Employer Relations Manager

Employer Relations Manager

National Louis is a 135+ year old university that has been grounded in the values of innovation, access, excellence, and equity from its inception. As an institution, we believe in providing access to educational opportunity and that education is our greatest lever for social and economic mobility. We are a student-focused community that is committed to continuous improvement and superior student service.

We believe that through education we are able to empower change and build healthy communities. Our hard-working community is based on collaboration and respect for all team members and students.

The Employer Relations Manager develops and manages strategic employer partnerships that expand internships, experiential learning, and employment opportunities for National Louis University students and alumni across all academic programs, degree levels, and learning modalities. This position serves as a business development professional responsible for identifying new employer relationships, strengthening existing partnerships, and aligning workforce needs with student talent.

Working collaboratively across Career Bridge, Academic Affairs, Student Success, and university leadership, the Employer Relations Manager serves as a trusted advisor to employers by sharing labor market insights, hiring trends, and workforce needs that enhance student career readiness and employment outcomes.

This role partners closely with the Career Advisor supporting Business, Communications & Media, and Marketing programs while promoting career opportunities and employer engagement across all colleges, modalities, and student populations. The Employer Relations Manager serves as an ambassador for Career Bridge and National Louis University, representing the university with professionalism while building trusted employer relationships that support long-term workforce partnerships and student success.

• Develop and maintain strategic employer partnerships that increase internships, experiential learning, and employment opportunities for students and alumni.
• Conduct proactive employer outreach through networking, referrals, industry associations, Linked In, employer visits, business development activities, and strategic prospecting.
• Conduct consultative employer discovery meetings to understand hiring needs, workforce challenges, recruitment timelines, internship opportunities, and partnership goals.
• Build customized employer engagement strategies that align organizational hiring needs with Career Bridge services and student talent.
• Establish long-term employer partnerships that extend beyond job postings to include classroom engagement, employer information sessions, networking opportunities, mock interviews, mentoring, advisory boards, site visits, career fairs, sponsorship opportunities, and other strategic employer engagement initiatives.

Employer Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for an assigned employer portfolio.
• Conduct regular employer check-ins to assess hiring needs, satisfaction, partnership opportunities, and future workforce initiatives.
• Establish realistic expectations regarding National Louis University student populations, internship timelines, recruitment processes, and employment outcomes.
• Respond promptly to employer requests while providing exceptional customer service.
• Maintain accurate employer records, job postings, internship opportunities, employer engagement activities, and partnership documentation within Handshake, CRM platforms, and university systems.
• Share employer feedback with Career Bridge leadership to strengthen services, partnerships, and student employment outcomes.

Academic & University Collaboration

• Build collaborative relationships with assigned academic colleges, faculty, and university partners.
• Partner closely with the Career Advisor supporting Business, Communications & Media, and Marketing programs to develop coordinated employer engagement strategies, strengthen academic partnerships, and improve internship and employment outcomes.
• Meet regularly with faculty and program leadership to understand curriculum, student populations, internship requirements, workforce needs, and emerging industry trends.
• Share employer feedback, labor market insights, and hiring trends to support curriculum discussions, program reviews, and career readiness initiatives.
• Collaborate with Career Advisors, Student Success Coaches, Academic Affairs, and university leadership to improve student career readiness and employment outcomes.
• Participate in classroom presentations, faculty meetings, advisory boards, employer panels, and university initiatives.

Student Engagement

• Connect employers directly with students through classroom presentations, employer information sessions, networking events, employer panels, mock interviews, career fairs, site visits, and other employer-facing opportunities.
• Prepare students for…