Executive Director of Cooperative Education and Industry Liaison

NACEWeb; Wayne (NE); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Wayne State College seeks an Executive Director of Cooperative Education and Industry Liaison to lead the continued development of the college’s cooperative education effort and the Career Scholars program.

The ideal candidate will build partnerships with employers and community partners, translate workforce needs into meaningful student experiences, collaborate with faculty on experiential learning, and travel to employers and regions to advance program growth.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent business experience.
• Minimum of five years of related professional work experience.
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders and audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and growth of cooperative education and Career Scholars.
• Cultivate and manage employer partnerships and community networks.
• Collaborate with faculty on experiential learning opportunities.
• Travel to employers, communities, and partner organizations.

Skills

Relationship building

Stakeholder engagement

Program leadership

Project management

Strategic planning

Employer partnerships

Education

Master’s degree or equivalent business experience

Job description

Wayne State College is seeking a collaborative, strategic, and relationship-driven leader to serve as Executive Director of Cooperative Education and Industry Liaison. This position will lead the continued development and growth of the College’s cooperative education effort, the Career Scholars program.

We are looking for someone who can continue to build and maintain the programming, partnerships, and systems associated with Career Scholars. The successful candidate will be comfortable moving between big-picture strategy and hands-on implementation and will work closely with students, faculty, campus partners, employers, community leaders, and other external stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong combination of program leadership, employer and industry engagement, student career development, relationship building, and project management. They should be able to cultivate new employer partnerships while strengthening existing ones; translate employer and workforce needs into meaningful student experiences; collaborate with faculty on academically sound experiential learning opportunities; and help prepare students to succeed professionally.

This is a highly collaborative position that also requires considerable initiative and judgment.

We are particularly interested in candidates who:

• Are builders and problem-solvers who can take an idea from concept through implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement.
• Can develop authentic, long-term relationships with business, industry, workforce, and community partners.
• Understand how to connect academic learning, career readiness, and real-world professional experience.
• Are comfortable working directly with students through coaching, career preparation, and experiential learning.
• Can coordinate complex initiatives involving multiple departments, stakeholders, priorities, and locations.
• Use data and assessment to evaluate outcomes, identify opportunities, communicate impact, and guide program growth.
• Communicate effective with audiences ranging from students and faculty to employers, institutional leaders, funders, and community partners.
• Are comfortable representing Wayne State College externally and spending significant time traveling to employers, communities (Grand Island & Norfolk), and partner organizations.
• Can balance strategic leadership with the day-to-day work necessary to make a growing program successful.

Ultimately, we are looking for someone who sees cooperative education as more than placing students into internships. The goal is to build a comprehensive, sustainable experiential learning ecosystem that prepares students for successful careers, strengthens relationships between Wayne State College and industry, and contributes to Nebraska’s workforce.

• Master’s degree or equivalent business experience.
• Minimum of five years of related professional work experience.
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders and audiences.