The University of Virginia is deeply committed to the professional, personal, and career development of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in all fields and disciplines.  Central to this commitment is PhD Plus, a University-wide program that supports the development of versatile PhDs, capable of long-term success in a wide variety of career fields.  Established in 2019, PhD Plus has become an essential component of doctoral and postdoctoral education and training at UVA. 

The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs seeks a Director of Career and Professional Development to foster the continued evolution and growth of PhD Plus as it moves into its next phase.  The Director will work collaboratively with an established program team, University leaders, and a wide range of stakeholders and partners to help achieve a vision for doctoral education that leverages the full resources of a comprehensive research university to prepare PhDs for the wide diversity of careers they desire, and in which they are needed.  Included among these are a wide variety of careers within the professoriate, academic research, and administration, as well as those in government, the public sector, non-profits, industry, and business.  

The Director will work collaboratively to advance the following goals and objectives:

• Develop and expand an established program team with a range of expertise, including career and professional development, research communication, and experiential learning

• Identify and expand opportunities to support the specific career and professional development needs of postdocs across the University

• Engage with faculty to enhance the integration of PhD Plus with degree curricula and efforts to enhance belonging and success

• Communicate program structure, opportunities, and potential modes of engagement to a diverse array of faculty, students, postdocs and other stakeholders

• Develop regular avenues for the collection and assessment of feedback from students, postdocs, alumni, faculty and collaborators

• Maintain and establish opportunities to more closely integrate PhD Plus offerings with training grant activities at the University

• Foster opportunities for doctoral students and postdocs to participate in new and existing certificates and degree programs that enhance preparation and success in diverse careers

• Enhance our understanding of student experience, career paths, and outcomes for doctoral students and postdocs across the University

• Engage with alumni to build opportunities for current graduate students and postdocs

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

• Management and supervision of PhD Plus team members

• Oversight and management of program budgetary resources

• Designing and implementing regular seminars, workshops, courses, and training modules for graduate students and postdocs that build career-related skills and competencies

• Providing individual career and professional development advising for graduate students and postdocs across the University

• Leading the collection and dissemination of data pertaining to graduate student and postdoctoral career outcomes, as well as labor market data to inform and enhance program development

• Managing the assessment of all programmatic activities through the collection and analysis of data on individual training modules and programs, experiential learning opportunities, etc.

• Leading the development of PhD Plus annual reports and other reporting duties

• Managing and contributing to periodic research and publication of assessment findings and program results

• Managing the development of proposals related to graduate student and postdoctoral career and professional development

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree

• At least At least seven years of related experience

• Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion with the ability to understand how issues of DEI impact PhD students and postdocs, particularly those from marginalized communities

• Demonstrated understanding of career outcomes for PhDs and postdocs in diverse sectors, including academia

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Ability to work independently and manage multiple time-sensitive projects

• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills

• Demonstrated ability to work with data and use evidence to support programmatic decision making

• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and collaborate with diverse stakeholders across multiple disciplines

Preferred Qualifications

• At least 3 years of experience in personnel management and supervision.

• Demonstrated understanding of career outcomes for PhDs and postdocs in diverse sectors, including academia

• PhD or terminal degree in field of study with significant research experience

• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in program management

• Direct experience working with graduate students and an understanding of graduate education beyond one’s own field

• Experience in a University setting in an area such as student services, employer relations, or academic administration

• Demonstrated knowledge of national career outcomes for PhD students and postdocs and the landscape of graduate education and postdoctoral training

This is position is In-Person located in Charlottesville, VA with the option for some hybrid work. The anticipated start date is April 2023

This position is a restricted position and is dependent upon project need, availability of funding and performance. Anticipated Hiring Range: $95,000-$105,000 I commensurate with education and experience. This is an Exempt level, benefited position.  For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit www.hr.virginia.edu/benefits.

This position will remain open until filled. Review of applicants will begin February 28, 2023. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

To Apply:
Process for Internal UVA Applicants : Please apply through your Workday Home page, search “Find Jobs”, and search for “R0045178“

Process for External Applicants: Please visit UVA job board at https://uva.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UVAJobs and search for “R0045178”.

Complete an application online with the following documents:

• CV
• Cover letter

Upload all materials into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration.

References will be completed via UVA’s standardized process Skill Survey. A total of five references will be requested via SkillSurvey during the final phase of the interview process.

For questions about the application process, please contact Jon Freeman, Recruiting Specialist, at jf2sw@virginia.edu

For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see http://www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville and https://embarkcva.com/.

COVID Vaccination Requirement and Guidelines

Please visit the UVA COVID-19 Job Requirements and Guidelines  webpage prior to applying for current information regarding vaccination requirements?and?guidelines for employment at UVA.

The University of Virginia, i ncluding the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff.  We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences.  We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.