Director of Industry Partnerships

Houston Baptist University • Houston, TX

2d

About The Position

Houston Christian University's College of Science and Engineering (COSE) is seeking a Director of Industry Partnerships to serve as the primary bridge between COSE and the Houston-area employer community. This role focuses on building relationships with industry leaders to create internships, jobs, sponsorships, and partnerships that benefit student outcomes. The Director will manage a portfolio of employer relationships, driving measurable outcomes in internship placements and full-time job offers.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline, Business, Entrepreneurship, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated experience working in industry, with a track record of building and maintaining professional relationships
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate a compelling vision for engineering and computing education
• Commitment to HCU's Christian mission and the ability to represent the University's values in professional settings

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in STEM, Business, or a related field
• Prior experience in technical sales, business development, or customer relationship management
• Familiarity with the Houston employer landscape, particularly in engineering, computing, cybersecurity, energy, or healthcare technology sectors
• Experience with CRM tools and structured pipeline management
• Background in or exposure to higher education, workforce development, or industry advisory programs
• A self-starter who is comfortable working without a roadmap and building programs from the ground up
• A natural networker who builds authentic relationships and follows through consistently
• Genuine investment in student success and enthusiasm for connecting young professionals with meaningful career opportunities

Responsibilities

• Build and Manage Employer Relationships: Develop and sustain a growing network of Houston-area and national employers in engineering, computing, cybersecurity, healthcare technology, energy, and related fields. Cultivate relationships with HR officers, hiring managers, and executive sponsors at target companies and agencies. Position HCU COSE as the preferred source for ethical, technically rigorous, faith-formed engineering and computing talent.
• Secure Internships and Employment Opportunities: Drive measurable outcomes: internship placements and full-time job offers for undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Engineering and Computing. Manage the full cycle from employer prospecting and cultivation to offer and placement, tracking and reporting outcomes consistently.
• Execute Employer Engagement Events: Collaborate with COSE faculty, staff, and HCU's broader career services team to plan and deliver employer-facing events career fairs, information sessions, on-campus interviews, guest speaker visits, and industry meet-and-greet events that showcase student talent.
• Develop Industry Sponsorships and Partnerships: Create structured opportunities for companies to invest in COSE through sponsored senior design projects, externships, laboratory development, curriculum partnerships, industry-recognized certification programs, and co-curricular competitions (robotics, cybersecurity challenges, etc.). Build and formalize an Industry Partnership Program t hat scales these relationships over time.
• Engage Professional Societies and Business Organizations: Represent COSE at meetings of relevant professional and technical organizations, including IEEE, SWE, ACM, CYBER.SEC.CON, API, and SIM Houston. Engage actively with Houston-area chambers of commerce and regional business organizations including the Greater Houston Partnership, Fort Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce, Asian Chamber of Commerce Houston, and the Greater Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to expand COSE's visibility within the broader business community and develop relationships with employers across all sectors of the regional economy. Build HCU's reputation in these communities as a preferred source of technically rigorous, ethically grounded engineering and computing talent.
• Track and Report Outcomes: Own the data: maintain accurate records of employer engagement activity, internship participation rates, and first-destination employment outcomes. Connect with engineering and computing alumni to gather career data and leverage their relationships to support employer development. Share relevant outcomes data with Alumni Relations to support broader university goals.
• Support Student Career Readiness: Collaborate with faculty and staff to strengthen students' professional readiness, including networking skills and understanding of employer expectations in technical fields.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director