Associate Director of Employer Relations

University of New England; Biddeford (ME); On-site; USD 57,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, seeks an Associate Director of Employer Relations to lead employer engagement, design on-campus events, and expand strategic partnerships that connect students with internships, jobs, and experiential learning.

You will supervise the Internship Coordinator, collaborate with faculty and departments, and drive visibility with local, regional, and national employers, travel regionally, and support career readiness initiatives across UNE's campuses.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in higher education, business, human resources, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of professional experience in employer relations, career services, workforce development, or related areas.
• Demonstrated success in planning, promoting, and executing campus programs or events.
• Experience supervising staff or leading collaborative projects.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills, with the ability to build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Handshake, CRM systems, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Willingness to travel locally/regionally and work occasional evenings or weekends.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with local, regional, and national employers across a variety of industries for elevated partnership opportunities.
• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of employer-facing events such as career fairs, on-campus recruiting days, industry panels, networking events, and employer-integrated curriculum initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Internships Coordinator for employer outreach to cultivate new internship opportunities and strengthen existing partnerships.
• Collaborate with faculty and academic departments to align employer involvement with curricular initiatives, including the implementation of career readiness competencies in the curriculum.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive employer engagement strategy to expand student access to career opportunities.
• Utilize CRM platform to track employer engagement and student outcomes to effectively communicate across UNE departments.
• Generate reports on employer activity and event impact for internal stakeholders, including data reports for storytelling.
• Collaborate with Institutional Advancement to develop robust employer sponsorship initiatives.
• Supervise the Internship Coordinator, providing mentorship, oversight, and strategic direction.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues in the Office of Career Readiness and Workforce Development to support broader student career readiness initiatives.
• Represent UNE at regional and national employer engagement events and conferences.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Travel willingness

CRM proficiency

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Handshake

CRM Systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Associate Director of Employer Relations

Position Title Associate Director of Employer Relations

Employment Status

Employment Status Full Time

Months

Months 12

Campus

Campus Biddeford, ME

Description

The Associate Director of Employer Relations is a strategic leadership role within the Office of Career Readiness and Workforce Development, responsible for developing and executing employer engagement initiatives that connect University of New England students with internship, job, and experiential learning opportunities. This position plays a central role in enhancing career readiness through strong employer partnerships and on-campus programming. The Associate Director supervises the Internship Coordinator and works collaboratively across academic and administrative units to align employer engagement with institutional and student success goals.

About the University of New England

UNE is Maine's largest private university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study-abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible online offerings. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to positively impact a world full of challenges. We are the state's top provider of health professionals and home to Maine's only medical and dental colleges, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care programs, and nationally recognized programs in the marine sciences, the natural and social sciences, business, the humanities, and the arts.

Benefits Overview

• Multiple health and dental plan options, plus vision coverage.
• Up to 8% retirement plan match.
• Generous leave time, including vacation, sick, and personal time, and 12+ holidays per year.
• Educational benefits:
  • UNE tuition waiver for employees, spouses, and domestic partners.
  • UNE tuition waiver for dependents of employees with 1 year of full-time service.
  • 50% tuition reduction if less than 1 year of full-time service.

Schedule and Work Conditions

Primarily standard business hours, with occasional evening and weekend responsibilities for events and employer visits. Up to one remote day per week, with flexibility for in-person work as needed. Some regional travel is required for conferences and events.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with local, regional, and national employers across a variety of industries for elevated partnership opportunities.
• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of employer-facing events such as career fairs, on-campus recruiting days, industry panels, networking events, and employer-integrated curriculum initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Internships Coordinator for employer outreach to cultivate new internship opportunities and strengthen existing partnerships.
• Collaborate with faculty and academic departments to align employer involvement with curricular initiatives, including the implementation of career readiness competencies in the curriculum.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive employer engagement strategy to expand student access to career opportunities.
• Utilize CRM platform to track employer engagement and student outcomes to effectively communicate across UNE departments.
• Generate reports on employer activity and event impact for internal stakeholders, including data reports for storytelling.
• Collaborate with Institutional Advancement to develop robust employer sponsorship initiatives.
• Supervise the Internship Coordinator, providing mentorship, oversight, and strategic direction.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues in the Office of Career Readiness and Workforce Development to support broader student career readiness initiatives.
• Represent UNE at regional and national employer engagement events and conferences.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in higher education, business, human resources, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of professional experience in employer relations, career services, workforce development, or related areas.
• Demonstrated success in planning, promoting, and executing campus programs or events.
• Experience supervising staff or leading collaborative projects.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills, with the ability to build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Proficiency with digital tools such as Handshake, CRM systems, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Willingness to travel locally/regionally and work occasional evenings or weekends.

Preferred

• Master's degree in higher education, business administration, or a related field.
• Experience working in a college/university setting.
• Knowledge of NACE best practices and internship/employer engagement standards.
• Familiarity with labor market data and trends.

EEO Statement Summary

Consistent with federal and state law and University policy, the University of New England is committed to the fundamental concept of equal opportunity for all of the members of the University community. The University prohibits, and will not tolerate, discrimination in employment, the provision of academic services or in any other area of University life based on race, color, sex, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, ethnicity, genetic information, HIV status, or status as a veteran. Prohibited bias factors should not motivate decisions regarding students, employees, applicants for admission, applicants for employment, contractors, volunteers or participants in and/or users of institutional programs, services, and activities.

Employees in clinical settings must meet the State of Maine's immunization requirements for clinical activity.

Additional Note

This position is not eligible for H-1B visa sponsorship.

Anticipated Pay Range

Anticipated Pay Range $67,100