Assistant Director, Employer Engagement

Austin Peay State University•Clarksville, TN

13h

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Employer Engagement is a collaborative, relationship-oriented, student-centered professional responsible for strengthening employer partnerships and advancing positive career outcomes for Austin Peay State University students and alumni. The role develops relationships with employers, alumni, and community partners; serves as a primary employer contact; and supports recruitment, internship, experiential learning, and employment opportunities. The position uses Handshake and related platforms to support employer onboarding, recruitment, event registration, recordkeeping, and reporting. The role coordinates employer engagement programming, including the Summer Internship Program, networking events, employer panels, information sessions, tabling, site visits, career fairs, and large-scale recruitment events. It also works with students, career success coaches, academic departments, university colleagues, and external stakeholders to connect employer needs with student populations, academic programs, and workforce trends. Additional duties include supporting the Career Ambassador Program, maintaining engagement data and records, assisting with marketing and outreach, representing the Career Success Center, and contributing to assessment and reporting. Occasional evening and weekend work is required for events and university initiatives. Austin Peay State University is a four-year public, doctoral-level university with six colleges and four Chairs of Excellence. It enrolls more than 11,000 students and is located in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Business, Communication, Human Resources, or a related field, and at least two years of experience in employer engagement, career services, recruiting, workforce development, sales, business relations, or a related field. Appropriate combinations of relevant education, full-time or graduate assistantship experience, and/or certifications may be considered.
Advanced verbal and written communication skills, including presentation and relationship management experience.
Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.
Demonstrated customer service and relationship-building skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and operating a personal computer.
Ability to engage professionally with diverse stakeholders, including students, employers, faculty, staff, and community partners.
Ability to meet the stated sedentary physical demand: exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Business, Communication, Human Resources, or a related field, and at least five years of experience in employer engagement, career services, recruiting, workforce development, sales, business relations, or a related field. Appropriate combinations of relevant education, full-time or graduate assistantship experience, and/or certifications may be considered.
Demonstrated ability to supervise, mentor, and develop staff and student leaders.
Experience coordinating events, employer relations, or recruitment initiatives in higher education, nonprofit, or corporate settings.
Experience using career management platforms such as Handshake.
Knowledge of career readiness competencies, recruitment trends, and workforce development practices.

Responsibilities

Develop, cultivate, and sustain relationships with local, regional, and national employers, alumni, and community partners to expand recruitment, internship, experiential learning, and employment opportunities for students and alumni.
Conduct employer outreach through meetings, calls, presentations, networking events, campus visits, and employer site visits.
Represent APSU at Chamber of Commerce events, Clarksville Industrial Association meetings, workforce development initiatives, and other networking opportunities.
Serve as a primary contact for employers regarding recruitment activities, event participation, and campus engagement opportunities.
Support employer onboarding, engagement, and recruitment activities through Handshake; assist employers with using the platform and recruitment processes.
Work with employers to identify hiring needs and align opportunities with student populations, academic programs, and workforce trends.
Support employer partnerships across industry sectors and strategic initiatives that improve employer retention, recruitment activity, and workforce partnerships.
Collaborate with the Executive Director of the Career Success Center on establishing and sustaining an Employer Advisory Council.
Coordinate and oversee the logistics and execution of the Summer Internship Program, strengthening partnerships with local Clarksville-Montgomery County employers.
Coordinate and support logistics for career fairs and large-scale recruitment events with the Associate Director of Career Success Operations and the Career Success Center team.
Coordinate networking events, employer panels, information sessions, tabling events, recruitment initiatives, and employer site visits.
Work with campus partners, vendors, facilities, and stakeholders to support employer engagement programming and recruitment events.
Manage employer communications, registration processes, marketing coordination, and event follow-up.
Support the development and implementation of employer engagement programming that increases student access to career opportunities and industry connections.
Provide coordination and operational support for experiential learning initiatives, internship programs, and workforce development events.
Collaborate with career success coaches and campus partners to promote employer opportunities and career-related events to students.
Support classroom presentations, workshops, and outreach related to career resources, internships, networking, and employer engagement.
Partner with career success coaches, academic departments, and campus stakeholders to identify employer engagement opportunities aligned with academic programs and workforce trends.
Promote employer participation in career readiness initiatives and student development programs.
Support supervision, training, and development of the Career Ambassador Program, particularly its employer engagement and outreach activities.
Use Handshake and related platforms to maintain employer records, manage event registrations, track engagement, and support reporting.
Collect and analyze employer engagement, recruitment activity, internship participation, and student employment data; support assessment and reporting on partnerships, recruitment outcomes, and engagement metrics.
Maintain organized records, communications, and tracking systems for employer outreach and engagement.
Maintain communication with the Executive Director of the Career Success Center about updates, opportunities, challenges, and recommendations.
Represent the Career Success Center at university-wide events, community meetings, employer functions, and professional associations as needed.
Stay informed about employer engagement trends, recruitment practices, and workforce development initiatives; participate in professional development and related professional organizations.
Assist with marketing, outreach, and promotion of career-related events and services.
Work occasional evenings and weekends for employer events, career fairs, and university initiatives.
Perform other duties as assigned.