Career Development Coordinator – CCI Academic Affairs and Student Success

The Career Development Coordinator supports the professional growth and career readiness of students by devising and leading career events, curating student resources, and managing professional development signature programs like the Mentoring Program and Vols Remote Internship Program. Provides direct student coaching through leading presentations and supporting College of Communication and Information (CCI) Career Drop-In Hours. Reporting to the Director of Career Development, this position designs and coordinates industry-specific programming—such as job fairs, mingles, and workshops—to connect CCI students with employers and alumni. It also delivers strategic recommendations to the Director to ensure successful execution, optimal outreach, and strong student engagement with all career resources.

• Serve as the College's liaison to the Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration (CCDAE), representing CCI's interests in all shared initiatives and coordinating events to maximize student awareness of career resources specific to communication and information disciplines

• Collaborate with the CCDAE to co-develop and promote applicable VolTreks, shadowing opportunities, and tailored workshops, leveraging campus-wide resources to enhance CCI-specific career readiness

• Design and manage industry specific events focused on connecting CCI students with employers and ensuring career readiness

• Assist with planning and participating in targeted industry networking trips lead by the Faculty Fellow and CCI Schools

• Establish and cultivate relationships with key employers and alumni to actively recruit and schedule their participation in career fairs, classroom sessions, and the Professional Development series

• Create and conduct presentations and workshops for FYS courses, professional seminars, student organizations and college courses; collaborate with the CCDAE as needed

• Create opportunities to increase student engagement and awareness of the Office of Professional Development and other career resources

• Provide drop-in career advising for CCI students weekly during the semester and career appointments as needed

• Consult with and evaluate existing internship partners, identifying challenges and recommending solutions to enhance the quality and viability of internship placements

• Identify and cultivate prospective industry partners by analyzing student needs and college priorities. Manage the full-cycle engagement of these partners—both those recommended by affiliates and those who self-nominate—through discovery meetings to define and secure meaningful full-time and internship opportunities for CCI students

• Develop and maintain printed and digital student career resources tailored to CCI students

• Manage CCI's signature experiential programs, such as the Vols Remote Internship Program, overseeing all logistical aspects from application review and candidate interviews to the successful matching of students with employer partners

• Oversee the CCI Mentorship Program by managing the application, matching students and alumni, curating training materials, etc.

• Research, collect, and distribute professional opportunities such as internships, jobs, events to CCI students through Handshake Collections, Career Coach Marketing, and CCI schools

• Solicit and coordinate content for professional development student spotlights and success stories, curating initial ideas and information to showcase diverse career options and readiness strategies. Subsequently, collaborate with the Communications Specialist, providing them with structured content for final refinement and distribution

• Prepare career and internship outcomes data by collecting, tracking, compiling, and analyzing attendance and input survey data, then generating and presenting comprehensive reports to the Director of Career Development to inform strategic planning and resource allocation

• Serve as secondary POC for faculty internship coordinators within CCI's academic units

• Maintain a college-wide tracking system for hands-on experiences in collaboration with school representatives, providing the Director of Career Development with key insights on student learning and program outcomes.

• Serve as point of contact for the CCDAE Career Coach dedicated to supporting CCI students

• Proactively meet with the Director of Career Development and Professional Development Series Instructors to assess impact of and maintain curriculum, curate Exploratory Experiences, and secure industry partners for experiences

• Work with the Vol Edge team to effectively embed Vol Edge into existing CCI programs, including industry networking trips, internship opportunities, and professional development courses

• Maintain relationships with all college personnel and relevant university partners to ensure streamlined career support for CCI students

• Build and maintain relationships with employers and alumni, ensuring initiatives align with the college's mission and goals for the student experience

• Provide targeted career development support for key CCI and School activities. The coordinator will assist with events such as student orientation and visit days by leading introductory career sessions or staffing informational booths, and will participate in community outreach to promote career-related partnerships.

• Hold membership and participate in professional organizations that are aligned with the office and college's mission

• Other related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree, any field (must be completed before or at time of hire)
• Experience in higher education or corporate environment mentoring or coaching college students or experience working with others in one-on-one and group settings. Student leadership roles will be considered
• Strong interpersonal skills, including oral, written, and listening communication capabilities
• Ability to plan and coordinate multiple projects or programs simultaneously
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with students, alumni, faculty, and employers
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously

Preferred Qualifications:

• One to two years of experience working in higher education (part-time work will be considered).
• Experience working with college students in a setting related to career development, student life, or student success
• Knowledge of employment trends, job search strategies and career development theories, best practices, and resources
• Knowledge of a career services management system such as Handshake and the ability to run reports
  Skilled in designing and delivering engaging career development workshops and presentations

Work Location: On site in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Compensation and Benefits: Compensation for this position includes a $50,000 starting salary plus a comprehensive benefits package.

Application Process: The anticipated start date for this position is December 2025. Priority review will be granted to applications received before October 24, 2025. For full consideration, applicants must provide a resume and cover letter. Finalists will be required to provide 3 professional references. All applicants must apply online to be considered for this position.

The College: CI is part of a Land Grant Institution embedded in communities to make those communities a better place. Our alumni, students, faculty, and staff strive to positively impact the lives of people in our state through our teaching, scholarship, creative work, and through our engagement and service. CCI as a college is well poised to deliver upon all of those areas to become the most nationally distinctive but locally relevant College of Communication and Information in the country.