Central European University Director of Career Services

The School of Public Policy (SPP) at Central European University in Budapest was launched in 2011 and will welcome its first class of graduate students in September 2013. We currently seek to fill a senior-level position of Director of Career Services, reporting to SPP’s Dean. This is an exciting and unique opportunity for an experienced individual to work with SPP’s students, faculty, future alumni and partners across the globe to build an office central to fulfilling SPP’s aspiration to become an innovative institution contributing to the resolution of global problems.

Specifically, the Director will contribute to the creation of an outstanding student experience at SPP, by: (a)  leading on the implementation of SPP’s signature “passion project;” and (b) facilitating efforts of our future graduates to secure employment opportunities where their potential will be maximized and their ambitions to contribute to the global public good fulfilled. In addition, the Director will spearhead the formation of an active alumni body to help construct an ever-growing community, as per SPP’s motto, of “purpose beyond power.”

The passion project is an important part of SPP’s rigorous, two-year Master of Public Administration (MPA) curriculum. Closely aligned with the mission of the School, it is the culmination of the effort to bridge classroom and experiential learning, encourage both reflection and action, and contextualize knowledge. It consists of three components: (a) a student-designed, policy-oriented workshop, which identifies a concrete policy challenge and, over the course of the two-year program, develops a high-quality, policy-relevant product outlining a possible response; (b) a set of “impact skills” modules and classes, which serve to introduce students to vital public policy and administration skills (e.g. leadership, public speaking and communication, facilitation, mediation, negotiation, grant writing, project management); and (c) a summer internship between the first and second academic year of the MPA program.

We seek an academic and policy entrepreneur ready to contribute to a vibrant intellectual community and committed to improving public policy worldwide, including by cooperating with CEU’s sister organization, the Open Society Foundations and its many civil society partners.

The ideal candidates will have:

• Outstanding academic credentials;
• Extensive work experience in the world of public policy, whether in the public or private sphere, and a wide network of contacts among public policy actors;
• Previous experience recruiting and mentoring staff and/or interns at an organization engaged in public policy activities;
• A passion for working intensively with graduate students and future SPP alumni;
• Strong counseling skills;
• The ability to engage effectively with multiple client constituencies – students, faculty, policy practitioners, etc – forging a forward-looking, action-oriented common agenda;
• The ability to think strategically while maintaining keen attention to detail during program execution;
• A clear commitment to building a world-class institution.

Compensation

An internationally competitive salary is offered commensurate with experience.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV, a cover letter, and a list of three professional references to positions@ceu.hu including the following job code in subject line: 2013/006.  Review of applications will begin on April 22, 2013 and continue until the position is filled.  Short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.  For informal inquiries, contact SPP at spp@ceu.hu.

CEU is an equal opportunity employer.

About the School of Public Policy

In the words of its founder, George Soros, SPP aspires to become a “new kind of global institution dealing with global problems.” In its degree and non-degree programs, SPP aims to create an educational experience that involves not only the acquisition of skills and knowledge but also the cultivation of a mindset that emphasizes entrepreneurship, innovation, cultural awareness and a commitment to the public good. Commencing in September 2013, SPP’s two-year professional Master of Public Administration (MPA) program will attract exceptional students from across the globe, who seek a transformational experience to prepare for a career as change-makers in the public, civil society, and private sectors. Building on Central European University’s rich tradition of promoting diversity and open societies, SPP will cultivate a rigorous interdisciplinary environment and will strive to become a dynamic laboratory of ideas.

About Central European University

Central European University (CEU) is a research-intensive university specializing in graduate education in the social sciences, humanities, public policy, law and business. It is located in Budapest, Hungary, and accredited in the United States and Hungary. The language of instruction is English. CEU’s mission is to promote academic excellence, state-of-the-art research, and civic engagement, in order to contribute to the development of open societies around the world. CEU offers both master and doctoral programs, and enrolls more than 1500 students from over 100 nations. The teaching staff consists of more than 180 resident faculty members from over 40 countries, in addition to a large number of prominent visiting scholars from around the world.