Specialist, Workforce Engagement

Covista•Chicago, IL

3d•$53,521 - $96,737•Hybrid

About The Position

The Workforce Engagement Specialist serves as the primary student-facing representative within Walden University's Employer and Professional Association network of partners. This role is responsible for promoting, informing, and engaging potential student prospects through onsite and virtual partner events, acting as a trusted liaison who builds awareness of and interest in Walden's program offerings, pricing, and the unique opportunities available through the partnership. The Specialist generates, coordinates, and manages prospect inquiries arising from supported events, ensuring a seamless and positive experience that connects prospective students to the appropriate enrollment and advising resources. Success in this role requires a confident, personable presenter who can represent the Walden brand with authenticity, build rapport quickly with diverse audiences, and facilitate prospective student awareness of educational opportunities and connect interested individuals with appropriate enrollment and advising resources. The Workforce Engagement Specialist is a critical player in the strategy and success of the employer and professional organization partnerships.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree required
3+ years experience in admissions/enrollment, sales, recruiting, customer engagement, or a related student- or client-facing role required
Understanding of employer and professional association partnership models and the value drivers relevant to working adult and professional learners.
Understanding of academic cycles and B2BC nature of enrollment revenue.
Familiarity with CRM/lead management tools, virtual event platforms, and basic reporting practices.
Exceptional interpersonal and rapport-building skills, with the ability to connect authentically with prospective students from diverse backgrounds.
Polished public speaking and presentation skills suited to both small-group and larger audience settings.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including timely, professional follow-up correspondence.
Effective time management and event coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple events and priorities simultaneously.
Consultative, customer-service-oriented approach to engaging and qualifying prospective students.
Proficiency with virtual meeting/webinar tools, CRM data entry, and standard office productivity software.
Ability to represent the Walden University brand with professionalism, enthusiasm, and integrity in unsupervised, external-facing settings.
Ability to quickly build trust with employer and association partner contacts as well as prospective students.
Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment while representing the university offsite.
Ability to adapt messaging and presentation style to different audiences, partner cultures, and event formats (career fairs, lunch-and-learns, webinars, info sessions).
Ability to remain organized and detail-oriented when capturing and processing prospect data.
Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with marketing, enrollment, and partnership teams toward shared goals.
Ability to discern interest level, engage in direct and indirect communication, and connect to prospective students.
Ability to travel regionally on a frequent basis, including occasional evenings, weekends, and overnight trips to support partner events.
Ability to stand for extended periods while staffing event booths or tables, and to lift/transport event materials (up to approximately 25–30 lbs).
Flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends to align with partner event schedules.
Reliable home or remote workspace setup for virtual event delivery and prospect follow-up activities.

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree preferred
Experience presenting to or engaging groups in both in-person and virtual settings. Preferred
Experience with CRM systems and/or lead management platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Slate, PowerBI) preferred
Prior experience in higher education, workforce development, or corporate partnership environments preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary onsite and virtual point of contact for prospective students at employer and professional association partner events, tradeshows, and industry events, representing Walden's mission, programs, and value proposition.
Deliver engaging presentations and conversations covering program offerings, degree pathways, pricing, and partnership-specific benefits (e.g., tuition discounts, scholarships, employer-sponsored incentives).
Manage and execute virtual engagement opportunities within an assigned partnership portfolio to supplement onsite activity and generate prospective student interest.
Build and maintain strong relationships with employer and association partner contacts and key decision makers, contributing to account plans that support partnership goals and targets.
Plan and coordinate event logistics, including materials, presentation content, scheduling, partner communications, and virtual platform setup (webinar tools, registration links, chat moderation).
Partner with Partner Support Managers and employer/association contacts to strategically source, select, and schedule onsite events aligned with partnership goals and calendars.
Travel to assigned partner sites, representing Walden professionally and consistent with brand standards.
Set up and break down event materials, displays, and virtual platform configurations (webinar tools, registration links, chat moderation) as needed.
Proactively engage booth visitors, webinar attendees, and event participants to spark interest and answer questions about academic programs and enrollment.
Capture and accurately document prospective student inquiries in the CRM within 24–48 hours of each event; qualify and route leads to the appropriate enrollment counselors.
Qualify and triage inbound prospect inquiries, routing leads to the appropriate enrollment counselors or advising teams in a timely manner.
Conduct timely follow-up with attendees to nurture interest through the inquiry-to-enrollment handoff.
Track and report on inquiry volume, engagement activity, and event-level metrics; complete post-event reporting, expense documentation, and debriefs in a timely manner.
Complete post-event reporting, expense documentation, and debrief summaries in a timely manner.
Identify new communication channels and lead generation opportunities to supplement event-based inquiries. Sources additional leads for nurturing, leveraging virtual lead generation when possible.
Serve as a knowledgeable resource on partnership-specific benefits, requirements, and program eligibility, maintaining current knowledge of offerings, pricing, and partnership terms.
Collaborate with internal stakeholders (Enrollment, Marketing, Academic Affairs, Partnership Management) to ensure messaging accuracy and a coordinated student experience.
Gather and relay partner and prospect feedback to support continuous improvement of event strategy.
Ensure promotional activity and prospect communication complies with university policy and applicable recruitment regulations.
May assist in setting appointments for Partner Support Managers with new decision makers at large enterprise accounts to support partnership growth.
Maintain consistent scheduling of engagement events and connect prospect inquiries to appropriate enrollment resources in a timely manner.
Performs other duties as assigned
Complies with all policies and standards