This position has been deemed critical by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Dean’s Office and is exempt from the hiring pause.
This position is based on Stanford’s main campus with consideration given to the option for a hybrid work schedule (3~5 days a week onsite), subject to operational need. Interested candidates must include a resume and cover letter to be considered for this position.
Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment VISA.
About Us
The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability strives to create a future when humans and nature thrive in concert and in perpetuity. The school is made up of a three-part structure to drive global impact: Our academic departments and programs educate students and create new knowledge across areas of research that are crucial for advancing the long-term prosperity of the planet and people; Institutes bridge scholarship at Stanford and beyond, bringing multiple viewpoints to bear on urgent challenges; The Sustainability Accelerator drives new policy and technology solutions through a worldwide network of partners who work with our teams to develop solutions at a global scale. The school is dedicated to creating and supporting a community with the richness of experience and background needed to create solutions that benefit all people, particularly those most affected by environmental damage and climate change.
For more information on the school, click here.
The Stanford Doerr Sustainability Career Studio delivers career support to Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability students, to recent alumni and to sustainability-interested Stanford students. Through 1:1 advising, career workshops, employer and alumni engagement, and career pathway resources we help students define and pursue fulfilling, high-impact careers addressing the world's climate and sustainability challenges and opportunities. The Sustainability Career Studio partners with students and alums to find the work where their interests, skills and experience matter most, build the relationships that open opportunities, and develop the confidence and skills to pursue them. As part of the Career Studio, the Sustainability Pathways Internship Program connects students with mission-driven organizations offering summer internships. The Stanford Doerr Sustainability Career Studio builds deep collaborations globally with employers in industry, government and civic organizations to create a strong ecosystem for careers in sustainability.
This is a rare opportunity to build an impactful and enduring career services organization from the ground up. It calls for an entrepreneurial mindset: the ability to take initiative and ownership, move with flexibility, shape new programs, and create new relationships and infrastructure where none existed before. We invite you to join our mission to inspire and enable students to pursue careers in sustainability.
The Sustainability Career Studio seeks an Associate Director, Talent Partner to help develop and implement the studio’s employer engagement strategy in assigned sectors including building and maintaining employer relationships globally, collaborating with alumni and Stanford University staff to strengthen employer partnerships, planning and executing employer events, ensuring a robust pipeline of internship and job opportunities, and generating employment and market insights. This position will report to the Founding Director of the Sustainability Career Studio.
Primary responsibilities include:
- Serve as a trusted talent partner to sustainability-relevant employers and hiring alumni in assigned sectors, building strong strategic relationships that connect their hiring needs to student and alumni talent. The Talent Partner serves as a key point for gathering feedback from employers and sharing insights internally to inform strategy, improve services and identify new opportunities in the private, government and civic sectors.
- Develop a robust, highly curated pipeline of sustainability internship and job opportunities aligned with student interests
- Develop and nurture relationships with Stanford’s sustainability-related network of employers, alumni, faculty, staff, institutes and research centers to source and strengthen partnerships with employers in the ecosystem.
- Coordinate with Sustainability Pathways Internship Program staff to ensure employer outreach alignment
- Track where students and recent alumni land for internships and full-time roles, and proactively engage those alumni to surface market insights, employer intelligence, and new job and internship opportunities within their organizations — closing the loop between alumni career outcomes and current student opportunity
- Effective use of CRM, AI tools and career services systems and tools to collect, manage and analyze employer, student and alumni data to define outreach priorities and career service gaps and opportunities. Develop insights into market trends, employer needs and expectations, as well as student interests and engagement with employer offerings including job applications and events
- Manage employer presentations, treks, career fairs, networking events, and alumni/employer panels
- Own employer-facing outreach, marketing and communications to optimize their campus engagement, event management and well curated jobs pipeline. Create and manage targeted email campaigns, the employer section of the Sustainability Career Studio’s website, event related information, and business development materials
- Create and manage targeted student-facing communications highlighting internship/job opportunities and career education and employer event offerings
- Own end-to-end operations for two supplemental coaching service offerings: 1. Peer Coaching Program 2. Alumni Career Expert Program. This includes recruiting, onboarding, scheduling, logistics, and tracking engagement
- Work closely with sector-relevant student clubs and alumni groups supporting them with networking opportunities and employer events. Lead student focus groups and surveys to collect feedback on student interest and perceived gaps
- Develop and facilitate student workshops to support their understanding of market and employer trends and optimize their job search
- Supervise contractors hired to support employer related events
- Exceptional presentation skills, including both development of high quality visual presentations and verbal presentation and facilitation skills.
- Contribute to the development of the Sustainability Career Studio brand identity - its purpose, perception, personality, position, and promotion
In addition to the minimum qualifications listed below, our preferred requirements include:
- Eight plus (8+) years of experience in relationship, program and event management.
- Proven track record building and scaling win-win employer partnerships from the ground up — sourcing, cultivating, and converting relationships across private, government, and civic sectors into pipelines that deliver meaningful, mutual value for both employer and students.
- Demonstrated success turning employer and labor market feedback into action — sharpening the opportunity pipeline and identifying where new employer partnerships should be built.
- Passion for taking care of the planet and life on it
- Exceptional interpersonal and verbal communication skills, including confidence in engaging with employers, students, alumni and internal stakeholders
- Commitment to the highest standards of customer service
- Exceptional written skills and verbal presentation and facilitation skills
- Entrepreneurial mindset, with demonstrated ability to take initiative and ownership across a broad range of projects
- High level of attention to detail and follow-through with the ability to multitask, meet deadlines, and work successfully in a fast-paced environment
- Demonstrated ability to maintain accurate, up-to-date relationship management records
- Experience using AI to automate repetitive tasks, generate insights and content
- Experience with data analysis, reporting, and survey tools to develop insights
- Ability to own projects from start-to-finish, defining and executing business processes, and to evaluate new and improve existing projects and processes
- Ability to manage differing interests of stakeholders and foster collaborative relationships
- Embrace of innovation and creativity: Experiment with new ways of thinking about how to best connect talent with opportunity and serve our students’ unique career needs
- Ability to manage multiple workstreams and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Willingness to contribute to a team culture of psychological safety, collaboration, entrepreneurship, commitment to excellence and fun
Working Conditions
This position requires 15% travel to meet employers, attend events and represent the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability in key forums.
The expected pay range for this position is $120,000 to $155,000 per annum.
Core Duties
- Lead the planning and operations for programs or functions that have significant business, regulatory and/or technical challenges requiring subject matter expertise.
- Evaluate programs or functions, policies and procedures. Identify issues, and develop alternative solutions which may include changes to programs, policies and procedures.
- Review and analyze trends to advise and develop recommendations to achieve or modify the goals of the program or function.
- Represent the program or function within the department, unit or school. Commit resources and provide information and/or training. Represent the program or function at the university level and/or to external/internal stakeholders and constituencies.
- Manage and contribute to the development of outreach strategy that may include relationship development, communications and compliance.
- May develop and/or oversee budgets; manage finances including monitoring, analyzing, forecasting, and reporting.
- Assess training needs and may develop associated training.
- May direct and/or supervise staff.
Minimum Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree and five years of relevant experience, or combination of education and relevant experience.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Demonstrated ability to establish priorities, manage shifting priorities, and handle numerous time-sensitive projects with multiple deadlines.
- Ability to accomplish goals working through formal and informal channels, with diplomacy and tactfulness.
- Demonstrated creativity, problem solving, critical analysis, initiative, judgment and, decision-making skills.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and meet budget goals.
- Demonstrated solid planning and organizational skills.
- Demonstrated experience working independently and as part of a team.
- Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
- Strong relevant subject matter knowledge.
- Ability to direct the work of others, for jobs requiring supervision.