Lead the development of innovative employer-sponsored education
models that connect students with paid employment, tuition
assistance, internships, apprenticeships, and career pathways while
helping employers meet current and future workforce needs.
Build strategic partnerships that expand internships,
apprenticeships, co-ops, clinical placements, and employment
opportunities for students and graduates.
Supervise the USU Career Design Center.
Provide strategic leadership for a university-wide network of
career services leaders to align institutional priorities,
coordinate employer engagement, and enhance the delivery of career
development services while respecting the unique needs of academic
disciplines.
Monitor workforce, labor market, and industry trends and advise
university leadership on emerging workforce needs and
opportunities.
Partner with academic leadership to align academic programs,
credentials, and experiential learning opportunities with workforce
demand.
Develop strategic partnerships that connect employers with the
university's talent, research, innovation, workforce development,
and outreach capabilities.
Develop initiatives that ensure every student has access to
meaningful career exploration,
professional development, and work-based learning opportunities
prior to graduation.
Foster collaboration among industry advisory councils and
employer partners to identify opportunities, share best practices,
and strengthen workforce engagement across the university.
Collaborate with Advancement and Alumni Relations to engage
alumni and industry leaders in mentoring, recruiting, and career
development initiatives.
Represent the university in statewide workforce, economic
development, and industry partnership initiatives.
Develop metrics and accountability measures related to employer
engagement, student employment outcomes, internships, and workforce
partnerships.
Develop and implement a university-wide employer and industry
engagement strategy that coordinates partnerships across colleges,
statewide campuses, Extension, research, innovation, and
administrative units, reducing duplication and providing a
coordinated experience for external partners.
Advance the university's land-grant mission by strengthening
connections between education, workforce development, industry, and
communities across Utah.
Establish a university-wide innovation governance framework,
including advisory and
venture boards that bring external perspectives into institutional
decision-making, and build a corporate partner ecosystem across the
university.
Lead university-industry innovation hub development, connecting
students, faculty,
researchers, and companies around shared challenges and
opportunities.
Advise technology transfer and commercialization functions,
ensuring university discoveries reach the marketplace efficiently
and generate sustained reinvestment in institutional
priorities.
Position the university as a regional and national anchor for
innovation-led economic development, attracting investment, talent,
and high-growth companies.
Advance an entrepreneurial culture across all levels of the
institution - students, faculty, staff, and administration -
through programming, incentives, maker spaces, accelerators, and
communities of practice.
Lead institution-wide innovation initiatives that optimize
operational resources, eliminate
structural inefficiencies, and improve organizational agility
across administrative and academic units.
Goals:
- Every student who wants an internship and/or work experience
can obtain one.
- Every graduate receives career coaching before graduation.
- Every college has strategic employer partners.
- Every region served by USU has a network of employers engaged
with the university.
- USU becomes the preferred talent pipeline for Utah
employers.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
- Master's degree and thirteen (13) years of related work
experience, including nine (9) years of leadership experience OR an
equivalent combination of education and work experience.
- Proven executive leadership experience driving innovation and
transformation in a complex, multi-stakeholder institution (higher
education, government, or large enterprise).
- Deep understanding of the evolving role of higher education and
of the role of research institutions in the higher education
ecosystem.
- Track record of building cross-functional coalitions and
leading culture change.
- Exceptional external relationship-building skills with
corporate, civic, government, and philanthropic leaders.
- Experience with enterprise nonprofit governance, diversified
revenue models, and/or economic development strategy.
- Proven success structuring and closing complex, high-value
partnerships.
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including
experience preparing materials for executive leaders, governing
boards, or public audiences.
- Experience using data and evidence to inform strategic
decisions.
- Commitment to collaboration, transparency, and shared
governance within higher education.
Required Documents
Along with the online application, please attach:
- Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in
the Candidate Profile under "Resume/CV"
- Cover letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your
application
**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**
Advertised Salary
Commensurate with experience plus excellent benefits.
ADA
General Office Work:
Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or
contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes.
The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive
hand motions.
College/Department Highlights
University Highlights
Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah's premier
land-grant, public service university. As an R1 research
institution, Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge and
serving the public good through innovative research and scholarly
activities that are grounded in reciprocal engagement with local,
regional, and global communities. USU prepares students to be
active, civically engaged leaders who are prepared to address
critical societal challenges. Dedicated to providing a high-quality
and affordable education, USU remains a leader in research,
discovery, and public impact.
USU enrolls over 29,800 students, both online and in person at
locations throughout the state. Utah State's 30
locations include a main campus in Logan, Utah, residential
campuses in Price and Blanding, and six additional statewide
campuses, along with education centers serving every county. USU
educates students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries.
For over 100 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns,
serving every county in the state.
Competing at the NCAA Division I level in 16 sports, USU is a proud
member of the Pac-12 Conference, officially joining on July 1,
2026. The Aggies capped a historic final season in the Mountain
West by capturing nine combined regular-season and tournament
titles in 2025-26, with five teams advancing to postseason play.
This tradition of excellence extends to the classroom, where 232
student-athletes earned academic honors, and to the community,
where USU ranked second nationally in Division I service hours,
with nine teams placing in the top 10 for community service.
Utah State is dedicated to fostering a community where all
individuals feel respected, valued, and supported and where
diversity of thought and culture are cultivated. We seek to
recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will
champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach,
and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community
and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and
be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when
they named
https://www.usu.edu/today/story/usu-named-best-employer-in-utah"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">Utah State the best employer in
Utah in 2023.
Learn more about USU.
The university provides a
Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers
for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is
committed to providing access and a reasonable accommodation for
individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable
accommodation for a disability, contact the university's ADA
Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at (435) 797-0122 or
hr@usu.edu.
*updated 07/2026
To apply, visit https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/10607/chief-of-strategic-workforce-partnerships/job?in_iframe=1
Notice of Non-discrimination
In its programs and activities, including in admissions and
employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate
discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color,
religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual
orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a
protected veteran, or any other status protected by University
policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.
The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries
regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing
regulations and/or USU's non-discrimination policies:
Executive Director of the Office of Equity Matthew Pinner,
discrimination@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 401,
435-797-1266
Title IX Coordinator Matthew Pinner, titleix@usu.edu, Distance
Education Rm. 404, 435-797-1266
Mailing address: 5100 Old Main Hill, Logan, Ut 84322
For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit
https://equity.usu.edu/, or
contact:
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Assistant Secretary for
Civil Rights, 800-421-3481, OCR@ed.gov
U.S. Department of Education, Denver Regional Office, 303-844-5695,
OCR.Denver@ed.gov
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