Employer Development Specialist

Virginia Commonwealth University; Richmond (VA); Hybrid; USD 41,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Virginia Commonwealth University is seeking an Employer Development Specialist to join the Student Success unit within VCU Career Services. You will expand employer engagement, post opportunities, and coordinate on-campus career fairs, partnering with academic internships, faculty, and campus units to connect students with internships and jobs.

You’ll steward employer relationships, promote campus recruiting, and support promotional efforts to increase opportunities for students and alumni,

Qualifications

• At least 1 year of experience in recruitment, human resources, higher education, or related field; relevant graduate assistantships and internships will be considered.
• Demonstrated experience developing positive professional relationships and partnerships.
• Ability to organize and effectively manage multiple priorities, programs, and projects; time management skills.
• Effective communication skills (written, oral, presentation), including ability to use diplomacy/tact when engaging with stakeholders.
• Critical thinking, problem-solving, and negotiation skills, as well as the ability to synthesize new information, incorporate, and apply across tasks.
• Ability to use relevant database/tracking/CRM systems (e.g. Handshake, Navigate, Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets).
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and implement outreach to new and prospective employer partners who may have an interest in recruiting and retaining new hires for employment opportunities.
• Steward existing employers through the recruitment lifecycle including in person, electronic, and phone communication in alignment with campus recruiting guidelines, and respond to external party inquiries regarding experiential and employment opportunities that might be a fit for VCU students.
• Orient employer partners to VCU, VCU Career Services, Academic Internships Office, and our Handshake system so they can make informed decisions about engagement and be prepared to effectively post and follow up on employment opportunities, actively promoting on-campus and virtual recruitment of students.
• Collaborate with the Academic Internships Office, to refer employers interested in developing academic internships.
• Collaborate with other campus partners in areas of recruitment and engagement expertise.
• Assist employers in building their presence (brand) on campus, advising them on recruitment strategies and setting expectations about number of student applicants per job posting(s), event participation and student involvement; ensure adequate and creative marketing of employer postings and events.
• Work with employer partners to strengthen recruitment pipelines and identify additional recruitment opportunities, checking in regularly to ensure high-quality services and continued campus engagement.
• Evaluate employer needs and identify corresponding services that may be provided by VCU Career Services and various campus partners.
• Provide outstanding customer service in accordance with team standards to both internal and external customers by considering how actions or plans will affect partners; follow through on responsibilities to partners.
• Serve as department liaison to relevant campus partner offices and faculty groups to increase engagement and partnership in support of students.
• Participate in various campus events involving prospective students, alumni, and families to engage those stakeholders in our services and programs.
• Serve on relevant committees and industry program groups within or representing VCU Career Services, SEMSS, and VCU at large.
• Coordinate and support the execution of major on-campus career fairs, in collaboration with the full Employer and Experiential Development team. This includes, but is not limited to, employer invitations, registration, day-of-fair logistics, and communications regarding career fairs.
• Schedule and engage employers in other campus recruiting efforts including but not limited to information tabling, classroom visits, on-campus interviews.
• Assist employers on the day of their visit with any needs, and follow up with employers after their visit as necessary.
• Provide leadership for and coordinate any specialized student-focused career events related to recruitment, networking, and student and alumni support.
• Collaborate with VCU faculty groups to develop and market events to drive faculty and student engagement.
• Collaborate with VCU Career Services staff, student employees, and other campus units on projects and programs that facilitate student learning and skill development.
• Adhere to principles of professional conduct and ethics as outlined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
• Engage with employer partners to promote equitable pay/wages, fair recruitment and hiring practices, mentoring and management, and professional development.
• Implement, review and enforce employer recruitment policies.
• Providing resources for all those engaged in career advising and recruitment to promote informed and responsible decisionmaking.
• Participate in relevant professional associations at the state, regional, and/or national level to influence fair recruiting and engagement policies and practices.
• Leverage industry association opportunities to expand VCU’s strategic engagement with industry clusters.
• Contribute actively to the development, adaptation, and implementation of the VCU Career Services Strategic Plan through collaboration and project work.
• Perform other duties to support team operations and strategic plan, as assigned.
• Promote effective office, employer, and campus engagement with Handshake in support of student recruitment, retention, networking, and event participation, as well as organizational relationship management and documentation.
• Communicate with employers regarding the use of our online database (Handshake), and provide service as necessary to recruiters with navigating the system, posting opportunities, and managing applicants.
• Support accurate and timely entry of data, troubleshooting, and communications with employers in the Handshake system for each employer/organization engagement, meeting or significant communication exchange.
• Assist with the training of employers on the use of Handshake in a confident manner.

Skills

Communication

Time management

Critical thinking

Problem-solving

Negotiation

Interpersonal skills

Diplomacy

Education

Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, education, counseling, or related field

Tools

Handshake

Navigate

Microsoft Excel

Google Sheets

GradLeaders

CSO

Symplicity

SalesForce

PeopleSoft

Job description

Unit:

Student Success

Department:

VCU Career Services

Department Summary:

As a member of the Employer and Experiential Development Team, theEmployer Development Specialist will actively evaluate employer andexternal partner hiring and brand-building needs to expandopportunities and facilitate engagement between employers, externalpartners and VCU students and alumni. They will assist with theposting of relevant jobs and internships, organizing recruitmentevents, and providing other connection points related to career andexperiential opportunities. They will steward relationships withemployers to increase recruiting opportunities and outcomes forstudents; and assist in efforts to maintain campus recruitingpolicies for students, employers, faculty and staff in accordancewith professional standards.

Through purposeful partnerships, innovative interdisciplinaryprogramming, consistent advocacy and providing a supportiveenvironment, VCU Career Services aims to reduce barriers to careerand experiential opportunities, promote the development of careerreadiness skills, provide access to resources, knowledge andconnections, and equip individuals and organizations to contributeto the current and future world of work, their communities and thebroader world. The Employer Development Specialist will serve as across-team collaborator, leader, and strategist in critical areasof our work in the career development and college recruitingspace.

Members of the VCU Career Services team regularly engage inprofessional development, including in-house and external trainingand conference opportunities, to best serve students and alumni, tostay current with industry standards and changes, to reviseprograms and services to reflect trends, and to increase ouroffice’s visibility, both at VCU and on a broader scale.

Core Responsibilities

Relationship Development and Management (50%):

• Coordinate and implement outreach to new and prospectiveemployer partners who may have an interest in recruiting andretaining new hires for employment opportunities.
• Steward existing employers through the recruitment lifecycleincluding in person, electronic, and phone communication inalignment with campus recruiting guidelines, and respond toexternal party inquiries regarding experiential and employmentopportunities that might be a fit for VCU students.
• Orient employer partners to VCU, VCU Career Services, AcademicInternships Office, and our Handshake system so they can makeinformed decisions about engagement and be prepared to effectivelypost and follow up on employment opportunities, actively promotingon-campus and virtual recruitment of students.
• Collaborate with the Academic Internships Office, to referemployers interested in developing academic internships.
• Collaborate with other campus partners in areas of recruitmentand engagement expertise.
• Assist employers in building their presence (brand) on campus,advising them on recruitment strategies and setting expectationsabout number of student applicants per job posting(s), eventparticipation and student involvement; ensure adequate and creativemarketing of employer postings and events.
• Work with employer partners to strengthen recruitment pipelinesand identify additional recruitment opportunities, checking inregularly to ensure high-quality services and continued campusengagement.
• Evaluate employer needs and identify corresponding servicesthat may be provided by VCU Career Services and various campuspartners.
• Provide outstanding customer service in accordance with teamstandards to both internal and external customers by consideringhow actions or plans will affect partners; follow through onresponsibilities to partners. Responds with appropriate urgency,flexibility, courtesy, and good judgment to meet customer needs andresolve problems.
• Serve as department liaison to relevant campus partner officesand faculty groups to increase engagement and partnership insupport of students.
• Participate in various campus events involving prospectivestudents, alumni, and families to engage those stakeholders in ourservices and programs.
• Serve on relevant committees and industry program groups withinor representing VCU Career Services, SEMSS, and VCU at large.

Program Development and Management (35%):

• Coordinate and support the execution of major on-campus careerfairs, in collaboration with the full Employer and ExperientialDevelopment team. This includes, but is not limited to, employerinvitations, registration, day-of-fair logistics, andcommunications regarding career fairs. Work with SEMGICommunications, utilizing appropriate processes so that eventmarketing can be created and distributed to employers and studentsas appropriate.
• Schedule and engage employers in other campus recruitingefforts including but not limited to information tabling, classroomvisits, on-campus interviews.
• Assist employers on the day of their visit with any needs(parking passes, scheduling issues, etc.), and follow up withemployers after their visit as necessary.
• Provide leadership for and coordinate any specializedstudent-focused career events related to recruitment, networking,and student and alumni support. Collaborate and communicate withspecific team members, campus partners, employers, and alumni toensure successful event design, marketing, staffing, delivery, andevaluation.
• For assigned industry clusters, partner with affiliated VCUfaculty groups to develop and market events to drive faculty andstudent engagement.
• Collaborate with VCU Career Services staff, student employees,and other campus units on projects and programs that facilitatestudent learning and skill development.

Leadership and Strategic Initiatives (10%):

• Adhere to principles of professional conduct and ethics asoutlined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers(NACE), including but not limited to:
  • Engage with employer partners to promote equitable pay/wages,fair recruitment and hiring practices, mentoring and management,and professional development.
  • Implement, review and enforce employer recruitmentpolicies.
  • Providing resources for all those engaged in career advisingand recruitment to promote informed and responsible decisionmaking.
• Participate in relevant professional associations at the state,regional, and/or national level to influence fair recruiting andengagement policies and practices.
• Leverage industry association opportunities to expand VCU’sstrategic engagement with industry clusters.
• Contribute actively to the development, adaptation, andimplementation of the VCU Career Services Strategic Plan throughcollaboration and project work.
• Perform other duties to support team operations and strategicplan, as assigned.

Technology Management (5%):

• Promote effective office, employer, and campus engagement withHandshake in support of student recruitment, retention, networking,and event participation, as well as organizational relationshipmanagement and documentation.
• Communicate with employers regarding the use of our onlinedatabase (Handshake), and provide service as necessary torecruiters with navigating the system, posting opportunities, andmanaging applicants.
• Support accurate and timely entry of data, troubleshooting, andcommunications with employers in the Handshake system for eachemployer/organization engagement, meeting or significantcommunication exchange.
• Assist with the training of employers on the use of Handshake in a confident manner.

Other Position Details:

This position is eligible for ahybrid work arrangement with up to 40% weekly telework, but thisstandard could change in the future depending on Student Successpriorities and campus policy.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• At least 1 year of experience in recruitment, human resources,higher education, or related field; relevant graduateassistantships and internships will be considered.
• Demonstrated experience developing positive professionalrelationships and partnerships.
• Ability to organize and effectively manage multiple priorities,programs, and projects; time management skills.
• Effective communication skills (written, oral, presentation),including ability to use diplomacy/tact when engaging withstakeholders.
• Critical thinking, problem-solving, and negotiation skills, aswell as the ability to synthesize new information, incorporate, andapply across tasks.
• Ability to use relevant database/tracking/CRM systems (e.g.Handshake, Navigate, Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets).
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environmentof respect, professionalism and civility with a population offaculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences,or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, education,counseling, or related field.
• Experience using database systems, e.g. Handshake,GradLeaders,CSO, Symplicity, SalesForce, PeopleSoft, etc.
• Awareness of trends within higher education, career services,employment marketplace and economy.

Salary Range:

Up to $46,000

Benefits

All full-time university staff are eligible forVCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annualand holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planningand savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs,employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunitiesfor career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status:

Exempt

Hours per Week:

40

Restricted Position:

No

ORP Eligible:

No

Flexible Work Arrangement:

Hybrid

University Job Title:

35221N - Specialist SS 1

Posting Opens:

10/15/2026

Posting Closes:

10/23/2026

Contact Name:

Danielle Pearles

Contact Email:

[e-mail]