Associate Director for Experiential Learning and Partnerships (Employer Relations Specialist)

Indiana University; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 110,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical & dental insurance

Health savings account

Flexible spending accounts

Retirement plan

Tuition subsidy

Generous paid time off

Paid holidays

Parental leave

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Indiana University’s Capital Campus in Washington, DC seeks an Associate Director for Experiential Learning and Partnerships. The role builds an alumni, industry, policy, and nonprofit ecosystem to expand internships, partnerships, and career opportunities for IU students.

You will collaborate with campus and Bloomington staff, recruit employers, plan events, and design engagement strategies. This is an in-person, exempt position emphasizing experiential education and national leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree required.
• 8 years in employer relations, career consulting, or related field.
• Preferred: experiential learning or employer relations in Washington, DC.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• High professionalism, time management, and attention to quality.
• Ability to influence internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong collaboration and team-building capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Secures high-quality internship placements and immersive experiential learning sites.
• Identifies and secures new internship partnerships across agencies, nonprofits, think tanks, and private sector firms.
• Develops and maintains a pipeline of vetted sites for IU students.
• Collaborates with career services and academic departments to align goals with partner needs.
• Designs engagement strategies with the IU Alumni Association to activate mentors and guest speakers.
• Represents IU at DC-area events to raise internship opportunities.
• Coordinates incoming student cohorts and onboarding into the DC workforce.
• Analyzes data on employer engagement and student outcomes to improve offerings.

Skills

Communication skills

Time management

Professionalism

Initiative

Collaboration

Judgement

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Department DC CAPITAL CAMPUS (UA-DCCC-IUBLA)

Department Information Indiana University's (IU) Capital Campus in Washington, District of Columbia (D.C.) is a launchpad for students ready to turn ambition into action-placing Hoosiers at the heart of national leadership, policy, media, business, and global affairs. Indiana University's Capital Campus represents a bold investment in access, innovation, and civic partnership at the heart of the country's economic and governmental center. By expanding IU's presence in Washington, D.C., the university creates unparalleled opportunities for students and faculty to engage directly with policymakers, corporate leaders, healthcare systems, nonprofits, and cultural institutions, integrating classroom learning with hands-on experience. Academic programs gain a dynamic living laboratory that strengthens research, internships, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, while students benefit from affordable residential options that make immersive, career-connected education more accessible. For alumni, donors, and community partners, Capital Campus offers a visible platform to deepen engagement, strengthen workforce pipelines, and amplify philanthropic impact. As it grows, the campus positions IU to deliver a more connected, experiential, and forward-looking student experience advancing innovation, talent development, and public good across the state.

Job Summary

The Associate Director for Experiential Learning and Partnerships serves as a key ambassador and relationship builder for Indiana University's Capital Campus in Washington, D.C. This role is responsible for expanding and nurturing a robust ecosystem of alumni, industry partners, policymakers, think tanks, and non-profits.

Department Specific Responsibilities

• Advances student opportunities specifically by securing high-quality internship placements and immersive experiential learning sites while fostering strategic business connections, supporting donor/friend cultivation, and leveraging the extensive D.C.-area IU alumni network to elevate the university's presence in the nation's capital.
• Identifies, prospects, and secures new organizational partnerships for internships across government agencies, non-profits, international embassies, think tanks, and private sector corporations in the greater D.C. metro area.
• Develops and maintains a comprehensive pipeline of vetted internship sites and immersive learning hosts for IU undergraduate and graduate students.
• Collaborates with IU career services teams and academic departments across Bloomington, Indianapolis, and regional campuses to match institutional academic goals with real-world partner needs.
• Work closely with the IU Alumni Association (IUAA) and the local D.C. alumni chapter to design and execute engagement strategies that convert local alumni into student mentors, guest speakers, and career advocates.
• Represents Indiana University at D.C.-area networking events, professional associations, and industry conferences to increase the campus's visibility for internship opportunities.
• Assists Capital Campus leadership with the coordination of incoming student cohorts regarding their professional onboarding into the D.C. workforce.
• Gathers feedback and data from students, internship site supervisors, and partners to continually evaluate, refine, and improve the quality of experiential offerings.

General Responsibilities

• Cultivates and maintains relationships with employers across various industries.
• Leads targeted outreach efforts to engage employers in recruitment, internship, and co-op programs.
• Plans and manages on-campus recruitment events, including job fairs, networking sessions, and employer information presentations.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for employers visiting campus for recruitment purposes.
• Partners with faculty, career advisors, and student organizations to connect the campus community with external employers.
• Facilitates seamless collaboration between career services and employers to support students' career paths.
• Monitors local, regional, and national employment trends to adjust recruitment strategies.
• Analyzes data on employer engagement, job placements, and student outcomes to inform decisions.
• Serves on various community and institutional committees to build partnerships across the university and among comparable universities to build knowledge base.
• Develops marketing strategies to promote recruitment programs and opportunities to both employers and students.
• Enhances employer engagement through regular communications, including newsletters and email campaigns, while promoting the university's brand.
• Assists in the process of collecting and tracking data for office assessment purposes.
• Utilizes data to assist in the creation of office objectives and goals to meet the needs of the student population.
• Works through issues with a variety of stakeholders: students, employers, alumni, and faculty. Identifies and capitalizes on connections between groups of stakeholders and leverage those connections in unique ways through events and interactions.
• Provides guidance and delegates administrative tasks to other career services staff.

Qualifications

• Education Required: Bachelors degree in related field.
• Work Experience Required: 8 years in employer relations, career consulting, or related field.
• Preferred: Progressive work experience experiential learning and/or employer relations in Washington, D.C.
• Skills Required: Proficient written and verbal communication skills.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills.
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality.
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment.
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty.
• Highly thorough and dependable.
• Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure.
• Possesses a high degree of initiative.
• Ability to influence internal and/or external constituents.
• Excellent collaboration and team building skills.
• Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision making skills.
• Uses and learns new technology proficiently and changes practices with changing technology.
• Meet Best Practices and National Standards for Academic Advising.
• Understands and meets Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements.

Working Conditions / Demands

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation. This position requires occasional travel.

Additional Information

This position is part of the IU Framework for Academic Advising and Career Development. Learn more about the associated expectations, student learning outcomes, and institutional commitments.

Work Location

The IU Capital Campus
1619 Massachusetts Avenue North West
Washington, D.C. 20036
This is an in-person position.

Advertised Salary

$110,000-$120,000 annually

Benefits Overview

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Learn more about our benefits by reviewing the IU Benefit Programs Brochure.

Job Classification

Career Level: Expert FLSA: Exempt Job Function: Student Services Job Family: Career Services Click here to learn more about Indiana University's Job Framework.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Equal Employment Opportunity Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring. See Indiana University Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.