We are looking for someone who can continue to build and maintain the programming, partnerships, and systems associated with Career Scholars. The successful candidate will be comfortable moving between big-picture strategy and hands-on implementation and will work closely with students, faculty, campus partners, employers, community leaders, and other external stakeholders.
The ideal candidate will bring a strong combination of program leadership, employer and industry engagement, student career development, relationship building, and project management. They should be able to cultivate new employer partnerships while strengthening existing ones; translate employer and workforce needs into meaningful student experiences; collaborate with faculty on academically sound experiential learning opportunities; and help prepare students to succeed professionally.
This is a highly collaborative position that also requires considerable initiative and judgment. We are particularly interested in candidates who:
- Are builders and problem-solvers who can take an idea from concept through implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement.
- Can develop authentic, long-term relationships with business, industry, workforce, and community partners.
- Understand how to connect academic learning, career readiness, and real-world professional experience.
- Are comfortable working directly with students through coaching, career preparation, and experiential learning.
- Can coordinate complex initiatives involving multiple departments, stakeholders, priorities, and locations.
- Use data and assessment to evaluate outcomes, identify opportunities, communicate impact, and guide program growth.
- Communicate effectively with audiences ranging from students and faculty to employers, institutional leaders, funders, and community partners.
- Are comfortable representing Wayne State College externally and spending significant time traveling to employers, communities (Grand Island & Norfolk), and partner organizations.
- Can balance strategic leadership with the day-to-day work necessary to make a growing program successful.
Ultimately, we are looking for someone who sees cooperative education as more than placing students into internships. The goal is to build a comprehensive, sustainable experiential learning ecosystem that prepares students for successful careers, strengthens relationships between Wayne State College and industry, and contributes to Nebraska’s workforce.