer tech talks, class visits, hackathons, and workshops to form personal connections with graduate students and promote CICS Careers services. Collaborates with graduate student-focused organizations, CICS graduate academic advising, and other career centers on campus.

Other Functions

• Works in partnership with colleagues within the Manning CICS community and across the campus to support the Dean’s strategic priorities.
• Performs other duties as assigned in support of the mission and goals of the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences and the University and to meet business needs.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Bachelor's Degree and at least two (2) years of related professional experience (e.g., career counseling, advising, consulting, recruiting, entrepreneurship, education, STEM, etc.). A Master's Degree in a related field may be substituted for the 2 years of required experience.
• The ability to think through problems, organize and seek out data/information, identify key factors and underlying causes, and generate solutions.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to complete assignments by the established deadline, balancing the demands of concurrent and potentially competing projects.
• Ability to work both independently and to be part of an effective team with a highly cooperative and collaborative work style. Adaptability and willingness to take on a variety of tasks related to the successful operation and administration of CICS Careers. 
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact effectively and create and maintain trusted relationships.
• Independent initiative with the ability to stay on task and work productively with minimal supervision or guidance. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to understand and follow complex oral and written instructions.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality. 
• Strong technology skills including professional-level competency with email, calendars, word processing, spreadsheets, and databases. The ability to quickly learn and use a variety of technology such as Google Drive, Slack, Qualtrics, and Trello.
• Ability to periodically travel within the U.S. for conferences, employer site visits, and special events.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Master’s Degree in Higher Education, Student Counseling, or a related field.
• At least five (5) years of related or transferable professional experience.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

• Occasional travel required.
• Typical office environment.

Work Schedule

• Monday-Friday, 37.5 hours/week.
• Required to work some nights and weekends.
• This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position is non-unit, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees Non-Unit (Professional/or Classified) Employee Personnel Policy.

Salary Information

• PSU Level 26.
• Exempt Hiring Ranges.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Applicants must submit a resume, a short statement of interest (no more than 150 words), and the names and contact information for three (3) professional references. References will not be contacted until after the final round of interviews, with your advance notice.

Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis until the position is filled. Early submissions are encouraged.

At UMass Amherst and in CICS, we strive to be a community where every individual feels a sense of belonging, where every individual is included, and where every individual is valued. You can find these values and goals here: https://www.umass.edu/strategicplan/.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University.  To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans.  It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.