Career Pathway Director, Law 🔥
The Organization
At Thrive Scholars, our goal is to see talented BIPOC students from economically disadvantaged communities develop economic mobility and financial security, and become the diverse corporate, civic, and academic leaders our country so desperately needs.
Our comprehensive, data-driven, high-touch program model [1] focuses on the key inflection points that can be the difference between graduating from any college, and graduating from a top college with the grades, degree, career skills, and network needed to thrive in careers that equip Scholars for economic mobility. Â
The Career Development Program
Our career development program specifically includes two years of intensive, personalized career coaching, and access to our professional network and to corporate partnerships for internships and jobs. In recent years, Thrive Scholars has moved from a generalist career development program model to an industry pathway model [2] to ensure that Scholars receive the tailored preparation, and gain the specialized skills, experiences and networks they need for the industries they are pursuing. Currently, Thrive Scholars has the following Career Pathways programs: Life Sciences, Engineering, Technology, Law, Finance, and Consulting. Scholars interested in other fields participate in our generalist Core pathway. Pathway Teams consist of a Pathway Director, and multiple staff focused on career coaching, stewarding partner relationships, and managing Scholar and partner events and programming. Each Pathway also collaborates with other program teams to support mentorship and Scholar internship and job placement.Â
The PositionÂ
Thrive Scholars is looking to recruit a strategic and effective Career Pathway Director, who will lead the Law Pathway [3], working to ensure that Scholars are exposed to career options in law, are admitted to top law schools, obtain excellent Summer Associateships and law jobs, and develop the knowledge, skills, and networks they need to thrive in the legal field, within Big Law and in other settings.
Within the Law Pathway, you will oversee a team that includes career coaches, an account stewardship manager, and a partner & events manager. In this leadership capacity, you will bring together your law industry expertise, and your knowledge in program, project design, and implementation to create and deliver a transformative career development experience for our Scholars, including industry exploration curriculum, LSAT preparation, and law school admissions support. Additionally, you will leverage external partnerships with top law schools and top law firms to help Scholars gain an understanding of, and a network in, the legal field and to prepare Scholars for successful careers across the industry.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to innovate, bring ambitious ideas to fruition, and build and lead a growing team.Â
Reports to:Â
The Career Pathway Director will report to the Managing Director of Career Pathways.
Key Responsibilities:Â
Law Pathway Program Design and ManagementÂ
GOAL: Ensure students are effectively introduced to law, that they are admitted to top law schools, and that they have the preparation to enter and grow in the industry.
- Design and implement a Law-focused program that spans the entire Scholar experience, and continues into Scholars’ alumni journey
- Oversee the creation and implementation of resources, online courses, and virtual and in-person workshops and panels on topics that support students in navigating their law career path, including, for example: the range of roles within law, the law school application process, LSAT prep, etc.
- Research law school admissions and law employment trends, industry insights, and coaching best practices; curate and share this information with Law Career Coach(es) and Account Manager(s).
- Manage a Law Advisory Council that will advise Thrive on the preparation needed for Scholars to enter and succeed in top law schools and top law firms, learn and share about best practices, and be champions for Thrive in the field. The Advisory Council will be made up of a range of individuals in law, including, for example, Thrive employer partners, Thrive alumni with early career experience in law, and representatives from top law schools.Â
Team Leadership and Management
GOAL: Foster a positive and effective team culture focused on high performance, talent development, and staff engagement, through the work of hiring, onboarding, coaching, and leading:
- Account Manager who manages relationships with corporate partners that provide internship and job opportunities for scholars and alumni and that provide funding to the Thrive Scholars organization. Account Managers are charged with ensuring partners are effectively integrated into the program, have a positive partnership experience, and renew and increase their partnership, which provides internships, jobs, and funding for Thrive Scholars.Â
- Partner and Program Manager who is responsible for organizing events with partners such as industry panels, industry TREKS, company visits, company presentations.Â
- Career Coach who introduces Scholars to law and provides individual coaching and support to Scholars in the pathway, focusing on career exploration, career road mapping, and skills development; applying for law school, Summer Associateships, and jobs in top law firms; and being equipped to succeed in the field.
- Provide coaching and advising directly to Scholars as needed.
Cross-Departmental Effectiveness
GOAL: Partner with departments across the Program team to ensure successful program and partner activation and stewardship.
- Partner with Account Managers and with the Managing Director of Corporate Partnerships to maximize collaboration with partners, recruitment, CSR leads, or talent acquisition at top law firms. This may include activities like preparing or participating in pitch meetings and ideating on partner program integrations.
- Partner with the Corporate Partnership and placement team to ensure successful internship/job placement of Scholars as applicable.
- Partner with the Mentorship team to ensure Scholars participate and benefit from high-impact relationships with industry mentors.
- Report against cross-departmental goals and metrics.Â
- In collaboration with others on the Career Pathways team, support the implementation of career programming across industries, including events, workshops, webinars, conferences, and the production of integrated resources.
Qualifications and Experience
There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review
applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. The qualifications and
experiences listed below are intended as a guide; we do not expect candidates to check every box. If
you believe you can meet the expectations and responsibilities of this position, we want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work.
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Minimum of 7 years of professional experience, including at least 4 years in law
- Minimum of 3 years in people management role
- Experience preferred in advising, coaching, talent recruitment, or talent development
- Strong knowledge of the legal industry
- Entrepreneurial attitude towards problem solving and demonstrated track record of designing, building and implementing programs or initiatives
- Deep understanding of the college to career journey for underrepresented students
- Expertise in and passion for diversity, equity and inclusion in a professional setting
- Clear strategic thinker combined with a practical approach and close attention to detail
- Results-driven with an ability to adapt your approach to achieve stated results
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent analytical, and organizational skills
- Capacity to balance multiple and varied tasks, meet deadlines, and use well-developed time management and organizational skills
- Experience using a database for documentation and reporting
COMPETENCIES
Along with the specific qualifications and experiences noted above, people leaders at Thrive Scholars are expected to demonstrate the following leadership competencies:
- Strategic Collaboration:Â Understands how and when to work with others to drive strong results. Able to balance attention to both results and relationships.
- Setting Strategy: Creates clear, effective strategies that inform the team’s work and build towards the larger vision.
- Building:Â Creates new and better ways for the organization to be successful, shaping theory and/or practice in the field.
- Leading through Change:Â Effectively engages and mobilizes stakeholders through change by mitigating stress, demonstrating compassion, and illustrating and planning for a desirable future.Â
COMPENSATION & BENEFITSÂ
Thrive Scholars offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including high-quality health and dental insurance, three weeks of paid vacation, generous professional development funding, and access to an employer-matched retirement plan. This is a full-time exempt position.
Starting Salary Range:Â $136,400-$170,500
COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement
Thrive has a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all employees, including remote staff. Individuals selected for job opportunities must be fully vaccinated and up to date, per CDC guidelines [4], and will be required to provide proof of vaccination status in advance of your hire date.
If you are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons or sincerely-held religious beliefs, Thrive will consider requests for reasonable accommodations consistent with our policy. Accommodation requests cannot be guaranteed, Thrive will consider requests where we are able to provide such accommodations without undue hardship to the organization pursuant to applicable law. Any such accommodation must be approved in advance of signing an offer letter.
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Thrive Scholars provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status.
Knowing its importance to the success of our work, Thrive Scholars is committed to diversity and inclusion, and we aspire to build a diverse staff team and community. We strongly encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. We appreciate your time and will review all applications received.
For more information, please visit thrivescholars.org
