Associate Vice President for Student Professional Development

Elon University; Elon (NC); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Tuition remission for employees

Tuition remission for dependents

Onsite Health & Wellness Clinic

Job summary

Elon University seeks an Associate Vice President for Student Professional Development to lead employer partnerships and career services across campuses. You will set strategic direction, build scalable employer relationships, and enhance internships, co-ops and full-time placement opportunities for students and alumni.

You will guide workforce alignment with academic programs, oversee outcomes reporting, and manage a team of 30 across three campuses to deliver measurable student success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10–15 years of leadership and progressive accomplishments in complex environments.
• Demonstrated excellence in building organizational relationships, recruiting, inspiring and leading teams.
• Developing strategy and animating action to drive measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Position Elon as a premier talent partner for regional, national, and global employers.
• Develop and execute a data-driven employer engagement strategy aligned with the university’s plan.
• Build long-term employer partnerships and establish measurable goals for internships, co-ops, and placement.
• Advise senior leadership on workforce trends and career success metrics.
• Lead post-graduation outcomes reporting and ensure accreditation compliance.
• Manage a team of 30 across three campuses, including six direct reports.

Skills

Relationship-building

Strategic thinking

Workforce trends

Collaboration

Systems orientation

Multitasking

Cultural fluency

Executive communication

Excellence mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Position Type: Staff Full-Time

Days Per Week: Generally Monday through Friday

Hours Per Week: 40

VP Area: University Advancement

Department: Student Professional Development

Location: Elon Main Campus

Position Summary

The Associate Vice President for Student Professional Development is a senior leader responsible for advancing the university’s mission through building, scaling, and sustaining high-impact employer partnerships that drive internships, experiential learning, and full-time employment outcomes for students and alumni. This position provides strategic vision and executive oversight for all career services functions, with a focus on employer engagement, relationship management, workforce alignment, and student career outcomes.

The Associate Vice President is a builder who will serve as Elon’s chief architect of employer strategy, developing innovative, scalable partnerships that align academic programs with workforce needs, expanding meaningful experiential learning opportunities, and strengthening postgraduate employment success.

Benefits of Working at Elon

As an Elon University employee, you’ll join an internationally acclaimed university with a commitment to fostering a thriving community. Ranked among the most innovative, creative and best-run universities in the nation, Elon’s personal approach to education extends to employees, whose growth, professional development and success is a hallmark of our training and advancement opportunities.

Elon University’s home is the charming town of Elon, North Carolina, a small, friendly community located a short distance from the beach and the mountains, and among the vibrant cities of Greensboro, Raleigh and Durham. In addition to the beautiful canopy of historic oak trees iconic to our campus, you’ll find boundless opportunities for family-friendly recreation, cultural events and outdoor activities. Hiking, water sports, fine dining and entertainment are just a few of the many happenings in the Elon area, making the region one of the nation’s premier travel destinations.

Employees at Elon enjoy a generous and comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• 28 annual days off, including holidays and vacation.
• Immediate tuition remission for undergraduate courses.
• Tuition remission for approved graduate-level courses after 12 months of employment.
• Retirement plan with an 8 percent contribution from the university.
• Immediate eligibility for health, dental and vision insurance, along with free acute care and lab services at the onsite Health & Wellness Clinic.
• Free use of campus fitness facilities.
• Free admission to musical and theater performances, guest speakers, religious and ethnic observances, recitals, art exhibitions, entertainment and Division I Phoenix athletics.
• Eligibility for tuition remission at Elon for spouses, qualifying domestic partners and dependents beginning at two years of service, and eligibility for the Tuition Exchange national scholarship program after two years of employment.

Elon values and celebrates the diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences and perspectives of its community members. As an equal opportunity employer, Elon’s principles of diversity extend to race and gender identity, age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and other aspects of one’s identity. At Elon, employees respect human differences, passion for lifelong learning, emphasis on personal integrity and an ethic of service.

Minimum Required Education and Experience

Key Competencies:

• Relationship-building and business development
• Strategic, student-centered thinking
• Deep understanding of workforce trends and the recruiting landscape
• Inspired collaboration
• Systems orientation
• Management of multiple priorities in a highly-complex environment
• Cultural fluency
• Executive communication
• Commitment to excellence

Preferred Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10-15 years of significant leadership and progressive accomplishments in complex environments.
• Demonstrated excellence in building best-in-class organizational relationships, recruiting, inspiring, and leading teams, developing strategy and animating action, and driving measurable outcomes.

Job Duties

Strategic Leadership

• Position Elon as a premier talent partner for regional, national, and global employers.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive, data-driven employer engagement strategy aligned with the university’s strategic plan and centering on excellence in student outcomes.
• Build deep, long-term partnerships with employers by assembling a team that is externally focused, and establish and deliver upon measurable, meaningful goals related to employer partnerships, internships, job placement, and career outcomes.
• Advise senior leadership on workforce trends, industry alignment, and career success metrics.

Employer and Industry Partnerships

• Build and sustain executive-level relationships with employers across key industry sectors.
• Leverage Elon’s alumni, parent, and donor networks to expand partnerships that generate internships, co-ops, research collaborations, on-campus recruiting, and full-time employment pipelines.
• Lead corporate outreach efforts, including targeted industry engagement strategies and employer advisory boards.
• Collaborate with campus partners to align employer engagement with corporate sponsorships and philanthropic opportunities.
• Promote equitable access to opportunities through diverse and inclusive employer partnerships.

Workforce Alignment

• Partner with academic leadership to align curricula with evolving industry needs.
• Identify emerging workforce trends and translate insights into programmatic opportunities.
• Develop sector-based career pathways and employer pipelines in high-growth fields.
• Facilitate employer input into curriculum design, credentialing, and experiential learning.

Outcomes and Assessment

• Establish and monitor KPIs related to job placement, internship participation, employer satisfaction, and graduate outcomes.
• Lead post-graduation outcomes reporting and ensure compliance with accreditation and regulatory standards.
• Use data analytics to drive continuous improvement and strategic decision-making.

Management and Visioning

• Lead inspired planning aligned with the university’s strategic plan, Boldly Elon.
• Manage a team of 30 across three campuses, including six direct reports, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and precision in execution.

External Representation

• Represent Elon at industry forums, workforce development boards, chambers of commerce, and other venues that elevate the university’s brand.
• Partner with the Office of Admissions to champion career outcomes for prospective students and families.

Non-Discrimination Statement

Elon University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy or related conditions), age, disability, genetic information, religion, veteran’s status, or any other protected basis under applicable law in the recruitment and admission of students, the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, or the operation of any of its programs and activities.