Assistant Director, Doctoral Life Design, School of Medicine & OPTIONS

About the job

Johns Hopkins University is leading an ambitious transformation in life design, experiential learning, and mentoring, and is seeking an*** Assistant Director of Doctoral Life Design, School of Medicine & OPTIONS***. Our mission is to ensure that every doctoral student—regardless of background, academic discipline, or social capital—navigates their academic journey and career path with clarity and purpose.

Reporting to the Executive Director of the Doctoral Life Design Studio, the Assistant Director will shape and advance professional development initiatives for all doctoral students in the School of Medicine (SOM). This includes leading innovative career education and programming across SOM doctoral programs and collaborating on key events and initiatives to foster doctoral students’ career design.

Within this portfolio, the Assistant Director will also serve as Program Lead for the OPTIONS Program, a curriculum-based initiative tailored specifically for Ph.D. students in the biomedical sciences. The OPTIONS Program is required for scholars in seven Ph.D. programs across JHU, and also serves biomedical science departments in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) and the Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH), creating a unified approach to career and professional development across JHU’s biomedical sciences community.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Options Program Leadership

• Lead the OPTIONS Program, overseeing development, programming, marketing, content creation, and logistics to engage and support doctoral students in the biomedical sciences across JHU, in alignment with the T32-grant descriptions of career exploration “phases.”
• Develop and implement innovative, research-based career exploration and skill-building curricula tailored for biomedical doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees.
• Manage career development curriculum for OPTIONS-required students through online platforms (Canvas), ensuring structured, cohort-based learning and tracking student progress with data-informed assessments.
• Manage the co-curricular administration of OPTIONS in Helios, including evaluating assignments according to a learning goals rubric.
• Communicate with participating programs to hone mechanisms for student understanding of and participation in OPTIONS.
• Design and implement a structure for “Phase 3” of OPTIONS (for year 4+ biomedical Ph.D. scholars) focused on Experiential Learning and Career Preparedness.
• Ensure OPTIONS aligns with NIH T32 training grant standards, supporting compliance and bolstering professional development for students in T32-funded programs. Collaborate with funding agencies and manage resources effectively to secure support for OPTIONS programming.
• Facilitate T32-Supplement funded graduate resiliency training workshops (“BioGREAT”) for OPTIONS scholars (3 per year).
• Represent the OPTIONS Program at national conferences, sharing best practices and insights on program implementation and scaling with external audiences.
• Assemble and distribute bi-weekly OPTIONS Newsletter in collaboration with Assistant Director, Data & Operations.
• Drive OPTIONS program expansion by cultivating partnerships with new academic departments, increasing program reach and engagement within biomedical Ph.D. programs across Johns Hopkins.

Career Programming & Advising

• Lead the development and execution of innovative workshops, courses, digital resources, and coaching initiatives to empower all SOM doctoral students to explore diverse career paths within and beyond academia, enhancing career awareness, skill-building, and readiness.
• Develop and implement career exploration and skill-building opportunities tailored for doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees across SOM programs.
• Meet with SOM doctoral students to offer personalized career advice and support, boosting their confidence, clarity, and professional connections.
• Provide accessible, high-quality digital resources, including online career guides and self-paced modules, to support doctoral students’ independent career exploration and professional development.
• Plan and co-lead career conferences to create networking, professional growth, and knowledge exchange opportunities.
• Oversee and enhance professional and career development content on the Doctoral Life Design Studio website, manage social media outreach for portfolio events and initiatives, and author blog articles, ensuring all content aligns with brand standards and current trends.
• Support Ph.D. recruitment efforts for SOM departments by creating marketing materials, engaging with prospective and admitted students, and participating in events across virtual, hybrid, and in-person formats.
• Create accessible and inclusive opportunities that support SOM doctoral students from all backgrounds.
• Support and/or co-lead DLDS university-wide initiatives, such as Career Impact Award, Horizons by Hopkins, and Empower Your Pitch!

Stakeholder Engagement & Outreach

• Collaborate with Ph.D. program directors and faculty to advocate for and raise awareness of career curriculum programming, building partnerships to assess needs and deliver tailored services.
• Foster strong partnerships with key stakeholders across the university, including academic departments, alumni, faculty, and student organizations, to expand access to career resources and mentoring opportunities.
• Proactively establish and strengthen external partnerships with key organizations and groups in the field, significantly enhancing collaborative opportunities and the overall impact of programs.
• Engage senior leadership, funding partners, and stakeholders to advocate for the integration of career development initiatives within the university’s strategic priorities.
• Cultivate strong connections with alumni and industry professionals to enhance program impact and broaden the professional network for SOM doctoral students.
• Collaborate closely with the Associate Director, Postdoctoral Life Design, on programming suited for the needs of both SOM doctoral and postdoctoral scholars.

Data, Assessment & Operations

• Champion a data-driven approach by utilizing surveys and assessment tools to measure the impact, reach, and effectiveness of career programs across the SOM doctoral portfolio. Ensure continuous improvement and alignment with the office’s vision and national best practices.
• Design and implement evaluation strategies to monitor student satisfaction and career readiness, leveraging feedback to refine and optimize curriculum offerings, including student listening sessions and surveys.
• Gather and analyze feedback from students, postdocs, faculty, and industry partners to refine programming and support strategic direction.
• Collaborate with cross-departmental teams to enhance data tracking systems and ensure effective communication of program progress to stakeholders via technology platforms.
• Research and analyze career training initiatives at peer institutions through benchmarking, literature reviews, and stakeholder interviews, integrating best practices into program development.
• Conduct periodic portfolio reviews to assess the success of strategies, make informed adjustments, and support a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Conduct research on career development outcomes, securing institutional approvals (e.g., IRB) as needed, and applying findings to strengthen program effectiveness and student outcomes.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Within this role, the candidate will lead the OPTIONS Program for biomedical sciences doctoral students, requiring experience with curriculum-based professional development, program management, and cross-institutional collaboration.
• Our ideal candidate thrives in an environment that combines the mission-driven orientation of higher education with the operational rigor of a results-driven organization: they manage multiple concurrent workstreams, are energized by complexity, and proactively seek innovative solutions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's Degree.
• Five (5) years direct experience in business development, sales, HR consulting, or recruiting with large-scale organizations.
• Additional related education may substitute for required experience permitted by the JHU equivalency formula. Additional related experience may substitute for required education, as permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in a STEM field, such as Biomedical Sciences, Chemistry, Public Health, Education, or a related discipline.
• Experience in career advising or coaching specifically for Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows.
• Experience in business development, sales, HR consulting, or recruiting with large-scale organizations.

Classified Title: Sr. Life Design Educator Job Posting Title (Working Title): Assistant Director, Doctoral Life Design, School of Medicine & OPTIONS Role/Level/Range: ACRP/04/ME Starting Salary Range: $66,215 - $116,130 Annually ($80,000 targeted; Commensurate w/exp.) Employee group: Full Time Schedule: Mon - Fri / 08:30am - 05:00pm FLSA Status: Exempt Location: Homewood Campus Department name: Doctoral Life Design Studio Personnel area: University Student Services