Salary : $91,267.74 - $102,676.20 Annually
Location : Bremerton, WA
Job Type: Administrative/Exempt
Job Number: 25-26-E23
Department: Student Development Services
Opening Date: 07/14/2026
Closing Date: 8/16/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Description
Associate Dean of Retention

Department: Student Affairs/Student Development and Engagement

Reports To: Associate Vice President of Student Development and Engagement

Salary range: $91,267.74 - $102,676.20* annually
This position will remain open for a minimum of seven (7) days. The College reserves the right to close the recruitment at any time after the minimum posting period once a sufficient applicant pool has been established.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Student Development and Engagement, the Associate Dean of Retention provides strategic leadership to advance student retention, persistence, and completion through oversight of the Advising, Career Center, Counseling, and Wellbeing departments. The position supports Olympic College's mission and Student Affairs strategic priorities by promoting equitable access to services, fostering student belonging and wellbeing, and ensuring that students receive integrated support throughout their educational journey. This position also serves in the capacity of the Director of the Career Center.

The Associate Dean leads the development and implementation of a holistic case management model within the College's Guided Pathways framework, connecting students to coordinated academic, career, and personal support services. Responsibilities include oversight of academic planning, career exploration and readiness, academic progress monitoring and intervention, transfer and employment planning, learning support, and college navigation. Through collaboration with faculty, staff, and campus partners, the position ensures that students receive proactive, equitable, and student-centered support that reduces barriers to success and promotes timely completion of educational goals. This position also serves as the Director of the Career Center.

The Associate Dean provides strategic oversight for retention and student success initiatives, utilizing data-informed decision-making, assessment, and continuous improvement to advance institutional outcomes. This role serves as a key liaison between Student Affairs and Instruction, strengthening campus-wide efforts to improve student achievement, close equity gaps, and create inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive, persist, and achieve their academic and career aspirations.
Essential Functions

• Provide strategic leadership and accountability for the College's retention, persistence, transfer, career readiness, and completion efforts through oversight of Advising, Career Services, Counseling, and Wellbeing programs and services.
• Serve as the College's Director of Career Services, providing leadership, vision, and oversight for career exploration, career readiness, workforce development, student employment, employer engagement, experiential learning, internships, apprenticeships, and career placement initiatives.
• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of a holistic student success model that integrates academic advising, career development, transfer planning, wellbeing support, and proactive case management within a Guided Pathways framework to promote equitable student outcomes and timely completion of educational goals.
• Supervise, hire, onboard, mentor, develop, and evaluate professional staff within Advising, Career Services, Counseling, and Wellbeing, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Lead the College's career readiness, workforce development, and experiential learning initiatives by collaborating with faculty, employers, workforce agencies, industry partners, and community organizations to expand internships, apprenticeships, work-based learning opportunities, career-connected learning experiences, and employment pathways for students.
• Direct employer engagement activities, including career fairs, recruitment events, networking opportunities, advisory partnerships, workforce outreach efforts, and student employment initiatives that connect students with educational and career opportunities.
• Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with employers, educational institutions, workforce agencies, community organizations, and economic development partners to advance student success, career preparation, transfer opportunities, and workforce alignment.
• Collaborate with Enrollment Services, faculty, deans, and campus partners to create seamless student transitions from recruitment and onboarding through completion, transfer, and employment.
• Analyze retention, persistence, completion, transfer, employment, placement, and student engagement data to evaluate program effectiveness, improve services, close equity gaps, support accreditation efforts, and inform institutional planning and decision-making.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate policies, procedures, standards, and best practices related to advising, career services, counseling, wellbeing, transfer, and student success in alignment with institutional priorities, accreditation standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Identify, pursue, develop, implement, and evaluate grants, contracts, and external funding opportunities that advance retention, transfer, career readiness, workforce development, wellbeing, and student success initiatives.
• Facilitate cross-functional teams, committees, and workgroups that advance student success, career readiness, operational effectiveness, strategic enrollment goals, and institutional priorities.
• Foster an inclusive, equitable, and student-centered environment that promotes belonging, wellbeing, engagement, career development, and success for all students.
• The Retention division supports student success by providing integrated advising, career services, counseling, and wellbeing programs that help students achieve their academic, career, and personal goals while improving retention, persistence, and completion outcomes. The Associate Dean of Retention leads these functional areas, serves as Director of the Career Center, and acts as a key liaison between Student Affairs and Instruction to coordinate campus-wide student success and advising initiatives.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree from a regionally accredited institution in Higher Education Administration, Student Affairs, Counseling, Education, Psychology, Human Services, Public Administration, or a closely related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience working in higher educational environment providing direct student services, including two (2) years of experience in career services.
• Demonstrated project management and time-management skills including dealing with multiple and competing deadlines, ability to prioritize, work under pressure, complete tasks on time and be responsive to requests.
• College level advising, counseling, or teaching experience.
• Minimum of three (3) years of management and/or supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading student success, retention, persistence, transfer, or completion initiatives in a college or university setting.
• Experience with career services, employer engagement, workforce development, internships, or experiential learning programs.
• Demonstrated experience using data, assessment, and evidence-based practices to improve programs, close equity gaps, and advance student outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience implementing practices that promote equitable access to educational opportunities and student success.
• Knowledge of applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and ethical standards related to higher education, student privacy, and confidentiality, including FERPA and related requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team environment and possess strong team building and conflict resolution skills; Ability to establish and maintain positive collaborative working relationships.
• Experience with presentations in a classroom, virtual, or group setting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a community college setting.
• Proven ability to manage assessment and program/training/curriculum development.
• Current Mental Health Counseling License.
• A strong understanding of advising strategies, theories, and best practices.
• Planning and program development experience.
• Experience managing or working with union labor contracts.
• Experience working with degree audit systems.
• Budgetary and financial management experience.
• Knowledge and experience with student management systems, such as ctcLink, Civitas, Starfish, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to collect, analyze, and assess data related to student learning outcomes and program effectiveness.
• Experience developing and maintaining partnerships with employers, educational institutions, community organizations, or external stakeholders.

Additional Information
Please note that we are unable to sponsor visas for this position. Only candidates who are currently authorized to work in the United States will be considered.

This is a Full-time exempt position scheduled to work Monday through Friday. The salary for this position is $91,267.74 - $102,676.20* annually, which includes a generous benefits package that includes the following.

Medical/vision, dental, long-term disability, life insurance, and accidental dismemberment, Flexible Spending Arrangement, Dependent Care Assistance Program, Wellness Programs, SBRP retirement plan administered by TIAA, Deferred Compensation Program (DRS) retirement savings plan; TIAA supplemental retirement savings plan, 11 paid holidays, leave - vacation/sick/personal holiday, Aflac, auto/home insurance, space available tuition waiver, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), fitness center, reduced rate and priority consideration on-site child care on a space available.

For more information regarding benefits, please visit our website
Conditions of Employment

• Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position. In addition to the background check, candidates will be required to complete the Sexual Misconduct Disclosure Form as required WB HB 2327.
• The employee must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable distance of the campus to respond to workplace reporting requirements at the time of hiring. Frequent travel to Olympic College campuses or other sites may occur.

How To Apply

To be considered for this position a candidate must apply online through the Olympic College website and submit the following required materials:

• Olympic College Online Application
• Resume
• Cover Letter - in your cover letter describe how your experience sets you apart for this position.
• Unofficial college transcripts. Official transcripts and copies of mandated certifications will be required of the successful candidate.