Associate Director of Employer Relations

About the Job

OVERVIEW:

The Associate Director of Employer Relations plays a critical role in expanding the professional ecosystem for Carlson students. This position is responsible for identifying and cultivating new corporate leads, managing high-level strategic partnerships, and serving as a subject matter expert for specific industry portfolios.

Through adopting the Career Connected Model, the Associate Director collaborates with career coaches, faculty, and campus partners to intentionally embed career awareness and employer engagement throughout the student experience, ensuring students encounter meaningful connections with employers and career concepts in a variety of contexts.

Working with the Director of Employer Relations and the Employer Relations team, s/he will assist with the planning and execution of career events, including career fairs, career exploration conferences, and networking events. Some local, regional and national travel may be required of the position which may involve some evening and weekend work.

This is a hybrid position - there will be some days working in the office and some days will be spent working remotely.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Business Development and Relationship Building (30%)

• Network Expansion: Establish and execute strategies to grow the Career Center and Minnesota Carlson’s network on a national and global level, focusing on target companies and locations that align with student interests and Carlson initiatives.
• Innovative Partnerships: Develop tailored strategies for engaging new organizations or those with limited existing ties to Carlson.
• Partner with external placement agencies and 3rd party recruiters
• Identifying Opportunities & Geographic Locations to Increase Engagement: Identify and secure relevant opportunities for all students/programs.
• Identify new opportunities for international students to work in the US.

Strategic Partnership & Industry Specialization (25%)

• Account Management: Serve as the primary subject matter expert for identified industry portfolios, conducting regular account planning meetings to align company hiring needs with student engagement strategies.
• "Career Connection" Integration: Partner with internal stakeholders - including faculty, program administrators, Enterprise Directors, coaches/staff, etc. - to embed employer presence across academic programming and alumni networks.
• Data-Driven Reporting & Review: Utilize LinkedIn, 12Twenty, Salesforce, and other tools to track engagement, analyze internship/employment data, and provide market updates to leadership, coaching teams, and students.
• Collaboration & Partnership: Partner with other CBCC team members to execute large events and assist with all-hands events like on-campus interviews and networking events and industry spotlights.
• Partner with coaching team on the strategic execution of career treks and site visits.

Marketing & Strategic Programming (15%)

• Event Innovation: Design and implement "best-in-class" connectivity events, such as panels, career fairs, and networking sessions, in collaboration with the Operations and Coaching teams.
• Market Intelligence: Conduct research on potential employment markets and manage custom reporting to analyze on-campus recruiting results and employer satisfaction.
• Admissions Partnership: Support student recruitment by ensuring corporate sponsorship and presence at prospective student events
• Employer Partner Council (EPC): Coordinate and attend EPC meetings and work with the Director and the ER team to identify relevant topics and new organizations to join Council.

Student Services (15%)

• Direct Advocacy: Meet one-on-one with students to provide industry and alumni contacts and job search strategies, with a specific focus on supporting students who require additional assistance.
• Club & Experiential Engagement: Build deep relationships with student clubs and experiential programming (enterprises, Carlson Analytics Lab, Impact Lab, etc) to include leaders in site visits and treks to target cities that align with student interests, program outcomes, and industry expectations.
• Collaborative Programming: Partner with the coaching team to design relevant career programming and project-based work for students.
• Collaborate with the coaching team to ensure industry-specific insights are integrated into student advising.

Operations & Leadership (15%)

• Operational Excellence: Partner with the Operations team to execute seamless virtual and on-campus engagement while benchmarking employer satisfaction through surveys and feedback.
• Strategic Support: Assist the Director with ranking surveys by providing accurate recruiting statistics and corporate contact data.
• Continuous Improvement: Develop and present innovative ideas to enhance recruitment operations, student engagement, and cross-departmental collaboration.
• All Hands Events: Assist at large events such as Career Fairs, Networking Receptions, Orientations, and Commencement.
• Other duties as assigned.

** The employer reserves the right to change or assign other duties to this position **

Qualifications

*MINIMUM / ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree plus at least four years of relevant experience or, Master's degree plus at least two years of relevant experience.

*PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS / SELECTION CRITERIA:

• Experience in relationship management, business development and management, project management and/or sales/marketing.
• Experience in and understanding of career center management or corporate recruiting.
• Experience with increasing levels of responsibility in business development, account management, or relationship management.
• Self-driven, motivated, and results oriented.
• Able to work individually and as part of a team.
• Excellent relationship-building skills.
• Strong multitasking and organizational skills.
• Ability to prioritize, perform and follow through on initiatives.
• Proficient presentation, communication, and time management skills.
• Strong presentation, communication, organization and time management skills.