Assistant Dean for Career Services

The Michigan State University College of Law invites nominations of and applications from exceptional candidates for the position of Assistant Dean for Career Services.
We seek creative, dynamic, and engaging candidates who can provide vision and leadership toward our ultimate goal of increasing student and alumni professional success and fulfillment, both regionally and nationally.

The Career Services Office
The mission of the CSO is to equip all MSU Law students and alumni to achieve professional fulfillment and success. To accomplish this, CSO assists students with exploring and identifying professional opportunities; building relationships with alumni and employers; developing and perfecting their application materials; and establishing a professional social media presence. The Office also markets the talents of MSU Law students to a wide range of private, government, and public interest employers; engages faculty and alumni in support of its mission; and continues to develop an ambitious program directed at expanding job opportunities throughout the country through on and off-campus recruitment programs, and other initiatives. Due to these efforts, the Office has achieved significant improvements in placement rates at graduation and ten months out during each of the past two years.

The Career Services Office includes three to four attorney-advisers, two management-level administrators, and one part-time administrative assistant. The Office works closely as a team to provide superior service to our students, alumni, and employers.

Duties and Responsibilities
The Assistant Dean for Career Services reports directly to the Dean of the Law College and leads the CSO team in providing proactive, comprehensive professional development, career planning, and career advising services. The successful candidate will preferably have significant experience managing a team and will continue the development and implementation of a vision and strategic plan that expands employment opportunities for students in a changing and challenging legal marketplace.

The Assistant Dean is also a vital member of the Law College's senior management team and works collaboratively with the Dean, Admissions, Student Engagement, Alumni Relations, and faculty and administrative colleagues. The Assistant Dean establishes short and long-range department goals, objectives, policies, and operating procedures; oversees collection, analysis, and reporting of employment data; monitors and evaluates program effectiveness; identifies and implements changes required for improvement; counsels students and alumni on career strategies; develops programming to promote law practice skills and related matters; and works closely with the Externship Program Director.
Other duties of the Assistant Dean include strategic allocation of resources based on data analysis and the Office's mission; the effective use of technology for communications, marketing, and tracking purposes, including social media and specialized database systems; and development and evaluation of post-graduate opportunities.

Qualifications
The successful candidate will preferably:

• Have a record of success in law school career services or within the legal recruiting industry, which will include significant experience in legal academia or the practice of law.
• Demonstrate strong experience in management and personnel supervision, including budgeting and cross-departmental initiatives.
• Display the skills and ambition to extend a strong network of contacts in the legal community, both inside and outside of Michigan;
• Have a track record of delivering outstanding results through professional positions in career services, and/or legal, corporate, government or public sector management, with demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience;
• Show the commitment and ambition to provide students with a comprehensive array of services to enable them to launch meaningful and successful careers; the ability and energy to develop and implement innovative initiatives that anticipate and adapt quickly and creatively to shifting dynamics in the marketplace; and the ability to foster engagement with students, faculty and alumni.

Other requirements include a strong marketing and management background, and superior organizational, analytical, interpersonal, and oral and written communication skills.

Five years' experience in career counseling and advising, educational administration or a combination of education and experience is preferred. An advanced degree is required and a JD is strongly preferred.

About Michigan State University College of Law
This is an important moment in time for the College of Law as it reflects back on its unique 126 year history and at the same time, looks forward – with great optimism– to its promising future. The College of Law is a dynamic, student-centered academic community. The College of Law offers a legal education that challenges students' intellect, broadens their experiences, and prepares them for successful and rewarding careers. The College is dedicated to providing a learning environment where students acquire the professional skills and ethical grounding needed to become excellent advocates, stalwart members of the bar, and leaders in their communities. With a new strategic plan and renewed curriculum in place, MSU Law is poised to reach a higher level of sustained excellence. The Assistant Dean for Career Services will play a critical role in helping the college to fulfill this commitment.

MSU College of Law is perfectly situated in the heart of a Big Ten university, just minutes from the state capitol and in close proximity to Detroit, Grand Rapids and Chicago.

The student body is made up of approximately 750 J.D. students and 80 students enrolled in various Master of Laws and Master of Jurisprudence programs. Approximately 50 percent of the students in the J.D. program are from Michigan, 45 percent are from states outside of Michigan, and 6 percent are international students.

Additional information regarding MSU Law can be found at law.msu.edu.

Application Process
Applicants should submit a letter of interest and a current resume to HR-Operations@law.msu.edu.
The initial screening of applications will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made. For best consideration, applications should be submitted by July 24, 2017.

Inquiries, nominations should be directed to: Charles Ten Brink, Associate Dean for Library & Technology Services, cjtb@law.msu.edu | 517-432-6862

Michigan State University College of Law is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. The Law College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, genetic information, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, political persuasion, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, height, weight, veteran status, age or familial status.

The Law College actively encourages applications from underrepresented ethnic populations, women, veterans, person defined under the ADA and the LGBT community.

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