Te Pokapū Rapuara | Centre for Employability & Career Development

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch

Aotearoa | New Zealand

• Fixed-Term position (18 months ending 23 Dec 27)
• Full-time (37.5 hours per week)
• Salary Band 5 ($95,784 - $116,911)

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!

He hiahia, he pūkenga nōu ki te mahi a te Employer and Alumni Development Specialist? Nāia te pōwhiri nā Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha kia tono mai i te tūranga nei.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do

This is a unique opportunity to design and deliver high-impact initiatives that strengthen connections between students, alumni, and industry. As the Employer and Alumni Development Specialist, you will lead the development of strategic programmes that enhance employability outcomes and deepen the University’s engagement with its employer and alumni communities.

You will take a project-led approach, guiding initiatives from discovery and business case development through to delivery and continuous improvement. This includes establishing an Alumni Mentoring Programme, delivering an Employer Survey and Employability Report, and shaping a flagship industry engagement event.

Working across the University and with external partners, you will gather insights from employers and alumni to inform programme design, ensuring initiatives are relevant, sustainable, and impactful. You will play a key role in connecting students with industry expectations, building meaningful partnerships, and creating opportunities that support career readiness and success.

Mōu | Who You Are

You are a highly capable relationship builder and strategic thinker with a strong background in business development, stakeholder engagement, and programme delivery. You bring people together, navigate complex environments with confidence, and turn ideas into well-executed, high-value initiatives.

You will also have:

• Proven experience in business development, partnership building, or stakeholder engagement across industry, education, or alumni environments
• Demonstrated ability to lead end-to-end projects, including discovery, due diligence, costing, planning, and successful delivery
• Strong relationship management skills, with the ability to engage, influence, and build trust with diverse stakeholders, including employers, alumni, and internal teams
• Experience designing and delivering engagement initiatives such as mentoring programmes, industry events, or partnership activities
• Ability to gather, analyse, and translate employer insights and data into meaningful programmes and strategic recommendations
• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, with a natural ability to connect with people and bring stakeholders together
• Strategic mindset with the ability to navigate complex organisational environments and align initiatives with wider goals.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC

At UC, being part of our team means more than just a job. We are committed to supporting our kaimahi | staff’s career and wellbeing with benefits designed to help our kaimahi grow and feel connected, supported and valued.

UC’s Benefits approach is shaped by Ngā Uara | Our Values Whanaungatanga, Tiakitanga, and Manaakitanga. They are designed to be relevant, support and inspire our people, they include:

• 4 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%) (If over 9 month)
• flexible working arrangements
• professional development opportunities
• supportive working environment
• a wide range of retail discounts across shopping, entertainment and travel
• on-campus staff discounts
• living in revitalised Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand
• a unique working environment in a beautiful campus with access to UC facilities such as UC RecCentre and Staff Club at discounted rates plus onsite cafés and eateries, and more.

For more information, please visit us: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/work-at-uc/benefits-working-uc

For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/

The closing date for this position is: Sunday, 14 June 2026 (midnight, NZ time)

Please note, applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place before the close date.

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted via our careers website and should include a cover letter and resume.

Please note, we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process, please forward these to WorkatUC@canterbury.ac.nz

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency or hold a valid NZ work visa to be considered for this role.

Please note, this is an onsite position.