Employer Engagement Coordinator - Gies College of Business

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Office of Career & Professional Development (CPD) at the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business supports students in developing career-readiness skills, exploring professional pathways, connecting with employers, and pursuing internships and full-time employment. The Employer Engagement Coordinator supports the Employer Engagement team by coordinating campus recruiting and employer engagement activities that expand career opportunities and employer connections for Gies students. The position maintains employer relationships, administers employer-facing systems and workflows, and collaborates with College and campus partners. Two positions are available: one specializing in Recruiting Operations and Events, and one in Marketing and Strategic Communications. Both coordinators serve as a point of contact for employer inquiries, provide support for recruiting programs, coordinate recruiting activities and employer-facing workflows in Handshake and other designated platforms, liaise with employers and campus stakeholders, and support assigned employer portfolios. They maintain accurate engagement and program data, track established measures, prepare routine reports, identify trends and improvement opportunities, and support post-program reviews. The Recruiting Operations and Events specialization leads operational planning and delivery for assigned career fairs, employer showcases, and other recruiting programs. Responsibilities include managing project plans, registration, scheduling, venues, vendors, staffing, accessibility, budgets, purchasing, technology, day-of operations, records, and post-event documentation. The Marketing and Strategic Communications specialization manages the Employer Engagement communications calendar, newsletters, promotional schedules, communication templates, and digital content coordination. It develops and coordinates marketing and participant communication plans; promotes employer programs, events, jobs, and internships across designated channels; and tracks campaign measures and stakeholder feedback. This is a full-time, 12-month Civil Service Program Coordinator position based on-site at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., for 37.5 hours per week. The budgeted salary range is $52,000 to $54,000 annually. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the search close date. The position is not eligible for work-authorization sponsorship.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
At least two years (24 months) of combined education, training, and/or work experience in event management, recruiting, communications, marketing, program coordination, employer or corporate engagement, higher education, or a related field.
Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders through multiple communication methods.
Strong presentation and facilitation skills, including the ability to deliver training sessions, workshops, and presentations to employers, faculty, staff, students, and campus partners.
Strong organizational, project management, and planning skills, attention to detail, and ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously.
Ability to prioritize competing responsibilities, manage multiple deadlines, and deliver high-quality results in a fast-paced, dynamic, collaborative environment.
Ability to anticipate needs, exercise sound judgment, take initiative, and manage projects with minimal supervision.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, and ability to learn new technologies and systems such as CRM, event management, and project management platforms.
Ability to collaborate across teams while fostering open communication, shared accountability, mutual support, and alignment with organizational goals.
Strong customer service orientation and ability to build and maintain positive working relationships with employers, company representatives, faculty, staff, students, vendors, and campus stakeholders.
Ability to analyze information, identify trends, solve problems, and recommend process improvements.
Commitment to continuous learning, professional growth, and fostering a welcoming and collaborative environment that values varied perspectives and backgrounds and treats individuals with professionalism and respect.
Ability to work on-site at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus on a full-time basis.

Nice To Haves

Three years of professional experience in event management, recruiting, communications, marketing, program coordination, employer or corporate engagement, higher education, or a related field.
For the Recruiting Operations and Events specialization: Experience coordinating complex or large-scale recruiting events or programs involving multiple stakeholders, deadlines, vendors, accessibility considerations, or logistical requirements.
For the Marketing and Strategic Communications specialization: Experience developing communication campaigns, newsletters, digital content, or marketing strategies.
Higher education or employer relations experience.
Experience using artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to improve efficiency, accuracy, communication, project management, and professional effectiveness.

Responsibilities

Respond to employer inquiries through the Hirebusiness mailbox and other Employer Engagement channels, provide guidance, route specialized requests, and ensure timely, consistent service.
Support career fairs, employer showcases, and other recruiting programs by answering questions about registration, participation, schedules, logistics, policies, services, and recruiting opportunities.
Coordinate employer recruiting activities, including space reservations and scheduling for campus interviews, information sessions, coffee chats, networking programs, and other activities.
Administer employer-facing workflows in Handshake and other designated recruiting platforms, including reviewing and approving jobs, employer events, and interview requests in accordance with policies and procedures.
Maintain knowledge of Employer Engagement programs, services, policies, systems, and resources; provide first-line employer support and escalate complex matters appropriately.
Liaise among employers, Employer Engagement, CPD, academic programs, and campus partners to connect recruiting opportunities, events, jobs, internships, and engagement activities with relevant stakeholders and resources.
Support assigned employer portfolios through outreach and follow-up, tracking engagement and next steps, and coordinating customized activities based on employer needs and priorities.
For Recruiting Operations and Events: Lead operational planning and delivery of assigned career fairs, employer showcases, and signature recruiting programs, including project plans, timelines, registration, space, vendors, staffing, accessibility, materials, day-of operations, and post-event activities.
For Recruiting Operations and Events: Coordinate purchasing, contracts, event budgets, catering, supplies, expenditures, and vendor requirements with the office manager and college or university partners.
For Recruiting Operations and Events: Coordinate venue, facilities, technology, risk-management, procurement, accessibility, and other operational needs with Gies Facilities Management and campus stakeholders.
For Recruiting Operations and Events: Administer event setup, registration, scheduling, approvals, communications, technical support, issue resolution, and participation records in Handshake and other platforms.
For Recruiting Operations and Events: Provide employers with operational guidance, troubleshoot issues, conduct follow-up, track event measures, maintain event documentation, and contribute to post-program reviews and approved improvements.
For Marketing and Strategic Communications: Manage the annual communications calendar, recurring newsletters, promotional schedules, communication templates, digital content requests, and coordination with CPD social media and Gies Business Marketing & Communications.
For Marketing and Strategic Communications: Develop and coordinate plans promoting employer engagement programs, recruiting activities, career fairs, showcases, and other initiatives to students, employers, faculty, CSC, CPD, and campus partners.
For Marketing and Strategic Communications: Coordinate participant communications throughout the engagement lifecycle, including awareness, invitations, calls to action, registration, preparation, reminders, day-of information, and follow-up.
For Marketing and Strategic Communications: Coordinate employer representatives’ participation in career education programs, workshops, classroom presentations, panels, networking events, and other educational initiatives, including related communications and promotional support.
For Marketing and Strategic Communications: Promote employer events, internships, jobs, and recruiting activities across Handshake, websites, newsletters, digital signage, and other channels.
For Marketing and Strategic Communications: Coordinate outreach to faculty, CSC, CPD, and campus partners to promote programs, increase student awareness, recruit volunteers when needed, and support participation.
For Marketing and Strategic Communications: Monitor communication needs, audience preferences, channel effectiveness, and stakeholder feedback; track campaign measures, maintain communication documentation, and contribute to post-campaign reviews and approved improvements.
Maintain accurate employer portfolio, engagement, recruiting program, event, and communication data in designated systems.
Track established measures, including participation, recruiting activity, program outcomes, communication engagement, and stakeholder feedback; prepare routine reports and summaries using established templates, reports, and dashboards.
Identify basic trends, recurring issues, and opportunities to improve workflows, communications, employer experiences, and program delivery; support reviews and implement approved process improvements and best practices.