Assistant or Associate Director, Employer Engagement

Chapman University Careers•Irvine, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the oversight of the Director of Career and Professional Development (CPD), the Assistant or Associate Director of Employer Engagement provides strategic leadership for employer development and recruiting initiatives within Chapman University’s Office of CPD. The Assistant or Associate Director develops and executes strategies to expand and deepen relationships with employers and other external partners to increase high-quality internship, employment, networking, and career exploration opportunities for Chapman students and alumni. The Assistant or Associate Director provides leadership for the CPD’s employer relationship management strategy, ensuring that employer engagement is systematically tracked, analyzed, and leveraged to inform outreach priorities, strengthen institutional relationships, assess progress toward goals, and demonstrate the impact of employer engagement across the university. Working collaboratively with school/college-based career teams (Career Liaisons), University Advancement, alumni and parent engagement partners, and other campus stakeholders, the Assistant or Associate Director identifies and cultivates new employer relationships, strengthens existing partnerships, and connects Chapman talent with local, regional, national, and global employment opportunities. The position leads the university’s central employer engagement and recruiting strategy, applies data and technology to strengthen employer relationship management, and oversees signature recruiting programs and employer-facing services. The Assistant or Associate Director supervises the Employer Engagement Manager and supports the development of a coordinated, university-wide approach to employer engagement to maximize employer outreach and encourage cross-collaboration within the university. This position requires a regular on-campus presence to effectively perform its essential functions. Chapman University’s mission is centered on serving students and strengthening the campus community. Chapman believes there is significant value in an in-person workforce. Being present fosters collaboration, strengthens relationships across departments, enhances service to students, employers, alumni, and colleagues, and contributes to the vibrant campus experience that makes Chapman a distinctive place to work and learn.

Requirements

Minimum of 3 years of progressively responsible experience in employer engagement, recruiting, business development, corporate relations, career services, alumni relations, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience cultivating professional relationships, managing projects and recruiting programs, utilizing CRM / ERM systems and data, and collaborating effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
Minimum of 4-5 years of progressively responsible experience in employer engagement, recruiting, business development, corporate relations, career services, alumni relations, or a related field, including demonstrated responsibility for strategic initiatives and relationship development.
Proven success developing and expanding employer or external partnerships; leading complex, cross-functional initiatives; supervising and developing professional staff; utilizing CRM / ERM data to inform strategy and assess results; and independently representing an organization with senior internal and external stakeholders.
Bachelor’s degree required.
Valid Driver’s License
Current knowledge of and the ability to stay abreast of employment trends in general and in particular geographical areas, industries, and fields to inform CPD’s work with employers and students.
Proven ability to manage staff and motivate teams.
History of building partnerships with corporate leaders, hiring managers, and human resource professionals and maintaining strong client relationships to develop and expand employment opportunities for students.
Strong oral, written, and quantitative and culturally competent communication skills, including excellent use of grammar and proven ability to prepare, edit, and proofread documents.
Superior presentation and written/verbal communication skills and the ability to represent the university with national and international constituencies.
Strong ability to manage several different projects simultaneously and delegate tasks as appropriate.
Ability to learn new technology.
Strong organizational skills, detail-oriented, and ability to remain flexible to changing business needs and priorities.
A high level of professionalism and excellent customer service skills, including responsiveness to any inquiries from employers, students, alumni, campus partners, etc.
Ability to work in a team environment and serve internal and external clients.
High proficiency in CRM systems (Salesforce preferred), SaaS platforms, and Microsoft Suite.
Aptitude to understand and consistently ensure compliance with university policies, state and federal rules and regulations, including FERPA and data privacy and security regulations.
Ability to work early mornings, evenings, and weekends and travel, as needed, to support the work of Chapman and the CPD.
Ability to use sound judgment, tact, and diplomacy and to maintain confidentiality at all times.
Expected to travel locally to employer meetings, networking events and employer site visits as needed to support the work of the employer engagement team (including some evening or weekend events).

Nice To Haves

Experience supervising staff, student employees, or leading projects/teams preferred.
Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Contribute to the development and lead the implementation of a comprehensive employer engagement strategy aligned with CPD goals and university priorities.
Develop, execute, evaluate, and continuously refine a comprehensive employer engagement strategy aligned with CPD goals and university priorities.
Proactively identify, cultivate, and steward relationships with new and existing employers, industry partners, alumni, parents, donors, and other external stakeholders to expand employment and experiential opportunities for Chapman students and alumni.
Build a diversified employer pipeline across industries, occupations, geographic markets, and organization types.
Develop targeted strategies for cultivating aspirational and preferred employers, with an emphasis on employers offering high-quality opportunities aligned with the interests and career goals of Chapman students.
Conduct strategic employer outreach, meetings, site visits, and relationship-building activities to establish Chapman as a valued recruiting partner.
Develop strategies to convert prospective and newly engaged employers into sustained recruiting partners.
Strengthen relationships with existing employers by identifying additional opportunities for recruitment, internships, career education, industry engagement, and student networking.
Monitor employment, recruiting, workforce, and technology trends and translate relevant developments into employer engagement strategies and recommendations for the CPD leadership.
Represent the CPD and Chapman University with employers, professional associations, chambers, industry groups, and other external organizations as appropriate.
Collaborate with Career Liaisons and campus stakeholders to develop coordinated approaches to employer outreach and relationship management to identify and cultivate relationships that generate internships, employment opportunities, recruiting partnerships, mentorship, and industry connections for students and alumni.
Lead cross-campus coordination with Career Liaisons and university stakeholders to establish strategic priorities and coordinated approaches to employer outreach and relationship management to identify and cultivate relationships that generate internships, employment opportunities, recruiting partnerships, mentorship, and industry connections for students and alumni.
Partner closely with Career Liaisons to identify employer needs and priority industries for each school and college and develop targeted employer prospecting and outreach strategies.
Collaborate with University Advancement and alumni, parent, donor, volunteer, and other campus partners.
Develop coordinated approaches to employer outreach that promote information sharing, reduce duplication, and leverage Chapman’s existing institutional relationships to strengthen and expand employer engagement.
Serve as a central resource and strategic partner for campus units seeking to engage employers for career and recruiting purposes and identify opportunities to deepen relationships with organizations already connected to Chapman.
Lead the strategy, continued development, and optimization of CPD’s CRM and Employer Relationship Management (ERM) systems and use employer engagement data to identify trends, establish priorities, assess effectiveness, and inform CPD strategy.
Establish and maintain consistent procedures for tracking employer relationships and meaningful touchpoints, including meetings, site visits, communications, referrals, and recruiting activities.
Partner with Career Liaisons and campus stakeholders to strengthen ERM adoption, data quality, and information sharing, creating greater visibility into employer engagement across the university.
Analyze employer engagement data to identify trends, gaps, priority industries, and opportunities for new or deeper relationships; track progress toward CPD goals; and leverage data, technology, automation, and AI to inform employer outreach strategy and recommendations to CPD leadership.
Manage and enhance central recruiting programs and recommend new approaches based on employer and student needs.
Provide strategic leadership for Chapman’s central recruiting programs, including career fairs, Career Networking Nights, information sessions, on-campus interviews, employer tabling, resume books, employer site visits, and other recruiting initiatives.
Develop and implement new recruiting and networking programs that connect Chapman students and alumni with employers and emerging employment opportunities.
Increase the number, quality, and diversity of employers participating in Chapman’s recruiting programs, with particular attention to new, re-engaged, aspirational, and preferred employers.
Develop employer engagement strategies appropriate to changing labor-market conditions and industry hiring trends.
Ensure employers receive a high-quality, responsive, and professional experience throughout their interactions with CPD and Chapman University.
Identify opportunities to move employer relationships beyond individual events toward sustained partnerships involving multiple forms of engagement with Chapman students and alumni.
Partner with Career Education and school/college career teams to communicate employer feedback, recruiting trends, hiring expectations, and workforce developments that can inform student career preparation.
Develop and maintain recruiting policies, procedures, and guidelines for employers, students, and alumni participating in university recruiting programs.
Advise employers regarding appropriate recruiting practices and applicable university policies.
Investigate employer complaints, flag fraudulent activity, and coordinate with campus partners to enforce university recruiting standards.
Manage employer-side Handshake administration and support, encouraging role postings to maximize student visibility, coordinating event registrations, and resolving technical issues.