Senior Director of Career Education

Career Guide

A Senior Director of Career Education leads the strategy and delivery of career learning programs that help students or learners build job-ready skills. This role typically oversees a team, partners with employers and academic leaders, and uses outcomes data to improve career readiness and placement results.

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Key Responsibilities

Set the career education strategy across programs, departments, or campuses
Design scalable career curriculum and learning experiences
Lead and develop managers, educators, and career coaches
Build partnerships with employers to align learning with hiring needs
Collaborate with academic leaders to embed career learning into coursework
Create standards for program quality, learner experience, and coaching consistency
Own key outcomes such as participation, skill gains, internships, and job placement
Use data to evaluate program impact and guide improvements
Manage budgets, staffing plans, and vendor relationships
Communicate progress and outcomes to senior leadership and external stakeholders

Top Skills for Success

Leadership

Coaching

Stakeholder Management

Strategic Planning

Program Management

Change Management

Communication

Budget Management

Curriculum Design

Learning Experience Design

Career Development Knowledge

Employer Partnerships

Workforce Trends Analysis

Outcomes Measurement

Data Analysis

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Director of Career Education Director of Career Services

Director of Workforce Development

Director of Learning and Development

Director of Student Success

Transition Opportunities

Vice President of Career Services

Vice President of Student Success

Vice President of Workforce Development

Chief Learning Officer Head of Partnerships

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Employer Relationship BuildingOutcomes ReportingCurriculum GovernanceProgram EvaluationTeam Scaling

Development SuggestionsBuild a simple outcomes dashboard tied to program goals, run a pilot curriculum update with measured impact, and establish a consistent employer feedback loop. Strengthen executive communication by translating results into clear metrics and decisions for leadership.

Market Intelligence Report

Senior Director of Career Education is part of the Career & Vocational Education category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

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Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelNot typical for this title

Mid LevelUSD 140,000 to 190,000

Senior LevelUSD 190,000 to 260,000

Growth Trend

Steady demand, driven by increased focus on career outcomes, learner employability, and measurable return on education. Hiring is strongest at universities, workforce development organizations, and education technology companies that emphasize job placement metrics.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

Arizona State UniversityUniversity of MichiganUniversity of Texas at AustinNortheastern UniversityWestern Governors UniversityYear UpJob CorpsCourseraedX2U

Industry Sectors

Higher EducationCommunity CollegesWorkforce DevelopmentEducation TechnologyNonprofit EducationCorporate Universities

Recommended Next Steps

Audit current career education programs and map them to measurable learner outcomes

Interview employers to validate the most in-demand skills and update learning goals

Standardize coaching and instruction practices with clear quality guidelines

Create an outcomes scorecard covering participation, skill growth, internships, and job placement

Identify skill gaps on the team and build a hiring plan and training plan

Develop a 12 month roadmap that aligns budget, staffing, and partnership targets