Director - Connections

The Director of Employer Connections provides strategic leadership for Lawrence University's employer engagement and recruiting efforts. The Director builds and strengthens relationships with employers, alumni, and other partners to expand employment, internship, and career exploration opportunities for Lawrence students and recent graduates.

The Director leads employer recruiting and engagement programs, including career fairs, interviews, meetups, career treks, and other opportunities that connect students with organizations, industries, and career pathways. The role also identifies meaningful ways to engage Lawrence's alumni community in recruiting, career exploration, and student career development.

Highly collaborative, the Director partners with Career Center colleagues, faculty, staff, and campus partners to identify areas of need and strengthen opportunities for students.

Responsibilities:

Employer Connections & Opportunity Development

• Develop and implement a proactive employer engagement strategy designed to expand the number, quality, and range of employment opportunities available to Lawrence students and recent graduates.
• Build, maintain, and deepen relationships with employers, alumni, and other partners, serving as a primary point of contact for organizations interested in recruiting or engaging Lawrence students
• Advise employer partners on effective recruiting and student engagement strategies, and share employer feedback, labor-market trends, and emerging opportunities with Career Center colleagues.
• Represent Lawrence and the Career Center through employer visits, networking events, career fairs, conferences, and other external engagement opportunities.
• Lead the Career Center's employer recruiting program, including career fairs, employer events, interviews, class presentations, and other opportunities that connect students with prospective employers.
• Develop opportunities for employers and alumni to contribute to career exploration and career readiness programming that exposes students to industries, organizations, roles, and career pathways.
• Collaborate with Career Center colleagues to develop and deliver workshops and programs that strengthen students’ career readiness and ability to engage successfully with employers.
• Identify internship opportunities that emerge through employer and alumni relationships and coordinate with colleagues responsible for internship development and administration.
• Support Lawrence-funded internship initiatives by identifying and engaging prospective employer partners and assisting with related partnership development and administrative needs as appropriate.

• Oversee employer and early-career job activity in Handshake, including employer and opportunity approvals, quality standards, and communication with recruiting partners.
• Collaborate with colleagues on internship approvals and supervise and train student staff supporting opportunity review and employer engagement.
• Manage Career Shift and other recruiting technologies used to expand student access to employment opportunities and track employer engagement.

• Contribute to targeted communications promoting recruiting opportunities, employer and alumni engagement, and career exploration programs, and maintain relevant employer-facing resources and policies.
• Maintain records of employer relationships and recruiting activity and use engagement and outcome data to identify gaps, establish priorities, and improve programs.
• Provide career guidance to students and alumni as needed and contribute to Career Center and cross-campus initiatives, programs, and events.
• Participate in appropriate professional associations and represent the Career Center and Lawrence University externally.
• As needed, meet with students and alumni to provide guidance related to job-search strategies, résumés and applications, employer connections, and the transition from Lawrence to employment.

2. 2+ years' experience of relevant program management, event management, strategic planning, and/or public relations experience; or the equivalent.

3. Ability to travel in-state and out-of-state to attend career fairs, conferences, networking events, student career exploration trips (career treks), and employer site visits, with flexibility to work occasional evening and weekend hours as needed.

This is both a student-facing and employer/alumni-facing position and requires an on-site presence.

Preferred…