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Job Description
Exciting Opportunity at SSU!
Are you a forward-thinking leader passionate about student success and workforce readiness? Join Sonoma State University as the Director of Career Services and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of career development for our students.
In this exciting role, you will:
- Lead and Shape the Future: Provide visionary leadership for the Career Center, overseeing strategic planning, staff development, and innovative program delivery that aligns with the university’s long-term commitment to student success and career readiness.
- Elevate Student Success: Develop and deliver inclusive, forward-thinking career education programs that integrate academic learning with real-world preparation and reflect the needs of today’s students and employers.
- Build for Sustainability and Impact: Lead operational planning, budget oversight, and continuous improvement efforts that ensure Career Services is scalable, data-informed, and aligned with institutional and system-wide priorities.
Why Sonoma State?
- Be part of a vibrant community committed to diversity, sustainability, and excellence.
- Work in an environment where innovation and creativity are celebrated.
- Help students prepare to tackle the challenges of the 21st century and make a real impact in their communities.
Check out the position description listed above for full scope of responsibilities and qualifications.
If you're ready to lead transformational change and reimagine the future of career services at Sonoma State University, we invite you to join us in preparing the next generation of bold, career-ready graduates.
Sonoma State University is committed to achieving excellence through teaching, scholarship, learning and inclusion. In line with our Strategic Plan and our Seawolf Commitment, our values include diversity, sustainability, community engagement, respect, responsibility, excellence and integrity. We strive to cultivate a community in which a diverse population can learn and work in an atmosphere of civility and respect. We encourage innovation, experimentation and creativity, as well as contributions to equity and inclusion, in the pursuit of excellence for all members of our university community.
Sonoma State University embraces innovation in our quest to be a national model for public higher education by 2025. Our students graduate prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century and to make an impact in the community and the world. SSU’s core values include Diversity and Social Justice; Sustainability and Environmental Inquiry; Connectivity and Community Engagement; and Adaptability and Responsiveness.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
This position is open until filled. For full consideration, please submit application, along with cover letter and resume by 8am on Monday, September 22nd.
Salary and Benefits
Starting salary placement depends on qualifications and experience and is anticipated to be in the range of $7,000 to $7,500 a month. This position is a member of the Management Personnel Plan and serves at the pleasure of the President. This position is eligible for a broad range of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurances, retirement (CalPERS), tuition waiver, vacation and sick leave. In addition, 15 paid holidays are offered each year and a Personal Holiday that may be taken any time during the year. Sonoma State University is also a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) Employer ( comprehensive benefits summary PDF ).
Supplemental Information
Sonoma State University is committed to achieving excellence through teaching, scholarship, learning and inclusion. In line with our Strategic Plan and our Seawolf Commitment, our values include diversity, sustainability, community engagement, respect, responsibility, excellence and integrity. We strive to cultivate a community in which a diverse population can learn and work in an atmosphere of civility and respect. We encourage innovation, experimentation and creativity, as well as contributions to equity and inclusion, in the pursuit of excellence for all members of our university community.
The University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, disability, marital status, or protected veteran status. Mandated Reporting: This position may be considered a "mandated reporter" under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.
CSU Out of State Policy - Sonoma State University, as part of the CSU system, is a State of California Employer. As such, the University requires all employees upon date of hire to reside in the State of California. As of January 1, 2022 the CSU Out-of-State Employment Policy prohibits the hiring of employees to perform CSU-related work outside the state of California.
A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current employees who apply for this position.
Sonoma State University is not a sponsoring agency for staff positions (i.e. H-1B visas).
Positions are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days.
For questions related to the application process, please reach out to hr@sonoma.edu . The ADA Coordinator is also available ( hraccommodations@sonoma.edu ) to assist individuals with disabilities in need of accommodation during the hiring process.
Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is available for viewing at https://housing.sonoma.edu/ compliance-data/2024-campus- housing-fire-safety-report . The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within Sonoma State University student housing facilities for three years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Residential Education and Campus Housing at housing@sonoma.edu .
Advertised: Aug 25 2025 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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Sonoma State University
Show moreLocated in California's premier wine country one hour north of San Francisco, Sonoma State is a small campus with big ideas. As California's premier public undergraduate institution, SSU has a commitment to graduating students who have the ability to think critically and ethically and can effectively use information technology. The faculty and staff provide collaborative relationships with students and an education that fosters ethical exploration, civic engagement, social responsibility, and global awareness combined with a solid foundation in an academic discipline.
The University strives to create a campus climate in which the desire to build trust among people is widely shared, and opportunities for enhancing diversity and a sense of community are encouraged and supported. We stand committed to fostering and sustaining a pluralistic, inclusive environment that empowers all members of the campus community to achieve their highest potential without fear of prejudice or discrimination. We encourage every member of our university community to embrace the underlying values of this vision, and to demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting, retaining, and attracting students, faculty, and staff who reflect the diversity of our larger society.
SSU is one of the most requested campuses in the CSU system and regularly named a “Best Regional University” by U.S. News & World Report and has also been named one of the “most wired” campuses in the nation by Princeton Review. SSU is the only California University invited to be a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, a prestigious group of 25 universities and colleges across the nation committed to providing superior liberal arts and sciences education to their students. With 33 percent of the university's 8,600 undergraduates being Hispanic, SSU is proudly a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
From the world-class Green Music Center to the beautiful Lakes, SSU is a shining example of what makes Sonoma County one of the world’s most desirable locations. The stunning beauty of the 269-acre campus is just part of what makes Sonoma State a unique liberal arts university.
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