Principal Career and Placement Officer at United States International University - USIU Africa

Job Purpose:

Reporting to Program Director, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa: The potential job holder will support transition of Scholars by securing careers and placement opportunities with a focus on Scholars who are International Students; assist in sourcing for employment /internship /volunteer opportunities for scholars and alumni; assist in providing professional and responsive career services to students, employers and alumni; work closely with the Head of Placement and Career Services to broaden and deepen relationships with employers.

Key Responsibilities:

Marketing Outreach

• Assist with the development of creative initiatives for marketing and promoting students and alumni to employers.
• Assist in organizing recruitment drives and annual Career Fair.
• Assist in establishing and maintaining contact with graduates and alumni to mentor current students and cultivate new employers.
• Compile and profile a comprehensive list of all graduate students highlighting employment progress and success stories.
• Identify diverse placement opportunities and work with students to access placement.
• Market the department services and programs to the USIU Africa community.

Career Advising, Training and Placement

• To manage all aspects of the placement process including guiding, assisting and advising students, to recognize their skills and job requirements and to communicate with organizations providing placement opportunities.
• Provide individual/group CV and cover letter review and assistance.
• Coach students in exploring their careers and developing short and long term job seeking strategies/career plans.
• Coordinate seminars/workshops on Career Development for both employment and self-employment.
• Organize and run pre-placement sessions for outgoing students and debriefings for returning students through discussion, consideration and evaluation of personal and professional development through placement.
• Deliver presentations to scholars during pre-University orientation and organized workshops.
• Research
• Assist in surveying employers, students and reviewing periodicals to determine up to date topics of interest and trends in the market
• Assist in identifying topics for research and collaborative opportunities to learn more about the industry and students
• Conduct research and disseminate information on Jobs/internships/volunteer opportunities available for different majors to students through regular email updates
• Partnership Development
• Build and maintain partnerships with current and potential employers

Minimum Educational Qualifications and professional Experience

• Bachelor Degree in Social Science, Human Resources, Psychology, Business Administration or any other relevant field.
• Master’s degree in relevant field will be an added advantage
• 2 years of experience working with and/or knowledge of professions within the relevant discipline/field.
• Previous experience of customer/client contact especially establishing and developing effective links with companies in the relevant discipline/field
• Experience of facilitating/negotiating with a range of people
• Liaison with and experience of industry including the role of placement students within organizations
• Experience of Higher Education and the student learning experience
• Experience of working with young adults

Skills:

• Excellent IT skill including word processing and use of databases
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with a variety of people
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including report writing
• Excellent planning and organizational skills

Personal Attributes & Competencies:

• Shown merit and ability as reflected in work performance and results;
• Confidentiality and integrity;
• Proficiency in computer applications;
• Team player with excellent interpersonal skills;
• Relationship builder & effective negotiator;
• Good communication skills;
• Self-motivated;
• Attention to detail;
• Adaptability and reliability