Strategic Director, Employer Partnerships

University of New England; Biddeford (ME); Hybrid; 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

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.