William Jones

William (Wil) Jones is the Assistant Vice Provost for Career Development and the Executive Director of Career Exploration and Success, as well as the Chief Career Officer for the Rutgers–New Brunswick campus. He provides executive leadership for the university’s flagship Office of Career Exploration and Success, a nationally recognized department comprised of dedicated professionals—many of whom have earned accolades for their work in the field. In this role, Wil leads the university’s strategy to build a career-ready campus, aligning career development with academic success, experiential learning, and post-graduation outcomes.

Wil oversees services supporting a broad array of academic programs and student populations, while guiding the development of institutional strategies that connect students to high-impact experiences, employer networks, and career pathways. He chairs the Career-Ready Campus Task Force and leads a career ecosystem of more than 200 faculty, staff, and employer partners working collaboratively to advance student success across the university.

In the summer of 2025, Wil joined the Board of Directors for the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), further extending his national leadership in the field. He previously served as Chair of the HireBig10+ Career Consortium and has contributed to numerous initiatives at the regional and national level.

A nationally recognized innovator in the career services space, Wil co-developed the career cluster approach to service delivery at a large-scale institution—transitioning career advisors from generalists to specialists and diversifying programming for students across all degree levels, academic disciplines, and career interests. He also created the Rutgers Campus Career Ecosystem, operationalizing campus partnerships through advisory boards, working groups, and committees that bring together faculty, staff, student leaders, and employers to break down silos and elevate career success. These models have been widely adopted as best practices across peer institutions nationwide.

Wil has been honored as the Career Professional of the Year by the HireBig10+ Consortium and has been nationally recognized by both NACE and the American College Personnel Association (ACPA). His work has been published in the NACE Career Journal, and he is a frequent presenter at national conferences on topics ranging from employer relations to career innovation.

Wil previously served as Senior Director and Director of Operations for CES. Prior to Rutgers, he led recruiter engagement, assessment initiatives, and digital strategy at the University of Maryland. He earned both his M.Ed. and B.A. degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Reflecting on his approach to student success, Wil shares:

“Every student deserves the opportunity to discover meaningful work, grow in their confidence, and access the networks and experiences that can change their life. My job is to help make that possible.”