Associate Director, Employer and Experiential Partnerships

SU01 Seattle University; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 67,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid eligible

Onsite fitness facility

Tuition benefits

Job summary

Seattle University seeks an Associate Director to lead employer and industry partnerships that expand access to internships, employment, and experiential learning for students and recent alumni.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Career Engagement, you will manage the full lifecycle of employer engagement, collaborate across campus, and drive measurable student opportunities while upholding the university’s Jesuit mission and commitments to equity and inclusion.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Five+ years in employer relations, university recruiting, or related fields.
• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, presentation, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to work across campus and travel as needed.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage a diverse portfolio of employer partnerships aligned with student interests and programs.
• Lead lifecycle management from onboarding to renewal and expansion of employer relationships.
• Coordinate with colleges and campus partners to connect opportunities with students and programs.
• Provide access to labor-market insights and external partnership opportunities.
• Support equity, inclusion, and student success through employer engagement.

Skills

Relationship management

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business or related field

Job description

Job Description Summary

Months Per Year: 12 Work Model: Onsite Seattle University will be one of the most innovative and progressive Jesuit and Catholic universities in the world, educating with excellence at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels. We embrace an intersectional framework for defining diversity in its broadest sense, including differences in gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, generational history, culture, socioeconomic class, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship status, political perspectives, geographic origin and physical ability. Seattle University strives to be a welcome, open and safe campus climate for all who learn, live and work at Seattle University. Seattle University's Core Competencies Effective Team Collaboration: Works harmoniously with others towards a common goal, leveraging individual strengths to achieve shared objectives. Emotionally Intelligent Communication: Engages in a skillful exchange of information, thoughts, and feelings, verbally and non-verbally. Ethics and Integrity: Demonstrates an unwavering commitment to honesty, professionalism, and alignment with our Jesuit mission in all actions and decisions. Flexibility and Innovation: Embraces change, approaching problems with curiosity adaptability, and is committed to making a positive impact. Mindful Inclusion: Fosters mindful inclusion by consciously creating a workplace that celebrates differences, embraces cultural humility, and empowers uniqueness. Outcomes-Driven Orientation: Sets clear objectives, pursues excellence, and delivers measurable outcomes while upholding Jesuit Catholic values.

Position Description

The Associate Director provides leadership for the development, management, and stewardship of employer and industry partnerships that expand access to internships, employment, experiential learning, mentorship, recruiting programs, and other career-connected opportunities for Seattle University students and recent alumni. Reporting to the Executive Director of Career Engagement, the Associate Director translates the university’s institutional employer engagement strategy into coordinated outreach, partnership development, recruiting activity, and measurable student opportunities. The position manages the full lifecycle of employer engagement from prospect identification and relationship cultivation through activation, stewardship, assessment, and renewal. The Associate Director works closely with Career Engagement colleagues, the Albers Career Center, faculty, experiential learning partners, Alumni Engagement, Advancement, Student Employment, and other campus stakeholders to support an integrated university-wide career ecosystem. The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to Seattle University’s Jesuit Catholic mission, professional formation, social justice, equity, inclusion, cultural humility, and student success.

Essential Functions

• Employer and Industry Partnership Development - 35% Develop and maintain a diverse portfolio of employer, industry, government, nonprofit, and community partnerships aligned with student interests, academic programs, workforce trends, and institutional priorities. Identify and cultivate new employers that can provide internships, entry-level employment, project-based learning, mentorship, job-shadowing, career treks, classroom engagement, and other experiential opportunities. Build employer pipelines across industries and occupational areas, with particular attention to sectors with strong regional demand and relevance to Seattle University students. Meet with employers to understand workforce needs and develop customized engagement strategies that connect organizations with Seattle University students, faculty, academic programs, and university initiatives. Advise employers on recruiting practices, internship program development, employer branding, campus visibility, and inclusive approaches to attracting and retaining early-career talent. Proactively cultivate organizations committed to creating equitable access to employment and experiential learning for first-generation students, students of color, students with disabilities, international students, veterans, and other historically underrepresented populations. Maintain awareness of labor-market conditions, emerging industries, workforce trends, recruiting practices, and changing employer expectations. Represent Seattle University and Career Engagement at employer meetings, professional associations, chambers of commerce, workforce-development conferences, and community events.
• Employer Stewardship and Partnership Activation - 20% Manage the full employer relationship lifecycle, including cultivation, onboarding, activation, stewardship, assessment, renewal, and expansion. Develop engagement plans for priority employers and ensure consistent communication and follow-through across the university. Translate employer interest into specific opportunities such as internships, jobs, mentoring relationships, sponsored projects, career events, classroom presentations, site visits, and experiential learning partnerships. Coordinate with academic colleges and campus partners to connect employer opportunities with appropriate students, programs, faculty, and student organizations. Support college-based career and professional formation leaders by providing access to employer relationships, labor-market insights, and external partnership opportunities. Strengthen employer retention by providing responsive service, gathering feedback, communicating impact, and identifying opportunities for deeper engagement. Develop resources and engagement pathways that make it easier for employers to understand how to connect with Seattle University.
• Recruiting and Career-Connected Programming - 25% Provide strategic and operational leadership for employer-facing recruiting programs and career-connected events. Collaborate with the Career Education team to ensure that employer programming complements students’ career readiness preparation and learning needs. Partner with the Albers Career Center and other university offices to coordinate employer outreach, reduce duplication, and create a consistent experience for employer partners. Recruit employers and industry professionals to participate in mock interviews, résumé reviews, mentorship programs, classroom presentations, career education workshops, and other student-learning activities. Support the development of micro-internships, project-based experiences, job-shadowing, and other lower-barrier opportunities for students who are still developing professional experience. Ensure that employer programs and recruiting activities comply with university policies, applicable employment regulations, ethical recruiting standards, and National Association of Colleges and Employers guidance.
• Institutional Collaboration and Experiential Learning - 10% Serve as an employer-facing resource for university initiatives related to internships, experiential learning, mentorship, workforce development, AI career readiness, and professional formation. Help identify gaps in experiential opportunity by academic program, student population, career interest, and industry. Support the development of scalable practices for connecting academic learning with employer-sponsored projects, internships, research, service, and other applied experiences. Participate in cross-campus committees and working groups related to employer engagement, experiential learning, student outcomes, and workforce readiness. Ensure employer engagement efforts complement specialized career services within the Albers School of Business and avoid unnecessary duplication.
• Data, Systems, Assessment, and Reporting - 10% Establish measurable goals for employer outreach, partnership development, opportunity creation, employer retention, and student engagement. Maintain accurate employer relationship, recruiting, and opportunity data within Handshake and other approved university systems. Develop dashboards, reports, and summaries that communicate employer engagement activity and impact to Career Engagement leadership and university stakeholders. Assess employer satisfaction and use feedback to continuously improve services, programs, and partnership practices. Monitor internships, jobs, recruiting activity, employer participation, and other indicators of partnership effectiveness. Collaborate with Career Engagement colleagues to connect employer engagement data with student participation and post-graduation outcomes. Perform other duties as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, higher education, human resources, communications, marketing, public relations, nonprofit leadership, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience. At least five years of progressively responsible experience in employer relations, university recruiting, talent acquisition, business development, workforce development, corporate relations, alumni relations, career services, or a related field. Experience translating relationships into programs, opportunities, partnerships, or measurable outcomes. Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, presentation, and relationship-management skills. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple partnerships, projects, events, deadlines, and priorities. Ability to work collaboratively across organizational boundaries and with stakeholders who have varied goals and responsibilities. Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, social justice, cultural humility, and serving diverse student populations. Ability to use data and technology to manage relationships, assess performance, and inform decisions. Availability for occasional evening or weekend programs and local travel to employer and community sites.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a college or university career center, employer-relations operation, talent acquisition function, workforce-development organization, or corporate partnership role. Knowledge of university recruiting, internship development, experiential learning, mentorship, early-career hiring, and employer engagement practices. Familiarity with customer relationship management systems, career-services technology, or employer relationship-management platforms. Experience using labor-market information and employer data to guide strategy. Familiarity with National Association of Colleges and Employers standards, career-readiness competencies, and ethical recruiting principles. Understanding of the Seattle and Puget Sound employer, nonprofit, government, and workforce-development landscape. Experience supporting fundraising, sponsorship, corporate engagement, or partnership models that include financial and nonfinancial investment.

Seattle University Mission Alignment

The Associate Director advances Seattle University’s mission of educating the whole person, promoting professional formation, and empowering leaders for a just and humane world. By connecting students with meaningful work, professional relationships, experiential learning, and organizations committed to positive social and economic impact, the position helps students translate their education into lives of purpose, leadership, and service. The Associate Director will ensure that employer engagement reflects Seattle University’s Jesuit values and expands access to social capital, professional networks, and career opportunities for all students.

Compensation at a Glance

Compensation at a Glance $67,000 - $74,700

Benefits at a Glance

Consistent with its fundamental Jesuit values, Seattle University offers a wide range of benefits designed to care for the whole person. Choose from three different medical plans, a dental, and vision insurance programs. Protect your income with life, short & long-term disability coverage. Plan for your future with up to a 10% employer contribution for retirement benefits, comprised of a 5% nonelective employer contribution and an additional dollar-for-dollar match of your voluntary contributions up to a maximum of 5%. You may also take advantage of 100% paid tuition benefits for the employee and dependents, a subsidized transportation benefit, a wellness program with free access to an onsite fitness facility, and a wide variety of campus events. Enjoy a generous holiday schedule, including a paid Holiday break closure in December, vacation and paid sick leave, and paid community service leave. For more information explore the Benefits website at: https://www.seattleu.edu/hr/benefits/

Employment Details

Positions designated as hybrid eligible may offer the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule after successful completion of an introductory period of 3-6 months. In these cases, the role typically begins fully on campus to support onboarding and training, with the potential to transition to a hybrid arrangement thereafter. Positions designated as on-site are not eligible for hybrid work and are expected to remain fully on campus. All flexible work arrangements are subject to periodic review and may be modified or discontinued at any time at the university’s discretion.

About Seattle University

With a career at Seattle University, you’re joining a community of passionate people dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders and thinkers. Founded in 1891, Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located on a beautiful campus of more than 50 acres in the dynamic heart of Seattle. Our diverse and driven population is made up of more than 7,200 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within six schools and colleges. Seattle University is an equal opportunity employer. In support of its pursuit of academic and scholarly excellence, Seattle University is committed to creating a diverse community of students, faculty and staff that is dedicated to the fundamental principles of equal opportunity and treatment in education and employment regardless of age, color, disability, gender identity, national origin, political ideology, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. The university encourages applications from, and nominations of, individuals who will further enrich the diversity of our educational community.

Mission and Vision

Our Mission - Seattle University is dedicated to educating the whole person, to professional formation, and to empowering leaders for a just and humane world. Our Vision - We will be one of the most innovative and progressive Jesuit and Catholic universities in the world, educating with excellence at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels. Our Values Care – We put the good of students first. Academic Excellence – We value excellence in learning with great teachers who are active scholars. Diversity – We celebrate educational excellence achieved through diversity. Faith – We treasure our Jesuit Catholic ethos and the enrichment from many faiths of our university community. Justice – We foster a concern for justice and the competence to promote it. Leadership – We seek to develop responsible leaders committed to the common good.