RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION
Reporting to the vice dean for education and academic affairs and serving as a member of the executive leadership team at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), the assistant dean of global careers develops the vision, strategy, and plan for enhancing professional development, career advancement, alumni connection, employer engagement, mentoring opportunities, and outcomes for all SAIS students and alumni. The assistant dean of global careers partners with colleagues within SAIS and across Johns Hopkins to facilitate experiential learning programs preparing students for their future careers.
The assistant dean leads a team of seven direct and two indirect reports and oversees an operating budget of $320K and internship funding of up to $250K. The assistant dean will apply data-informed decision-making and deep knowledge of employment trends to enhance employer connections, alumni engagement, and career design programs to empower every student to pursue their professional ambitions and maximize career advancement opportunities regardless of background, or social capital.
They collaborate with the Johns Hopkins Integrated Learning and Life Design career services colleagues across Johns Hopkins to offer cutting-edge approaches to ensure lifelong professional success.
The assistant dean of global careers will:
- Engage with employers and alumni to maximize internship, employment opportunities, and mentoring connections for SAIS students and alumni through cultivating and strengthening relationships with colleagues across the school, dedicating special attention to the partnership with SAIS development and alumni relations, student affairs, faculty, Hopkins Connect, and Hire Hopkins. Other partners include academic leadership, academic advising, online and distance learning, and international services.
- Design a robust employer outreach program drawing on deep knowledge of the job market across sectors, industry areas, and best practices. Foster and maintain strong employer connections in the fields of interest to SAIS students.
- Provide guidance and leadership to the team of global careers professionals to deliver exceptional career services and programming to students, alumni, and employers to achieve strong employment outcomes.
- Collect, analyze, and report data on career outcomes, internship and mentoring engagement, and satisfaction with career and life design programming.
- Monitor and assess the effective implementation of career and professional development for students and alumni in partnership with key academic leaders (dean, vice deans, assistant deans, program directors, faculty, etc.).
- Oversee engagement in social media, digital outlets, academic and professional journals, and associations.
QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE
An advanced degree and progressively responsible experience leading and managing teams is required. Candidates must possess substantial experience in recruiting, university-employer relations, alumni relations/fundraising, sales, or business development; a demonstrated track record of advancing diversity and enhancing equity and inclusiveness; and extensive knowledge of relevant labor market trends. A proven track record of success in recruiting or education-to-job transitions and leadership in business development, data management, and professional development is desirable.
In addition to the qualifications stated above, the following are additional capabilities and attributes of a successful candidate:
- Globally oriented, culturally fluent, visionary, strategic, entrepreneurial, and outcomes-driven.
- Demonstrates skill in fostering new institutional relationships and marshaling professional networks with industry leaders, faculty, senior administrators, employers, and alumni.
- Experience developing and implementing effective assessment methods, analyzing information and situations to inform decisions, and articulating strategic priorities in a complex environment.
- Able to provide energetic leadership, with competency to develop and execute a vision, effectively manage and delegate workload and workflow, supervise, and develop staff.
- Possesses experience in recruiting and/or employer development and engagement with relevant employment sectors.
- Experience engaging multiple audiences and building partnerships with employers and alumni through modern communication channels.
- Experience developing and executing programs, events, and content to engage, teach, energize, and scale impact across various constituent groups.
- Understands nationally recognized practices, trends, and procedures for post-graduate school careers for students and alumni.
- Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and demonstrates competence in promoting inclusivity.
- Demonstrates effective negotiation skills, builds consensus, and communicates convincingly.
HISTORY OF THE POSITION
The title of this position was director until 2021. Following the departure of the previous director, an organizational restructuring, and new school leadership, SAIS elevated the position to the assistant dean title with a salary increase and expanded responsibilities.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF THE ROLE
The assistant dean must cultivate strategic alliances, grow employer market segments, build an alumni support program, advance career-related metrics, conceive and implement a new vision for global careers, and deploy optimized and equitable career support. In transitioning to Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, the assistant dean of global careers will encounter the following opportunities, priorities, and challenges, as shared by key campus stakeholders:
- It is an exciting time to join SAIS and be a part of a dynamic and visionary leadership group committed to taking the school in an ambitious new trajectory. This fall, SAIS is moving into its new home, a state-of-the-art 420,000-square-foot facility at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., a collaborative learning hub for the Johns Hopkins community. The new assistant dean will have a tremendous opportunity to partner across Johns Hopkins to optimize this facility and leverage a cutting-edge space. SAIS recently received a transformational $100M gift for the SAIS Europe campus in Bologna, Italy.
- SAIS global careers is part of Johns Hopkins’ career services ecosystem, including the integrated learning and design program, a nationally renowned and innovative approach to career development in higher education. Additionally, SAIS is well-known and respected, with a good reputation among employers. At the same time, the world of work is changing, and the range and kinds of jobs available to SAIS graduates have expanded. The new assistant dean will have the opportunity to leverage this outstanding reputation and the Johns Hopkins ecosystem to connect highly-talented and mission-driven students and alumni with expanded opportunities in a variety of sectors.
- SAIS is a highly intellectually stimulating environment with an extraordinarily talented global student body and an engaged alumni network that is passionate, hardworking, and eager to partner to help SAIS ascend to greater heights. The people working in SAIS express high job satisfaction, and the global careers staff is exceptionally invested and engaged in their work. However, they have experienced significant change in the past four years. SAIS global careers requires a seasoned and experienced leader to lead the team, build cohesion among the three campuses, and energize current and prospective partners.
- The successful candidate must have an international worldview to understand the SAIS community and facilitate worldwide job opportunities. SAIS is diversifying educational paths, and potential employment outcomes are expanding across many sectors. The assistant dean must possess a sophisticated understanding of the global job market and the opportunities and challenges inherent in a diverse student body, and be able to lead efforts to strengthen equity-minded practices that address growth opportunities in a distributed job market. Moreover, the successful candidate must demonstrate the ability to tap into and mobilize networks to grow employer relationships and support alumni.
- To optimize performance, meet the stakeholders’ expectations, and establish a compelling narrative, the leader of global careers must demonstrate a good understanding of relevant data collection techniques, analysis, and communication.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS
The items listed below will define the new assistant dean’s success throughout the first year of employment:
- The assistant dean has established and communicated a strategic plan to improve career outcomes, expand employers, and develop global careers as a differentiator for SAIS.
- The assistant dean has developed relationships across all stakeholders.
- There is a clear definition of what distinguishes a SAIS student in the market, and stakeholders can articulate the scope of SAIS talent.
- The new space is fully utilized, global careers is integrated with residents of the new building, and taking advantage of mutually beneficial dialogue and relationships.
- There is evidence of growth in opportunities related to tapping into the school resources and mobilizing the global alumni network.
- The students perceive the assistant dean as focused on their success and building individualized and tailored career support aimed at empowered long-term career planning and development and their ability to utilize the advantage and optionality of a degree from SAIS.
- Global careers staff interact with students during all phases of their career search, and the ratio of student engagement with global careers is improved.
OVERVIEW OF SAIS GLOBAL CAREERS
Global careers is an integral part of the SAIS academic curriculum and integrates immersive experiences, connections, and mentoring into learning to support students and alumni in pursuing professional opportunities throughout their career.
Creating Your Competitive Edge Course
In 2021, Global Careers collaborated with the SAIS office of distance learning to design the first-ever online professional development course that is accessible to all incoming SAIS students (800+) regardless of degree or campus of study. Students take the course and progress at their own pace with support available from the career coaching team. The course aligns with SAIS’ double operational goals of access and scale. As a result of this model, SAIS has seen a three-fold increase in professional development course engagement and an increase in course satisfaction. The model also allows SAIS to better track students’ interests and engagement.
Coaching
SAIS D.C. associate directors from global careers work collaboratively with colleagues at SAIS Europe and the Hopkins Nanjing Center (HNC) to offer one-on-one and group coaching virtually to students across all three campuses. In addition, these coaching resources are offered to alumni globally.
Employer Engagement & Career Programming
Associate directors in the office of global careers manage employer development for their industry areas by developing and maintaining relationships with recruiting and alumni contacts. Through these relationships, SAIS-specific career programming including employer meet-ups, industry days, career panels, networking events, employer site visits, resume collections, on-campus recruiting, and career treks are offered to students.
Industry Days: A unique, innovative take on the traditional career fair, Industry Days feature a mix of keynote talks with faculty moderators, interactive case studies, alumni networking opportunities and employer meet-ups. These sessions, introduced in fall 2020, equip SAIS graduate students to better understand sector-specific trends and career opportunities. In addition to SAIS industry days, global careers organizes events to introduce students to a range of organizations by partnering with employers and alumni.
- Multilateral Sector: World Bank Basics series, Exploring the Research Analyst Role at the IMF, and Career Talks with the U.N.
- Public Sector: workshops on navigating major US Departments (Treasury/Commerce/State), the political appointment process, crafting intel and federal resumes, and using USAJobs, among others.
- Private Sector: monthly networking series “Tech Tuesdays” and “Social Impact Wednesdays,” connecting students and alumni interested in technology and corporate sustainability, respectively. Global careers also hosts conversations and employer meet-ups from major consulting firms like Deloitte.
Traditional Career Resources: Each semester, global careers D.C. partners with colleagues in SAIS Europe and HNC to host a series of workshops on resume and cover letter drafting (both general and specialized), interviewing, optimizing LinkedIn, effective networking, and self-assessment and career exploration.
Career Treks: Each year, global careers organizes a series of career treks that take students on-site (currently primarily virtual) to meet alumni and human resources contacts in particular sectors/geographic locations, thereby offering students a better understanding of professional fields, insight into hiring processes, and networking opportunities.
The following are examples of career treks that have taken place in the past several years, with an emphasis on the sectors indicated (note, not all treks take place every year):
- Brussels – European Union (E.U.), private sector companies, and non-profits working in the E.U.
- Geneva – United Nations (U.N.), private sector companies and non-profits working with the U.N.
- Hong Kong – private sector companies
- London – financial services, political risk consulting firms
- New York – financial, consulting, conflict management/U.N., non-profits
- C. – multilaterals, energy, environment, think tanks, economic diplomacy, State Department, Capitol Hill
- San Francisco – energy and environment, tech industry (primarily energy focused)
- Austin/Houston – energy and environment
- Rome – international organizations
- Vienna – international organizations, private sector firms
Experiential Learning
Partnership with Walmart: Global careers partnered with the SAIS development office to secure a $100K gift from Walmart to host the first Walmart Global Policy Challenge. In January of 2022, 48 SAIS students participated in the program and produced high-quality presentations addressing a myriad of global policy issues from climate change, to the circular economy, to the US-China trade war. The eight winners of the competition were awarded a$5,000 fellowship each. Walmart is welcoming internship applications from all of the Challenge participants, and 36 SAIS students have subsequently applied.
AES Case Competition: In the fall of 2021, AES, a global energy firm, organized a unique case competition that challenged graduate students in the Washington, D.C. area to present a solution to a pressing energy industry issue. Global careers worked with AES in promoting the competition to students, assisting with the formation of SAIS student teams and compiling a resume book of interested students that was submitted to AES organizers. The “Power Troupe” team from SAIS placed first in the competition, with the four student team members receiving$10,000.
Experiential learning Imbedded in Industry Days: Global careers is bringing more hands-on and experiential learning into its programming, including imbedded workshops in SAIS industry days on topics like crafting policy memos, thinking like the private sector, and managing supply chain disturbances hosted by professionals in the sector.
Summer Internship Fund (SIF)
In 2020, global careers transitioned to managing all internship funds previously allocated to academic departments (due to a SAIS-wide reorganization). Students pursuing unpaid/low-stipend internships in the public, private, non-profit, or multilateral sectors are eligible to apply for Summer Internship Fund (SIF) awards. The average award for a ten-week internship is $1,500; however, the possibility of increasing summer stipends to enable equal access to internship experiences is being explored. During summer 2021, global careers received 70 applications, compared to 32 applications in 2020. Students’ internship organizations were located in 16 countries and included opportunities in the multilateral (14.3%), non-profit (27.1%), private (21.4%), and public (37.1%) sectors. Through these unique experiences, students gained firsthand industry knowledge, applied and honed practical skills, expanded professional networks, and enhanced classroom learning.
Marketing/Communications/Social Media
Global careers publishes a weekly newsletter and several industry-specific newsletters for dissemination to students. The team maintains an active social media presence on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram (new in 2021) to promote events and connect with alumni and employers. The global careers team also distributes event fliers on-campus and digitally. A sharp increase over the last two years has been observed, which we attribute in part to increased social media and direct marketing engagement.
Global careers actively collaborates with the SAIS marketing and communications team on internal and external communications.
Employment Outcomes
Global careers prepares the SAIS Employment Outcomes Report from an annual “First Destination/Next Professional Step” survey of recent SAIS MA, MIEF, MIPP, MAIA, MAIS, MAGR, and HNC-Certificate graduates, six months after graduation.
Specifically, the report includes
- Main outcomes and job satisfaction by degree
- Unique employers and industry breakdown
- Average satisfaction with global careers
Reports are published online here: https://sais.jhu.edu/student-experience/career-services/employment-outcomes.
OVERVIEW OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Johns Hopkins, founded in 1876, is America’s first research university and home to nine world-class academic divisions working together as one university. Located in Washington, D.C., the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) was founded in 1943 by Paul H. Nitze and Christian A. Herter, statesmen who sought to prepare the next generation of leaders to meet the complex challenges of the U.S. A distinguished faculty of scholars and policy experts developed an innovative curriculum that emphasized international politics, economics, and foreign languages, which, combined with skills training and experiential learning, helped prepare students to make a difference in government, civil society, and the private sector. In 1955, SAIS established a campus in Bologna, Italy, and in 1986 the school initiated one of the first Western university programs in the People’s Republic of China in Nanjing.
Today, SAIS carries on this tradition. Johns Hopkins SAIS alumni number more than 20,000 graduates, a network of professionals working across the globe. From private-sector executives to entrepreneurs, leaders of nongovernmental organizations to ambassadors, and international media correspondents to energy consultants, SAIS alumni are defined by their innovative thinking, analytical approach, and policy expertise. They are leaders in their fields, life-long students committed to the betterment of the world.
SAIS Leadership
James Steinberg, Dean of the School of Advanced International Studies
James B. Steinberg is the tenth dean of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Prior to becoming the dean of SAIS, Steinberg served as the university professor of social science, international affairs, and law at Syracuse University and served as dean of the Maxwell School from July 2011 until June 2016. He previously served as Deputy Secretary of State (2009-2011), serving as the principal Deputy to Secretary Clinton. From 2005-2008 he was dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas. From 2001 to 2005, He served as deputy national security advisor to President Clinton from 1996 to 2000. During that period, he also served as the President’s personal representative to the 1998 and 1999 G-8 summits. Prior to becoming deputy national security advisor, he served as director of the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff, and as deputy assistant secretary for analysis, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research.
Chiedo Nwankwor, Vice Dean for Education and Academic Affairs
Chiedo Nwankwor is the Vice Dean for Education and Academic Affairs and a Senior Lecturer at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Washington DC. Nwankwor is also the Director of the SAIS Women Lead Initiative (SWL) and supervises the SAIS Women Lead Practicum. In this role, she facilitates collaboration with SAIS Women’s Alumni Network (SWAN) and Global Women in Leadership to co-sponsor programming, strengthens alumni mentoring activities affiliated with SWL, and advises students. She is a Senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a fellow at the Center for Democracy and Development in Nigeria. She has consulted for the World Bank, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Premium Times Nigeria, the IFC, Co-Impact, WOREC, Women Deliver and others on gender justice matters, women’s political participation, and development.
Please visit this site for the full listing and biographies of the SAIS leadership team
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
Ron Daniels, President
Ronald J. Daniels has served as the 14th president of Johns Hopkins University since 2009. Under his leadership, Johns Hopkins continues its preeminence in education, patient care, and innovative discovery, and has continued its more than 40-year span as the recipient of more competitively allocated federal research funding than any other university in the country.
During his tenure, Daniels has focused his efforts on several key areas: strengthening inter-disciplinary collaboration in research and education, expanding student access and support, enhancing the Hopkins experience for undergraduate and graduate students, deepening the university’s partnerships with our neighbors in Baltimore, and supporting economic and social innovation. These priorities continue to shape the strategic vision for Johns Hopkins as it approaches its 150th anniversary.
Farouk Dey, Vice Provost for Integrative Learning and Life Design
Dr. Farouk Dey is the founding vice provost for integrative learning and life design at Johns Hopkins University, he leads a newly created division of 15 departments and centers that orchestrate programs and services to bridge curricular and experiential learning with professional ambitions and mentoring for all undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and alumni across the university’s nine schools. In partnership with his team and university colleagues, he launched a new vision of equitable access to life aspirations and economic opportunity for all students regardless of background or social capital, implement life design as a core philosophy of the student experience, opened the Imagine Center for Integrative Learning and Life Design, scaled alumni mentoring and corporate engagement, raised funding to support students’ immersive experiences, and achieved record growth in student engagement, satisfaction, and career outcomes.
The Student Body (Fall 2022)
Total enrollment: 31,275
Male: 53.9%
Female: 46.1%
SAIS enrollment: 1,159
Diversity Statement
“Johns Hopkins University and the School of Advanced International Studies are deeply committed to the dignity and equality of all persons—inclusive of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability, religion, military status, or political beliefs.
Johns Hopkins SAIS is committed to recognizing, addressing, and eradicating all forms of racism and ethnic oppression. This includes a commitment to engaging and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders in an effort to advance teaching, service, and scholarship that combats oppression, bias, and injustice.
SAIS seeks to empower students, colleagues, and our community members toward the goal of ending racial and ethnic discrimination and commits to the development and implementation of strategies and best practices that dismantle racism and ethnic oppression within all aspects of the school. Fostering an environment of respect and inclusion is central to the mission of the school and its commitment to celebrating the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and lifestyles of its students, faculty, and staff.”
BENEFITS OVERVIEW
For information on benefits and work life at Johns Hopkins, see here.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. To apply for this position please click on the Apply button, complete the brief application process, and upload your resume and position-specific cover letter. Nominations for this position and questions about the status of the search may be emailed to Kara Kravetz Cupoli at kkc@spelmanjohnson.com. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895 or email info@spelmanjohnson.com.
Salary Range $150,000 to $170,000 annually, commensurate with education and experience.
Visit the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
website at https://sais.jhu.edu.
The Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, military status, immigration status or other legally protected characteristic. The university is committed to providing qualified individuals access to all academic and employment programs, benefits and activities on the basis of demonstrated ability, performance and merit without regard to personal factors that are irrelevant to the program involved.
Johns Hopkins Statement on Principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion