Undergraduate Internship Manager, College of Business and Economics

Internal•Bellingham, WA

18h•Onsite

About The Position

The primary purpose of this position is to cultivate internship opportunities and expand undergraduate student internship placement in the College of Business and Economics (CBE). Through employer outreach, partnership development, and coordination with academic programs, this position helps students gain practical experience, develop professional skills, and connect academic learning with career opportunities. Working collaboratively with employers, alumni, faculty, university partners, and the business community, the position supports student success, workforce readiness, and internship participation in alignment with the CBE Strategic Plan and AACSB accreditation expectations. The position works closely with the Undergraduate Career Services Manager to ensure students have access to and are professionally prepared to take on internship opportunities that support their academic programs, career interests, and professional goals. This is an in-person, on-campus position located at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. This a permanent, part-time position (10-month cyclic).

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, Human Resources, Communications, Public Administration, Economic Development, Higher Education, or a related field. Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.
Three years of professional experience in employer relations, recruiting, workforce development, internship programs, business development, career services, economic development, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated ability to build and maintain productive relationships with employers, alumni, community partners, faculty, students, and other stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to develop, coordinate, and manage programs, projects, partnerships, or initiatives involving multiple constituents.
Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
Strong organizational, project management, and time-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
Knowledge of internship, experiential learning, workforce development, recruiting, or talent development practices relevant to undergraduate business students.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in business administration, Human Resources, Organizational Leadership, Higher Education, Public Administration, or a related field.
Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in employer relations, recruiting, workforce development, internship development, business development, career services, or a related field.
Experience working with undergraduate students in a higher education setting.
Experience developing partnerships with employers, alumni, professional associations, advisory boards, or community organizations.
Experience supporting internship, experiential learning, workforce development, or work-based learning initiatives.
Experience using relationship management, internship management, CRM, career services, or other stakeholder engagement technologies.
Experience collecting, analyzing, and reporting data to assess program effectiveness and support continuous improvement.
Knowledge of regional workforce needs, employer hiring trends, and experiential learning best practices.
Understanding of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, and their impact on workforce development, recruiting, and internship opportunities.

Responsibilities

Develop internship pipelines and opportunities for CBE students.
Building and maintaining relationships with employers, alumni, advisory board members, professional associations, economic development organizations, and community partners.
Identifying, cultivating, and expanding internship opportunities aligned with CBE academic programs and student interests.
Expanding employer participation in CBE internships through ongoing outreach and engagement activities.
Representing CBE at employer, university, industry, and community events related to internships, workforce development, and professionalism.
Facilitating experiential learning opportunities (e.g., case competitions, industry projects) with employers to advance relationship management.
Monitoring workforce trends and employer needs to identify emerging opportunities for students.
Support academic programs that utilize required internships.
Collaborating with departmental and program leadership to align internship opportunities with program requirements, learning objectives, and workforce needs.
Developing dedicated internship opportunities that sufficiently support program-specific requirements.
Cultivating and maintaining employer partnerships that support required internship programs.
Tracking and reporting on students in internships meeting programmatic needs.
Conduct activities that connect students with internship opportunities.
Coordinating with the CBE Undergraduate Career Services Manager and WWU Career Center members as appropriate to ensure students are professionally prepared for internship opportunities.
Developing and disseminating internship communications, employer information, and related internship resources through various media channels.
Contributing events to the CBE Career Calendar.
Running internship information sessions, employer presentations, internship fairs, and similar student outreach activities.
Facilitating connections between students and employers through recruiting, networking, internship promotion, and related activities.
Serving as a resource to students, employers, and faculty regarding internship opportunities, expectations, and processes.
Provide internship reporting, assessment, and strategic support to advance CBE internship goals.
Meeting periodically with CBE leadership, faculty, departments, and university partners regarding internship and experiential learning initiatives.
Tracking and reporting internship development activities, employer engagement, student participation, and related outcomes.
Preparing reports that include analysis, highlights, and recommendations regarding internship participation, employer engagement, and overall program effectiveness.
Providing and supporting necessary CBE reporting related to student success, workforce readiness, internship participation, accreditation, and strategic planning efforts.