Job Details

Pre-Professional Specialist

Position Number: 9900966
Location: Salt Lake City, United States
Position Type: Career Counseling and Placement

Pre-Professional Specialist

Job Summary

Under the direction of the Sr. Director of U Career Success, the Pre-Professional Specialist (Pre-Health) provides individualized, student-centered coaching to undergraduate students exploring, preparing for, and applying to health professions programs. The specialist helps students clarify professional goals; understand health professions pathways and admissions expectations; develop individualized preparation and application plans; reflect on their experiences; and make informed decisions about timing, readiness, and next steps. Approximately 80 percent of this position is dedicated to one-on-one student appointments and related follow-up. This role is not responsible for academic course planning, registration, or transfer credit evaluation; the specialist partners with academic advisors and other campus experts for those services.

The specialist expands access to consistent, high-quality pre-health support by delivering student workshops and orientation sessions, creating training materials, and training academic advisors and career coaching staff on foundational pre-health information and referral practices. The position collaborates across U Career Success, colleges and academic departments, advising offices, student support services, and relevant health professions partners. The specialist maintains current knowledge of health professions admissions, student development, and inclusive coaching practices, including resources and best practices from the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions. The specialist partners with the Pre-Law Specialist, and receives cross-training in Pre-Law to provide limited backup support during coverage needs.

Responsibilities
* Provide one on one pre-health support: Conduct a high volume of individual student meetings and related follow up. Coach students on health professions pathways, admissions expectations, application readiness, timelines, written materials, interviews, school selection, gap year planning, and decisions about when to apply.
.
* Deliver scalable student programming: Design and facilitate workshops, group sessions, information sessions, and orientation programming on topics such as health professions exploration, building relevant experiences, application timelines, personal statements, letters of recommendation, interviews, and readiness to apply. Adapt programming for students at different stages and across multiple health professions pathways. Collaborate with career coaches or campus partners when programming benefits from their expertise.

* Train and equip campus partners: Develop and regularly update practical training materials, referral guides, and presentation resources for academic advisors, career coaches, and other student facing staff. Facilitate training that promotes accurate pre-health information, consistent student support, and clear referral practices.

* Collaborate across campus: Build productive relationships with career coaches, colleges, academic departments, advising offices, student support units, admissions, and relevant external partners. Participate in initiatives and events that advance student access and success.

* Maintain professional expertise: Stay current on health professions admissions trends, prerequisite and application expectations, professional competencies, and inclusive student support practices. Engage with professional development opportunities and networks, including NAAHP, and translate relevant updates into student programming, staff training, and coaching practice.

* Document and improve services: Maintain timely, accurate, and confidential records of student interactions and use approved systems to support follow-up. Contribute to assessment activities by identifying student needs, tracking participation and trends, and recommending improvements to services and programming.

* Support events and operations: Participate in new student orientation, campus events, and occasional evening or weekend programs. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
* Bachelor's degree
* Four years of progressively responsible, student-facing experience in higher education, college access, career coaching, student success, advising, or a related setting, including substantial experience conducting one-on-one student meetings.
* Demonstrated ability to build trust with students; use a coaching approach that supports informed decision-making and working effectively with students from varied backgrounds, identities, and experiences.
* Demonstrated ability to develop and deliver clear, engaging presentations or workshops for students and staff.
* Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and organizational skills, including the ability to manage a high volume of appointments, follow up, and competing priorities.
* Ability to build effective working relationships with campus partners and apply sound judgment when referring students to appropriate resources.
* Applicants must demonstrate the potential ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined in the position description.

Preferences
* Master's degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, public health, a health related field, or a closely related discipline.
* Experience supporting undergraduate students who are exploring or applying to health professions programs, such as medicine, dentistry, physician assistant, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, veterinary medicine, or related fields.
* Knowledge of health professions admissions processes, application timelines, holistic review, common application components, and the varied preparation expectations across health professions pathways.
* Experience creating and delivering training for advisors, coaches, faculty, or other student-facing staff.
* Demonstrated engagement with NAAHP or comparable professional development in pre-health advising, health professions admissions, or student success.

Special Instructions

Requisition Number: PRN46496B
Full Time or Part Time? Full Time
Work Schedule Summary: M-F 8-5, some early mornings, evenings or weekends as needed
Department: 00304 - U Career Success
Location: Campus
Pay Rate Range: 60000 to 63000
Close Date: 12/31/2026
Open Until Filled:

To apply, visit <a href=""https://apptrkr.com/9900966"">https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/210917