Senior Career Advisor

Senior Career Advisors provide comprehensive project and innovation support in a collaborative, student-centered, and team-focused environment to advance the mission of Career & Professional Development (CPD). This role focuses on piloting and implementing scalable technologies, supporting departmental initiatives, and leading projects aligned with organizational OKRs. This role also contributes to advisor training and change management efforts, helping build the team's capacity to deliver high-quality, technology-enabled career services. In addition, this position provides limited, high-level student support for escalated referrals or to ensure service continuity during periods of increased demand.

Diversity Equity & Inclusion- Our Foundation for Student Success

We believe in the inherent worth of every individual. We strive to provide a space for employees to feel comfortable being their authentic self while offering opportunities for personal and professional growth. We are committed to promoting inclusion, belonging, respect for differences, equal opportunity, and diversity in our workplace. We believe in the power of education and the value of expanding access and opportunity to all individuals.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Career Services Innovation and Projects

• Support the career leadership team in piloting and implementing new technologies that expand CPD offerings and improve user experience; work with Ed Tech to support launch of products.

• Lead or co-lead projects that align with department OKRs, ensuring deliverables, timelines and metrics are met.

• Serve as a champion for change management strategies, acting as a role model, and actively participating in the implementation of change initiatives across the team.

• Support the development of scalable career programs, tools, and systems that reach a diverse, online learner population.

• Contribute to research, design, and testing digital resources that enhance advising and career readiness.

• Create documentation and resource materials to guide adoption and ensure consistency across teams.

• Become a product expert on CPD's core platforms - including Handshake, uConnect, Big Interview, and Jobscan, to inform best practices, training, and process improvements.

Career Advisor Training / Mentorship

• Assess CPD team needs to design effective training and resources that drive continual improvement of services.

• Support advisor training and change readiness as new tools, systems, or processes are introduced.

• Partner with advising leadership to develop training modules, job aids, and knowledge resources for advising team.

• Facilitate training(s), workshops, and learning opportunities to build confidence and capability in adopting new technologies.

• Create and pilot new webinar content to test innovative approaches to career education; once proven effective, train career advisors to integrate and circulate these webinars into ongoing operations.

• Act as a change champion, modeling adaptability, and helping others navigate transitions effectively.

Student Advising / Consultations

• Provide individualized career coaching for high-level student referrals and escalated cases, supporting students with complex or sensitive career challenges.

• Serve as a backup career advisor when needed to ensure service continuity during periods of high demand or limited team availability.

• Offer limited, strategic advising focused on insights that inform scalable solutions, training, or process improvement efforts.

Administrative

• Collaborate and work with colleagues that are "student obsessed" and keep the student in mind for every decision we make

• Attend virtual staff meetings, trainings, and other departmental related virtual gatherings

• Follow up and complete required university administrative tasks such as required training, performance reviews, etc.

• Seek out educational and professional development opportunities using LinkedIn Learning, NACE, ACE, NCDA, and more

• On occasion, this position may be assigned other duties needed to help drive to the vision, fulfill the mission, and uphold WGU's and the department's organizational values and leadership principles

Knowledge and Abilities:

• Demonstrated knowledge of the business, IT, healthcare and education industries.

• Possess the ability to increase student engagement in career counseling, coaching, and advising through a variety of formatted including on-demand interactions, appointments, workshops, and self-service resources.

• Assess incoming resumes for proper formatting, layout, sentence structure and bullet construction.

• Ability to communicate feedback in an encouraging manner.

• Accountable to maintain understanding of regional and national job/labor markets and able to advise students and alumni appropriately in their job search and recommend career-related resources.

• Ability to demonstrate influential skills with staff and students.

• Demonstrated project management, time management, organization, and team coordination skills.

• Proficiency in metric measurement, data collection, reporting, and analysis.

• Must have excellent computer skills (Word, Excel and Access, Internet and additional software utilized in the Career Development profession) and to quickly learn other programs as needed.

• Writing and editing skills necessary in handling correspondence and revision of communications, trainings and resources.

• Team player and demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative work environment.

• Flexibility with hours, especially during periods when services/programs may extend outside of regular work hours, including limited weekend work.

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, writing and listening skills with ability to work effectively with other university departments, with all levels of management and diverse groups of people; ability to present information to large and small groups of employees and/or students.

• Sound judgment and decision-making ability.

• Ability to perform well under pressure while maintain composure and leadership authority.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to work independently with only minimal management oversight, and exercise broad independent judgement.

• Strong ability to be attentive to detail. Ability to work cross functionally with other university departments.

• Ability to multitask and maintain a high level of organization in day-to-day processes.

• Additional duties as assigned by supervisor.

Qualifications:

Required Education & Experience:

• Master's degree

• 4+ years' experience in career services and/or recruiting, sales, employer relations, business development, human resources, university development, alumni relations or other related marketing and program management experience.

• Experience assessing team needs and designing effective training opportunities to support professional development and enhanced delivery of coaching services.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 5+ years' experience preferred in career services and/or recruiting, sales, employer relations, business development, human resources, university development, alumni relations or other related marketing and program management experience.

• Strong knowledge of AI and its applications to enhance career services and outcomes.

• Familiarity with digital technologies, with experience in writing business requirements; experience with EdTech platforms a plus.

• Experience with career services platforms and tools to support student engagement and career development is highly desirable.

Working Conditions:

• Travel required, approximately 3-5 times per year for events, meetings, or professional development.

Disclaimer: This Job Description has been designed to indicate the general nature, essential duties, and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this classification. It does not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications that are required of the employee to do this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. This Job Description does not constitute a contract of employment and the University may exercise its employment-at-will rights at any time.