Senior Assistant Director, Engagement and Professional Connections

The Career Center at Illinois is committed to empowering Illinois students through individualized coaching, meaningful opportunities, and the development of lifelong career management skills. Guided by a student-centered approach, we strive to deliver exceptional service, provide evidence-based resources grounded in career and student development theory, and foster a collaborative, inclusive team environment. Through strong partnerships, continuous learning, purposeful innovation, and a shared commitment to leadership, we work to advance student success while serving as leaders within the University of Illinois career services community and the broader profession.

Serves as a member of The Career Center's Leadership Team, contributing to a collaborative and innovative environment dedicated to the career development and success of all Illinois students. Oversees the personnel and budget for the Employer Engagement and Professional Connections team. Responsible for developing strategies to connect students to experiential learning, internship, and employment opportunities, as well as fostering relationships with employers and other stakeholders who provide experiential learning opportunities and/or recruit students for jobs and internships.

Leads the campus-wide Handshake@Illinois Users Group and contributes to the operation of Handshake@Illinois within The Career Center.

• Lead the Employer Relations and Professional Connections team, including oversight of team budget, direct supervision of professional staff, and indirect supervision of paraprofessionals
• Serve as a member of The Career Center’s Leadership Team responsible for developing goals and strategies to reach unit objectives
• Work in collaboration with other team leads to ensure services, outreach, and stakeholder engagement is coordinated, impactful, and effectively uses Center resources and staff
• Oversee the design, implementation, and evaluation of career development services and programs with a particular focus on job and internship search strategies and interviewing
• Contribute to day-to-day operation of Handshake@Illinois within The Career Center and lead the campus wide Handshake@Illinois Users Group
• Oversee the maintenance and updates to the Hire Illini website
• Assess, analyze, and report on engagement and impact of services, workshops, and programs to facilitate continuous improvement
• Serve as an advisor and contributor of content for print and online educational resources and marketing materials
• Serve on The Career Center, Student Affairs and/or campus committees, task forces, work groups, and advisory committees

• Develop, maintain, and actively cultivate relationships with external stakeholders and campus partners who provide experiential learning opportunities and/or recruit students for jobs and internships
• Oversee services and events that connect students to jobs, internships, and experiential learning activities, including the oversight of three to five career fairs annually and on-campus recruiting activities
• Develop and implement outreach and engagement initiatives that engage employers and external stakeholders in partnership with the broader Illinois career services community
• Oversee development, maintenance, and management of contact database (CRM)
• Create and deliver presentations for a variety of audiences, including parents, campus partners and external colleagues

• Coach students one-on-one and in groups regarding career exploration and planning, employment/internship search, and graduate or professional school preparation and application
• Deliver workshops and programs that empower career choice and action, as well as enhance the career readiness of students

• Bachelor’s degree.
• A total of five (5) years (60 months) in education, training, and/or work experience in employer engagement, career services, educational programming, student advising, student support services, and/or human resources.
• Demonstrated experience creating and delivering educational workshops.
• Experience with outreach to stakeholders.
• Experienc…