Associate Director of Career and Experiential Learning for Public Leadership Pathways

Position Summary
The Associate Director of Career & Experiential Learning for Public Leadership leads the development of pathway support for students pursuing careers in public service, government, policy, advocacy, and mission-driven leadership. This role integrates advising, employer and alumni engagement, and experiential learning to help students build access to public interest and policy pathways.

This position supports students across a wide range of public-facing careers, including Capitol Hill, executive branch-adjacent roles, state and local government, nonprofit leadership, and public policy organizations. The Associate Director builds practical pathways into these fields through alumni activation, networking, internships, and career preparation.

About Career Advancement & Engagement

Career Advancement & Engagement at Vanderbilt University is building a pathway-based career ecosystem that aligns academic experience, experiential learning, and employer engagement to improve student outcomes at scale. Through advising, internships, industry partnerships, and AI-enabled tools, CAE helps students explore, prepare for, and launch into meaningful careers across a broad range of industries.

This model expands access to opportunities, strengthens employer relationships, and positions Vanderbilt as a leading source of talent in a rapidly evolving workforce.

Key Functions and Expected Performance

• Pathway Strategy & Leadership
  • Lead the design and implementation of the Public Leadership pathway.
  • Define milestone expectations and career readiness benchmarks for public service roles.
  • Serve as the pathway lead for government, policy, advocacy, and civic leadership careers.
  • Build a clear and visible strategy for students entering public interest fields.
• Advising & Student Development
  • Provide pathway-specific coaching for students interested in public leadership careers.
  • Support students pursuing both traditional and nontraditional paths into public service.
  • Guide students in developing strong applications, interview readiness, and professional narratives.
  • Help students understand the range of pathways into policy, government, and related fields.
• Experiential Learning Integration
  • Develop internships, treks, speaker events, and project-based opportunities connected to public leadership.
  • Support students in identifying experiences that strengthen public service preparation.
  • Collaborate with faculty and partners to embed public leadership experiences earlier in the student journey.
  • Help students connect academic work to public-facing career outcomes.
• Employer, Alumni & Ecosystem Alignment
  • Build and maintain relationships with alumni, employers, and partners in public leadership fields.
  • Expand opportunities through Capitol Hill connections, policy organizations, and civic networks.
  • Collaborate with university partners to support events, receptions, and networking opportunities.
  • Activate alumni as mentors, speakers, and connectors to career pathways.
• Outcomes & Assessment
  • Track student engagement, internship participation, and placement outcomes in public leadership fields.
  • Assess program impact and pathway growth over time.
  • Identify emerging opportunities for expanded public service engagement.
  • Report on student access to public leadership experiences and outcomes.

Supervisory Relationships
This position does not have supervisory responsibility, and this position reports administratively and functionally to Executive Director Consulting Career Pathways Life Design and Fellowships.

Education and Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree is necessary.
• Master’s degree in public policy, public administration, higher education, law, or related field is preferred.

Experience and Skills

• 6–8+ years of experience in public service, policy, higher education, student development, career services, or related fields is necessary.
• Demonstrated experience building partnerships across stakeholders and sectors is necessary.
• Strong understanding of public leadership pathways and the range of entry points into them is necessary.
• Excellent relationship-building, communication, and program management skills are necessary.
• Ability to work across faculty, alumni, employers, and students in a collaborative environment is necessary.
• Experience working in or with government, policy organizations, nonprofit leadership, or civic engagement programs is preferred.
• Familiarity with Capitol Hill recruiting, public service internships, or policy-related fellowships is preferred.
• Experience building alumni engagement strategies or experiential learning programs is preferred.
• Familiarity with student career development systems and CRM platforms is preferred.

About Us

At Vanderbilt University , our work - regardless of title or role - is in service to an important and noble mission in which every member of our community serves in advancing knowledge and transforming lives on a daily basis. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, on a 330+ acre campus and arboretum dating back to 1873, Vanderbilt is proud to have been named as one of “America’s Best Large Employers” as well as a top employer in Tennessee and the Nashville metropolitan area by Forbes for several years running. We welcome those who are interested in learning and growing professionally with an employer that strives to create, foster and sustain opportunities as an employer of choice.

We understand you have a choice when choosing where to work and pursue a career. We understand you are unique and have a story. We want to hear it. We encourage you to apply today so that you might become a part of our story.