Job Description

Department Overview

The LSA Opportunity Hub at the University of Michigan seeks an Assistant Director of Employer Engagement to play a vital role in achieving our mission of supporting students in developing their aspirations and professional identities. The Hub provides students with access to internships, funding opportunities, career coaching, and connections to employers and alumni. We champion the value of a liberal arts education and the Assistant Director of Employer Engagement operationalizes the methods for engaging employers or community partners with undergraduates in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. These engagements will support all LSA undergraduates, with a deep commitment to those who have been historically under-served. As a unit, we are committed to antiracism and to carrying this commitment through every aspect of our work.

Area of Responsibility:

The Assistant Director of Employer Engagement helps operationalize the strategy for engaging employers within the LSA Opportunity Hub and cultivates strong and productive employer partnerships that supports LSA students and employers in the experiential learning space. This includes supervising the approach and work of Employer Relations Managers, as well as managing a portfolio of employers, fostering relationships, and overseeing the engagement and recruitment efforts. This role reports to the Director of Employer Engagement and directly supports our commitment to helping students pursue purposeful work and meaningful lives through transformative experiential learning opportunities.

Employer Development & Engagement: 30%

• Operationalize employer engagement strategies to streamline outreach, deepen relationships, and expand recruitment opportunities for LSA students
• Develop and manage a portfolio of employer relationships, prioritizing industries and organizations that align with the liberal arts and sciences mission and demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Lead initiatives and a stewardship strategy to elevate the Hub's visibility as a strategic partner for employers seeking to recruit top liberal arts talent
• Facilitate collaboration between employers and university stakeholders, including faculty, staff, alumni, and students, to create meaningful engagement opportunities that benefit both employers and students
• Oversee the design, implementation, and evaluation of communication and marketing plans that promote employer programming, recruitment events, and experiential learning opportunities to diverse student populations
• Develop a pipeline strategy to attract new employers for partnerships in on-campus recruiting, workshops and presentations with the end goal of generating employment connections and meeting student learning outcomes
• Track job market demand and hiring needs for liberal arts and sciences students
• Occasional domestic and international travel may be needed to develop and evaluate employer relationships in key geographic regions and industries

Experiential Learning Management & Development: 30%

• Design and implement a framework for scaling experiential learning opportunities, such as career treks and job shadows, that connect students with employers in impactful and equitable ways
• Lead efforts to grow the Hub's portfolio of experiential learning opportunities, identifying new partnerships and advocating for internship and experiential learning opportunities across diverse industries
• Partner with employers to develop robust experiential opportunities that prioritize accessibility, equity, and alignment with student interests, learning outcomes, and the Hub's commitment to DEI
• Monitor trends in experiential learning and emerging industries to ensure that programs remain relevant, competitive, and inclusive of diverse student needs and perspectives
• Travel domestically and internationally, as needed, to cultivate relationships with internship providers and expand experiential learning opportunities for students
• Represent LSA and the Opportunity Hub in meetings and sub-committees within the Career Services Network, fostering partnerships and advancing shared goals across the University of Michigan
• Provide support for the planning, execution, and on-site management of experiential learning initiatives as required

Supervision & Leadership: 30%

• Serve as a member of the Hub's leadership team, actively ensuring the alignment of the Employer Engagement team's work with the LSA Opportunity Hub's vision
• Provide direct supervision, leadership, and evaluation for the Employer Relations Managers, ensuring clarity in roles and expectations while promoting accountability for day-to-day operations
• Deliver ongoing coaching and professional development for Employer Relations Managers, equipping them to meet their goals in their respective industry areas
• Partner with the Director of Employer Engagement to operationalize the vision for employer engagement, translating strategic objectives into actionable initiatives for the team
• Cultivate a proactive, detail-oriented team culture by fostering efficiency, collaboration, and a commitment to timely execution, while developing systems and processes to track progress, monitor performance, and ensure the successful completion of key projects and initiatives
• Champion a workplace culture grounded in DEI, ensuring these values are integrated into team operations, programming, and partnerships
• Encourage creativity within the team, fostering an environment that supports innovative approaches to employer engagement and experiential learning initiatives

Communication and Hub Collaboration: 10%

• Assist in developing and executing communication strategies that enhance the engagement, recruitment, and participation of diverse students in internship and professional opportunities, while effectively promoting events and programming
• Collaborate across the LSA Opportunity Hub to track, measure, and report on the outcomes of Employer Engagement initiatives, driving growth in program scope, scale, and quality
• In partnership with the Learning, Data, and Assessment (LDA) team to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of programming and services, using insights to create comprehensive semesterly reports

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent education and experience
• Experience in employer engagement, recruiting, career services, student services, or fostering meaningful connections with internal and external stakeholders to drive an organization's mission forward
• Demonstrated history of successful supervisory experience
• Progressive leadership experience
• High level of organizational ability, including the ability to organize and coordinate a diverse workload with attention to detail
• Ability to act independently, take initiative, and promote innovation while maintaining the flexibility to meet changing priorities

• Master's degree in a relevant field of study
• Experience in a liberal arts and sciences program
• Working knowledge of academic units, structures, and goals and demonstrated success engaging internal and external partners
• Experience with career-related programs in a university setting

Occasionally required to work during non-business hours and on weekends for employer recruiting activities. The statements in this description are intended to reflect the general nature and level of work assigned to this role and should not be interpreted as all-inclusive.

As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

To learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion in LSA, please visit lsa.umich.edu/lsa/dei . 

To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision . 

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

About University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

A great university is made so by its faculty and staff, and Michigan is recognized as one of the best universities to work for in the country. The Michigan culture is known for engaging faculty and staff in all facets of the university to create a workplace that is vibrant and stimulating.For two consecutive years, the Chronicle of Higher Education has placed U-M in its "Great Colleges to Work For" survey. In particular, the university earns high marks for strong relations between faculty and administrators, a collaborative system of governance, strong pay and benefits, and a healthy work/life balance.

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