University Overview
The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.
Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.
The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.
Posted Job Title
Director for Student Development, Student Affairs
Job Profile Title
Associate Director D, Student Services, Advising
Job Description Summary
The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School is one of the nation's oldest and most distinguished law schools. We offer a distinctive cross-disciplinary legal education, drawing on the depth and breadth of the University of Pennsylvania, and a supportive intellectual community for our scholars, staff, and students alike.
The Student Affairs Office is charged with defining and developing this internal culture of Penn Carey Law's student-focused community. The Director for Student Development leads strategic initiatives that promote respectful dialogue, collaborative engagement, and the development of professional identity among law students. Through thoughtful programming, collaborative partnerships, and informed advising, the Director works to embed values of professionalism and civil discourse into the full student experience at the Law School.
The Director of Student Development is a full-time position, reporting to the Associate Dean of Students, and collaborating extensively with the Student Affairs team and other Penn Carey Law student services departments. This position has responsibilities in the following areas:
Job Description
Strategic
+ Support a coherent and collaborative approach to Student Affairs services around student professional identity and civil discourse.
+ Lead the Professionalism Working Group and partner committees to shape policies and programs that embed professionalism and constructive dialogue across the student experience.
+ Represent the Law School in university-wide efforts related to civil discourse.
Student Development and Professional Identity Formation
+ Develop and implement workshops, speaker series, and resources that support students' growth as ethical, professional legal practitioners.
+ Collaborate with the Office of Career Strategy, Toll Public Interest Center, Externship office, faculty, and student leaders to coordinate professionalism training across all student programming, including Orientation; pro bono, clinical, and externship training, and leadership development programming.
+ Serve as a resource for students navigating questions of professional conduct, ethical decision-making, and identity formation within the legal field.
+ Partner with the Director for Student and Community Engagement to support student organizations in modeling professional norms and inclusive leadership.
+ Prepare sessions for the 1LAP cohort and new student Orientation focused on professional identity formation, networking, authenticity, inclusive leadership, and professionalism skills across a variety of legal practice settings.
+ Support the academic programming and leadership development for merit scholarship programs, including Levy Scholars, Silverman Scholars, and the Franklin Scholars, to guide academic enrichment, mentorship, and professional development opportunities for Scholars.
+ With the Director of Student Engagement, shape and enhance the Morris Fellows program in partnership with Student Affairs and Admissions, building a more intentional framework for mentor preparation, regular communication, and sustained community‑building between incoming students and their upper‑level mentors.
+ Provide strategic oversight of the Law School's Inn of Court, building a deep understanding of the Inn of Court's mentorship‑focused mission and, in collaboration with Student Affairs and the Inn's judicial leaders, take on increasing responsibility for planning, operations, and member engagement with the goal of fully managing the program within two years. Leverage Inn of Court program to cultivate mentorship opportunities, professional networking, and experiential learning that reinforce values of professionalism and professional dialogue.
Academic Activities and Civil Discourse
+ Design and facilitate programs across all class years and throughout the academic year that encourage respectful dialogue across ideological, cultural, and political differences. Work in collaboration with Graduate Programs and Master in Law Programs to offer dialogue opportunities across degree programs.
+ Collaborate with faculty, student groups, and external speakers to host forums, debates, and roundtables on complex legal and societal issues.
+ Advise and strengthen student‑led journals by supporting editorial leadership, fostering scholarly excellence, and serving as a leadership resource for inclusive problem-solving.
+ Develop programming that introduces the concept of civil discourse to 1L students during Orientation and sets discourse expectations for the year
+ Utilize restorative practices and conflict resolution techniques to support constructive engagement in moments of tension or disagreement.
+ Support individual students on discourse and expression issues. Work in partnership with the Associate Dean of Students when student conflict touches upon broader community dynamics.
+ Serve as primary liaison with the University's dialogue offices, including but not limited to, the Open Expression, Office of Equal Opportunity, Office of Religious and Ethnic Interests (Title VI), and the Paideia program.
Student Affairs and Career Strategy
+ Assist as needed with key Student Affairs events, including Orientation, community events, graduation, and more.
+ Engage in regular meetings with members of the Student Affairs team, individually and as a group, to ensure the continuation of a collaborative and engaged office.
+ Work closely with Office of Career Strategy professionalism liaison to ensure relevant programming is well-coordinated.
+ Collaborate consistently with the Office of Career Strategy through individual and group meetings to advance shared goals and reinforce a student‑focused office culture.
Other duties as assigned
REQUIREMENTS:
+ Demonstrated record of at least five to seven years of progressively responsible leadership in student development, higher education, or legal professional training.
+ Experience designing and implementing programs that foster professional identity formation, civil discourse, and values-based engagement, preferably in the legal profession.
+ Experience supporting students from a variety of backgrounds, including across a range of cultural, socio-economic, or professional experiences.
+ Background in institutional management, student services, or the legal industry is valuable.
+ Strong understanding of the professional legal environment and its expectations for emerging practitioners is preferred.
+ Excellent portfolio of events and programs that establish an ability to think creatively about student development and an ability to collaborate across a variety of systems and organizational situations.
+ Bachelor's degree required, Masters or JD preferred, with concentration in higher education, or a related field. Knowledge of legal education highly desirable.
The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law. For clarity, this includes not discriminating on the basis of ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, and military status as required by the American Bar Association Standard 205.
Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Department / School
Law School
Pay Range
$79,500.00 - $105,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.
Equal Opportunity Statement
The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics) , citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law .
Special Requirements Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.
University Benefits
+ Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
+ Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits . You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
+ Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
+ Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
+ Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
+ Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
+ Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
+ University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
+ Discounts and Special Services : From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
+ Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
+ Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
+ Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.
To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay
The University of Pennsylvania's special character is reflected in the wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of the Penn community. We seek talented faculty and staff who will constitute a vibrant community and help create an educational and working environment that best supports the University's commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship. The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
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