The University of Virginia Darden School of Business seeks a strategic, innovative, and collaborative Managing Director, Professional Degree Career Development to lead Darden's professional degree career development portfolio and serve as a strategic partner to the Sr. Assistant Dean, Career Development.
This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of career development for experienced professionals while helping lead one of the nation's premier graduate business career organizations.
Based at UVA Darden's Sands Family Grounds in Rosslyn, Virginia, this role joins the Career Development Office at an important moment in its evolution. As Darden's Executive MBA (EMBA), Part-Time MBA (PTMBA), and M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) programs continue to grow, the School is reimagining career development for experienced professionals amid rapid change in technology, artificial intelligence, and employer expectations.
Reporting to the Sr. Assistant Dean, the Managing Director leads Darden's professional degree career development portfolio, providing strategic leadership across student coaching, employer engagement, and professional development. The Managing Director also serves as a thought partner to the Sr. Assistant Dean in shaping the strategy, innovation, and future direction of the Career Development Office.
The successful candidate will strengthen career outcomes and career transitions, elevate the student experience, expand employer and alumni partnerships, and leverage technology and data to position Darden as a national leader in supporting experienced professionals. Because Darden's professional degree programs are delivered during evenings and weekends, the Managing Director maintains an active presence with students through programming (e.g., delivering workshops and presentations for audiences of 10 to 50+), some coaching (approximately 10%), and other key program activities.
The ideal candidate is an intellectually curious, collaborative leader who enjoys building organizations, developing people, strengthening partnerships, and improving outcomes through thoughtful innovation and continuous learning.
The Managing Director collaborates closely with colleagues across the Career Development Office, the Senior Associate Dean for Professional Degree Programs, Admissions, Communications & Marketing, Program Offices, Engagement, Corporate Relations, and senior Darden leadership to strengthen Darden's value proposition and create an integrated student experience from recruitment through lifelong career success.
Leadership ResponsibilitiesThe Managing Director provides strategic leadership across four core areas of responsibility that collectively advance Darden's professional degree career strategy and strengthen the Career Development Office.
Lead Professional Degree Career Strategy- Own the strategy, performance, and continuous evolution of career and professional development for Darden's EMBA, PTMBA, and MSBA programs.
- Develop and execute initiatives that strengthen career outcomes, career transitions, leadership development, and student success.
- Evaluate changing student needs, labor market trends, employer expectations, and emerging technologies to continuously improve strategy and services.
- Serve as a thought partner to the Sr. Assistant Dean while collaborating with senior Darden leaders on initiatives that strengthen Darden's professional degree portfolio.
Build Exceptional Student, Employer, and Alumni Engagement- Ensure EMBA, PTMBA, and MSBA students receive an exceptional experience that supports both immediate career objectives and lifelong professional growth.
- Develop collaborative relationships with student organizations and its leadership to gather feedback and foster shared ownership of career development initiatives.
- Lead innovative programming focused on executive presence, networking, communication, and career strategy.
- Maintain engagement with students through advising, career education workshops, credit-bearing, and other co-curricular experiences to remain connected to evolving student needs.
- Build strategic relationships with employers, alumni, executives, recruiters, and industry leaders in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and beyond.
- Partner with Program Offices, Admissions, Marketing & Communications, Engagement, Corporate Relations, and employer-facing colleagues to create opportunities for networking and career transitions.
Measure Outcomes and Drive Continuous Improvement- Lead the collection, analysis, reporting, and continuous improvement of career outcomes and career transition data through the 12twenty platform while ensuring compliance with CSEA reporting standards.
- Analyze employment trends, career transitions, and student engagement data to inform strategy, resource allocation, and organizational priorities.
- Develop executive-level reports and dashboards that support decision-making across the Career Development Office and Darden leadership.
- Leverage technology, AI, benchmarking, labor market intelligence, and data to improve decision-making, operations, and the student experience.
Build Organizational Capability- Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing team of career development professionals while fostering coaching excellence, innovation, and continuous learning.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement, and professional growth.
- Collaborate across Darden to advance strategic initiatives that strengthen the professional degree portfolio.
Required Education and Experience- Master's degree and 6+ years of relevant experience, to include 2+ years formal management experience required.
- Strong preference will be given to candidates with 10+ years of relevant experience, including 5+ years of formal management experience.
Preferred Qualifications- MBA or other relevant graduate degree preferred.
- Experience leading or supporting career development, executive coaching, talent development, leadership development, executive education, higher education administration, consulting, senior-level talent management, or MBA recruiting is strongly preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities- Proven success in leading, developing, and supporting career professionals by fostering coaching excellence, continuous learning, and a student-centered culture.
- Strong strategic, analytical, and problem-solving skills with experience leveraging technology, AI, labor market intelligence, and data.
- Exceptional relationship-building, communication, and executive presence.
- Strong understanding of career development/advancement at the executive or senior level, employer engagement, leadership development, and the evolving employment landscape.
- Demonstrated curiosity, adaptability, sound judgment, and commitment to continuous learning.
- Commitment to the mission and values of the University of Virginia and the Darden School of Business.
Position Type & Work LocationThis is an exempt-level, benefited position. The anticipated salary range is commensurate with experience and qualifications.
This position is based primarily at UVA Darden's Sands Family Grounds in Rosslyn, Virginia, with regular travel to Charlottesville and throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area as business needs require.
Because Darden's EMBA, PTMBA, and MSBA programs are delivered during evenings and weekends, this role requires a regular on-site presence during scheduled classes, career programming, and student events. These responsibilities are planned in advance and shared across the Career Development Office team. In recognition of this program schedule, the position supports a flexible work schedule to promote a balanced and sustainable work environment while meeting the needs of students, employers, and the School.
Additional Requirements A background check will be conducted on all new hires prior to hire. This position will not sponsor applications for immigration now or in the future.
How to Apply Please apply online , by searching for requisition number R[redacted]. Complete an application with the following documents:
Upload all materials into the resume submission field. You can submit multiple documents into this one field or combine them into one PDF. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.
Internal applicants: Search and apply for jobs on the UVA Internal Careers website . Review of applications will begin August 10, 2026.
Reference Check Process Reference checks will be completed by UVA's third-party partner, SkillSurvey, during the final phase of the interview. Five references will be requested, with at least three responses required.
ContactFor questions about the application process, please contact Michele Jarman , Academic Recruiter.
Physical DemandsThis is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.
