Senior Director Of Life Design, Undergraduate Education

General Summary The Johns Hopkins University is seeking a Senior Director of Life Design, Undergraduate Education for the department of Life Design Lab located at the Homewood Campus. Johns Hopkins University has developed an ambitious vision to continue integrating life design, experiential learning, and mentoring in the academic and co-curricular learning experience for all students and postdoctoral fellows. Under the leadership of Dr. Farouk Dey, the inaugural vice provost for integrative learning and life design, the university has adopted a mission to ensure that every student and postdoctoral fellow can pursue their life's purpose regardless of background, field of study, or social capital. Read more about this plan here.
Reporting to the Executive Director of the Life Design Lab, the Senior Director of Life Design, Undergraduate Education will be responsible for developing a vision and strategy for enhancing personal development, increasing equity around integrative learning opportunities, scaling career advancement and life design support, and improving networking opportunities for undergraduate students in the Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) and the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS). Efforts and outcomes will focus on the entire undergraduate population, but as an equity-based office, this individual will ensure offerings, resources and student experiences the team executes is mindful of closing outcome gaps for first-generation and/or limited income (FLI) undergraduate students.
The Senior Director will lead a team of life design educators embedded in academic departments, working to proactively engage with, support and impact all of our undergraduate population. They will also collaborate with senior leadership across the university to create scalable programs and interventions that engage students in life design, experiential learning, and skill development, along with maintaining relationships with partners in alumni relations (DAR) to support philanthropic endeavors.
Specific Duties & Responsibilities Data-Driven, Results-Oriented Leadership Develop, review, and execute objectives and key results that push forward the impact of the LDL for undergraduate students, with a focus on maximizing engagement, connecting students to high-impact programming, and leading innovative efforts to close equity gaps based on data. Coordinate with the office of institutional research and business analysts to collect, analyze, visualize and report outcomes data. Motivational & Inspirational Direction Lead the high-functioning Undergraduate Education team to plan and execute courses, workshops, programs, content, and digital resources to help students and alumni achieve their life ambitions. Hire, train, supervise, and motivate a team of life design educators to scale efforts for a positive life design and professional development experience for all undergraduate students and alumni through WSE, KSAS and the individual academic departments. Initiative-Based Project Management Collaborate with leaders of WSE, KSAS, DAR, Hire Hopkins, Hopkins Connect, PHutures, and career and life design offices to build and maintain a network of employers and mentors across varied careers who can be co-creators for programming, curriculum, events and content. Work closely with our Senior Director of Life Design, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to ensure that our offerings are helping close equity gaps in student outcomes for first-generation limited income (FLI) students. Partners with our Operations Team and Employer Engagement team to design with scalability, experiential impact and efficiency in mind. Cross-Functional Relationship Development Engage with faculty, alumni, and employers to increase mentoring, experiential learning, and career opportunities for students and alumni, and build relationships through understanding the needs of other departments first, using quantifiable data to inform collaborative and co-creative efforts. Cultivate and strengthen relationships with colleagues across units. Serve as the primary liaison to Alumni Relations for WSE and KSAS to represent the needs of the Life Design Lab from alumni, and to help drive philanthropic efforts to support the continued growth of programming and services for our undergraduate population. Direct Student Support Lead strategy to the outreach and support efforts of graduating seniors, with special attention paid to students who have yet to identify and secure opportunities beyond graduation. Engage in social media, digital outlets, and academic and professional journals and associations to establish an exciting brand, tell the story, and serve as a thought leader at JHU and in higher education. Executive Leadership & Thought Leadership Represent the vision, mission and objectives of the organization when the Executive Director is unavailable. Work across divisions to share the best practices and innovative approaches from the Life Design Lab, while co-creating solutions that impact all undergraduate students equitably across the university. Special Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities Energetic leadership with ability to develop and execute a vision, effectively manage, supervise, and develop staff. Capacity to work effectively with diverse backgrounds to promote an inclusive professional culture. Ability to foster a results-driven culture grounded in inclusion, acceptance, and quantifiable outcomes. Experience in developing and implementing effective assessment methods, ability to prioritize and represent the institution's perspective to external entities. Skill in fostering new institutional relationships and marshaling professional networks with leadership, co-workers, senior administrators, and external stakeholders. Ability to influence and manage change in a highly decentralized institution. Analyze information, listen and communicate effectively and creatively utilize social media to increase engagement and influence public opinion. Additional Information To be successful in this role, the Senior Director must be data-driven, results-oriented, and able to provide motivational and inspirational direction. Furthermore, as an equity-based office, they should have a professional understanding of DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion). Prior experience as a leader in higher education is helpful but not required for consideration. Experience leading teams in another industry is acceptable. The ideal candidate is comfortable leading an innovative and lean team towards outcomes that promote inclusive and equitable support to our students in the areas of life design and professional development. They will have experience in product or service-based project management using design thinking principles, a track record of motivating teams to implement and scale programs, and a strong focus on data and outcomes. The ideal candidate is entrepreneurial, experienced in building relationships with multiple stakeholders, and able to work effectively in a flexible, co-working environment. They are also skilled in using social media and digital outlets to engage audiences, build a brand, and influence public opinion. Minimum Qualifications A Master's degree is required.
Eight (8) years of related experience. Preferred Qualifications Eight (8) or more years of professional experience within a corporate, government, non-profit, or higher-education setting. Additional experience may substitute for education. Experience working in a leadership role within a fast-paced, innovative professional setting. Professional experience in a start-up or small business environment. Familiarity with and experience applying design thinking to achieve outcomes in a corporate, non-profit, government, or higher-education setting. Experience overseeing the daily functions of a team of professionals in a setting focused on advancing mission-driven outcomes. Experience reporting and presenting outcomes to leadership and developing regular data-driven reports for internal and external stakeholder groups. Track record of program or project management experience in a product or service-based setting. Thought leadership and a track record of innovation in a professional setting. Experience and working knowledge in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Classified Title: Associate Director IL & LD
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Senior Director of Life Design, Undergraduate Education
Role/Level/Range: ACRP/04/MF
Starting Salary Range: Min $74,400 - Max $130,400 Annually ($100,746 targeted; Commensurate with experience)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: M-F, 8:30am - 5pm
Exempt Status: Exempt
Location: Hybrid/Homewood Campus
Department name: Life Design Lab
Personnel area: University Student Services
Total Rewards
The referenced salary range is based on Johns Hopkins University's good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level. Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here:
Please refer to the job description above to see which forms of equivalency are permitted for this position. If permitted, equivalencies will follow these guidelines:
JHU Equivalency Formula: 30 undergraduate degree credits (semester hours) or 18 graduate degree credits may substitute for one year of experience. Additional related experience may substitute for required education on the same basis. For jobs where equivalency is permitted, up to two years of non-related college course work may be applied towards the total minimum education/experience required for the respective job.


**Applicants who do not meet the posted requirements but are completing their final academic semester/quarter will be considered eligible for employment and may be asked to provide additional information confirming their academic completion date.

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check. Johns Hopkins is committed to hiring individuals with a justice-involved background, consistent with applicable policies and current practice. A prior criminal history does not automatically preclude candidates from employment at Johns Hopkins University. In accordance with applicable law, the university will review, on an individual basis, the date of a candidate's conviction, the nature of the conviction and how the conviction relates to an essential job-related qualification or function.
The Johns Hopkins University values diversity, equity and inclusion and advances these through our key strategic framework, the JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion .
Accommodation Information If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the Talent Acquisition Office at . For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711. For more information about workplace accommodations or accessibility at Johns Hopkins University, please visit accessibility.jhu.edu .
Johns Hopkins has mandated COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, as applicable. The COVID-19 vaccine does not apply to positions located in the State of Florida. Exceptions to the COVID and flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry. For additional information, applicants for SOM positions should visit and all other JHU applicants should visit .
The following additional provisions may apply, depending on campus. Your recruiter will advise accordingly. The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.
Note: Job Postings are updated daily and remain online until filled.