Assistant Director of Workforce Development, Employer Relations & Community Engagement

Alabama-A; Normal (AL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Alabama A&M University in Normal, AL, seeks an Assistant Director of Workforce Development, Employer Relations & Community Engagement to design and expand career-readiness and employer engagement initiatives aligned with the university’s mission and regional economic development.

The role builds corporate partnerships, expands experiential learning like internships and co-ops, coordinates with local agencies, and supports student career readiness through panels, site visits, mock interviews.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required in a related field.
• 3–5 years in career services, workforce development, or employer relations.
• Ability to build partnerships with employers and community stakeholders.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Experience with industry cluster strategies or sector-based workforce models.
• Familiarity with equity-centered workforce initiatives.
• Data-informed decision-making and program assessment experience.

Responsibilities

• Identify, cultivate, and manage relationships with corporate partners across targeted industry clusters.
• Assist in developing new employer partnerships for internships, externships, co-op programs, and full-time employment pipelines.
• Maintain an active portfolio of employers and track engagement outcomes (recruitment, placements, partnerships).
• Pursue grant opportunities related to workforce development and employer engagement.
• Pursue grant writing opportunities.
• Support work-based learning programs, including internships, co-ops, apprenticeships, and micro-internships.
• Coordinate employer-driven opportunities aligned with academic programs and workforce needs.
• Maintain databases of student placements and employer partnerships.
• Collaborate with local, regional, and state workforce agencies, chambers of commerce, and community organizations.
• Represent the AAMU department at workforce development initiatives, career fairs, and industry events.
• Assist in aligning programs with state and regional labor market trends and workforce needs.
• Support employer-led programming (panels, site visits, mock interviews).
• Provide career coaching and advising to students.
• Track and report data on internships, employment outcomes, and employer engagement.
• Assist with career fairs, recruitment events, and employer visits.
• Support grant initiatives and workforce development programming as assigned.

Skills

Strong communication

Relationship-building

Organizational skills

Data-informed decision-making

Education

Master’s degree in Higher Education, Business, Workforce Development, or related field

Tools

Handshake

Symplicity

Job description

The Assistant Director of Workforce Development, Employer Relations & Community Engagement supports the design, implementation, and expansion of career-readiness, employer engagement, and workforce-pipeline initiatives that align with AAMU’s mission of student success and regional economic development. This role focuses on corporate relationship development, industry cluster engagement, and expanding experiential learning opportunities for students.

Corporate & Industry Engagement

• Identify, cultivate, and manage relationships with corporate partners across targeted industry clusters (e.g., STEM, government, healthcare, business, manufacturing).
• Assist in developing new employer partnerships that result in internships, externships, co-op programs, and full-time employment pipelines.
• Maintain an active portfolio of employers and track engagement outcomes (recruitment, placements, partnerships).
• Pursue grant opportunities related to workforce development and employer engagement.
• Pursue grant writing opportunities.

Experiential Learning & Workforce Pipelines

• Support the development and expansion of work-based learning programs, including internships, co-ops, apprenticeships, and micro-internships.
• Coordinate employer-driven opportunities aligned with academic programs and workforce needs.
• Maintain databases of student placements and employer partnerships.

Community & Economic Development Engagement

• Collaborate with local, regional, and state workforce agencies, chambers of commerce, and community organizations.
• Represent the AAMU department at workforce development initiatives, career fairs, and industry events.
• Assist in aligning programs with state and regional labor market trends and workforce needs.

Student Career Readiness Support

• Support employer-led programming (panels, site visits, mock interviews).
• Provide career coaching and advising to students.

Program Support & Data Management

• Track and report data on internships, employment outcomes, and employer engagement.
• Assist with career fairs, recruitment events, and employer visits.
• Support grant initiatives and workforce development programming as assigned.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required (Higher Education, Business, Workforce Development, or related field).
• 3-5 years of experience in career services, workforce development, employer relations, or community relations.
• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships with employers and community stakeholders.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and organizational skills.
• Knowledge of career services platforms (e.g., Handshake, Symplicity).
• Experience with industry cluster strategies or sector-based workforce models.
• Familiarity with HBCU student populations and equity-centered workforce initiatives.
• Data-informed decision-making and program assessment experience.