Career Development Manager

About Careers and Student Enterprise Service (CaSE)

The Careers and Student Enterprise Service is the academic, career, and employability hub of the University of East London (UEL). Our mission is to support every student in achieving academic success, developing essential skills for the 21st-century workforce, and building direct pathways to employment.

With innovation and creativity at our core, we utilize cutting-edge technology and research to enhance student progression, retention, and graduate outcomes. Our work has a proven impact on student satisfaction, behaviour, and career success, making us a dynamic and forward-thinking team dedicated to shaping the future of employability.

About the Job

We are seeking a Career Development Manager to lead and enhance career development strategies across UEL, ensuring best practices are embedded into Careers & Student Enterprise activities. This pivotal role will drive measurable improvements in students’ career confidence and readiness, overseeing a team of Career Coaches and developing innovative approaches to student support at scale.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the institutional Career Readiness and Graduate Transition Strategy, shaping the direction of career coaching to create a student-centered, scalable service.
• Overseeing the development of career coaching interventions that support student retention, progression, and graduate employment outcomes.
• Acting as a thought leader in the use of AI in Careers, integrating ethical and effective technology to futureproof career coaching.
• Leading the Access, Participation & Progression agenda, ensuring targeted support for high-priority students.
• Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to align in-curriculum and co-curricular programmes with the goal of improving career readiness.

This role is instrumental in driving transformational change in graduate outcomes, helping to prepare students for long-term career success.

About You

We are looking for an inclusive and innovative leader with extensive experience in career development within higher education. The ideal candidate will:

• Have a strong track record in career coaching, information, advice, and guidance (IAG).
• Demonstrate strategic leadership and the ability to implement impactful career development initiatives.
• Show expertise in embedding AI and digital solutions into employability services.
• Excel in stakeholder engagement, working effectively with academic teams, employers, and external partners.
• Be committed to continuous improvement and high performance, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a high-impact team, shape the future of career development at UEL, and make a meaningful difference to our students' career success.

Interested?

If you would like to discuss this opportunity informally, please contact Naheed Khan at n.khan@uel.ac.uk.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Benefits Package

At UEL, we believe that a great role is about more than just a salary. It’s about the complete package, including our outstanding work environment and inclusive culture.

We offer a genuinely competitive salary, dependent on experience (DOE), and a range of excellent benefits. You can explore our full benefits package here: https://uel.ac.uk/benefits-professional-services-positions

Equal Opportunities

UEL is an inclusive equal opportunities employer and is proud of our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion achievements, including a zero gender pay gap, membership in Stonewall, and winning Athena Swan awards. We expect all UEL employees to accept our EDI policy and will not tolerate discrimination in any form.

We're a disability confident employer and value all applications. Please let us know if you require any reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process.

If you're ready to join a University that values your outstanding skills and perspectives and is dedicated to making a difference, we invite you to explore a career with us. We are excited to welcome versatile individuals who are committed to advancing their careers while making a positive impact on the world.

Please note that this advert may close earlier than the deadline if we receive many applications. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.

To contact the recruitment team please phone +44 20 8223 3000 x 4600 or e-mail jobs@uel.ac.uk

CVs without a completed application form will not be accepted.

At UEL we are committed to working together to build a community which values diversity in both our staff and student populations, is representative and inclusive, enabling all to progress and thrive.