Director of Career Services and Partnerships (5258) Job #89106 - The Blum Center for Developing Economies

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and MacArthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond. Together, we change the world.

At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth. We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and providing space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

We invite applicants who are inspired by our Principles of Community and who are eager to be part of our exciting Strategic Plan, which charts Berkeley's next era of excellence.

Learn more about some of our accomplishments at Points of Pride.

The Blum Center leverages the talent, energy, and innovations of the University of California, Berkeley to address difficult challenges in low-resource communities in California and across the world. Our interdisciplinary problem-solving approach draws on students and faculty from over 70 disciplines, including engineering, social sciences, and business, to develop, test, and scale technologies and scalable solutions for economic development and to improve lives. The Center leads an undergraduate minor in Global Poverty & Practice, one of the most popular on campus; a graduate PhD minor in Development Engineering, the first in the nation; a Master of Development Engineering, UC Berkeley's first professional degree committed to solving complex global challenges across the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors; and the Big Ideas@Berkeley program, Cal's flagship social entrepreneurship catalyst serving all students on campus.

This position leads career development for Master of Development Engineering students, and also leads partnership development and outreach for the Blum Center. They provide direct coaching to MDevEng students on resumes, interviewing, networking, and job and internship search strategy to help students build the skills and opportunities to launch their careers in development engineering. They serve as the lead for building and maintaining relationships with employers and donors across the corporate, non-profit, philanthropic, and government sectors. They develop and execute programs including career panels, speaker series, and networking events to inform, educate, and connect students, alumni, employers, and donors. They cultivate deep alumni relationships and initiate partnerships with organizations and individuals to support students and Center programs.

The First Review Date for this job is: 10/9/26 - Open until filled

20% Student career support: Provide individual and group coaching to students on resume and cover letter development, interview preparation, and LinkedIn/professional branding to support internship and job search strategy. Coordinate mock interviews and resume-review workshops. Participate in campus committees to build connections with other campus career advising services and beyond. Collaborate with other departments and programs to coordinate participation in career and recruiting events and to support the distribution of outreach material.

20% Network building: Develop and maintain an active network of hiring, resource, and funding contacts across corporate, non-profit, and government sectors; match student and alumni profiles to open roles; negotiate and formalize internship, fellowship, and employment pipelines. Organize and participate in recruiting fairs, industry gatherings, donor events, etc. Work proactively to strengthen relationships in a wide variety of industries and organizations to develop relationships and pathways for development engineering, including E4C, EWB, Devex. Organize career and internship events with employers. Identifies, invites, and hosts practitioners to speak on career paths and industry trends; designs panels and fireside-chat formats that connect students directly to working professionals.

20% Partnerships and Resources: Researches and develops partnerships with industry, non-profit, government organizations, and individual donors aligned with development engineering, social impact, and entrepreneurship. Identifies and cultivates opportunities for fellowships, internships, research, and funding to support Center initiatives and broader resource development.

15% Outreach: Drafts and distributes outreach materials, including brochures, social media, and other collateral as needed to showcase the field of development engineering, the impact of development engineers, and the Blum Center. Uses social media to share career stories of students and alumni to highlight their achievements. Maintains active engagement with the student and alumni community. Occasional travel to meet program goals, including to events for employers, incoming students, current students, donors, and alumni.

5% Alumni Relations: Monitors alumni career developments, highlights success stories, and adapts best practices for building and nurturing long-term relationships with Center alumni. Facilitates networking opportunities for students and alumni of MDevEng, Big Ideas, and other Center programs to build a greater, joint network of Blum Center alumni. Establishes outreach channels and programs for serving alumni locally and across the world.

5% Program integration: Participates in Center leadership efforts to integrate academic programs (e.g., development engineering) and innovation programs (e.g., Big Ideas) to maximize student opportunities and resource sharing.

5% International Student Support & BIO Liaison: Serves as the department's primary liaison to the Berkeley International Office (BIO) on internship/work authorization for international students. Stays up to date on regulations and policies (e.g., CPT, OPT, and STEM OPT), helping students navigate resources and requirements during their internship and transition to the job market.

5% Selects and supervises student associates working in this position.

5% Other duties as assigned.

• Advanced knowledge of outreach and advancement methods.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with everyone and influence, both verbally and in writing.
• Advanced knowledge of career development and recruiting.
• Advanced knowledge of career development theories, counseling processes, career coaching techniques, decision-making, learning styles, and job search
• techniques.
• Ability to multi-task with demanding timeframes.

• Knowledge of careers, fellowships, and partnership building across the corporate, nonprofit, and government

  sectors.

• Advanced analytical / problem-solving skills.
• Bachelor's degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

• Advanced knowledge of communication and social media best practices.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

Classification: PROJECT POLICY ANL 4 RP
Anticipated hiring range: $96,075 - $134,000
UCB salary range: $96,075 - $177,345
The salary offer to the final candidate will take into consideration their experience and salary equity with current UC Berkeley employees working in similar roles.

This position is covered by the collective bargaining agreement between UAW (United Auto Workers) and the University of California Regents for RP or SV.

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.