The Director of Employer Relations at the Freeman School of Business is a key role within the Career Management Center that requires exceptional program management and relationship-building skills to engage employers, industry experts, faculty, staff, alumni, and CMC team members in initiatives that will increase and facilitate access to quality opportunities and meaningful career experiences for Freeman students. The Director of Employer Relations is responsible for developing and executing strategies to build employer connections, strengthen strategic industry partnerships, and enhance employment outcomes for both undergraduate and graduate business students.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Career Management and collaborating with the Assistant Dean for Corporate Relations, the Director leads initiatives that support the school’s strategic goals, including sourcing industry partner leads, identifying business development opportunities, and fostering engagement with employers, corporate partners, alumni, and other stakeholders to drive student success.

The Director facilitates the expansion of the footprint of engaged companies and organizations recruiting at Freeman and sources new opportunities on behalf of Freeman students’ interests. They will also be responsible for maintaining strategic partnerships with existing employers. Another essential component of the Director’s role is leading the CMC communications efforts as related to informing students and other key stakeholders on relevant career opportunities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Source and cultivate relationships with regional, national, and international employers to stay informed of early talent recruiting trends and position the Freeman School as a source of top talent.
• Engage employer and alumni partners in Communities of Practice programming to enhance students’ professional and job-readiness skills.
• Oversee the Industry Experts-in-Residence program, including its members, data collection, feedback loops, and Expert/Student connections.
• Lead a team of professional staff to execute a diverse and inclusive recruiting strategy and foster a collaborative team environment to achieve strategic goals.
• Manage the Freeman School’s recruiting calendar and event organization to align with student needs and employer expectations, including diversity recruitment efforts.
• Develop student-focused marketing plans to promote events, programs, and resources designed to enhance student engagement and equitable access to career opportunities.
• Ensure effective use of technology and career resource platforms (e.g., Handshake, CRM) to streamline employer relations processes and stakeholder experience.

Minimum Education

• Master’s Degree
• Minimum 6 years of strategic planning, sales, marketing, business development, account management, or relationship management experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or Master’s degree in Business, Human Resources, or Communications
• Five years of higher education experience with increasing levels of responsibility in a collegiate career office setting

Core Competencies — skills, abilities, and knowledge that are central to the Director, Employer Relations position:

• Actively and continuously participate in personal and professional development in the career management and recruitment field
• Know and use interpersonal and rapport-building skills with students, peers, staff, faculty, alumni, employers, parents, and community
• Demonstrated knowledge of corporate business practices in multiple industries
• Demonstrate effective communication and conflict resolution skills
• Understand social and economic factors and business/industry and labor market trends affecting organizations and individuals in today’s work environment
• Ability to develop strategic plans, including priorities, performance measures, and evaluations