Associate Director of Employer Engagement - #165129

Western Carolina University continues to rank high on Forbes 'Best Employers' lists each year. Including:
* 2024 - Ranking in the top 8.5% on Forbes 'America's Best Midsize Employers' list, WCU was ranked 34 out of the top 400 employers across all industries.
* 2023 - Ranked in the top 20% on Forbes 'America's Best Midsize Employers' list, WCU was ranked 97 out of the top 500 employers across all industries.
* 2022 - Ranked 14th in the top 100 employers in North Carolina in Forbes 'America's Best Employers by State' list.
Western Carolina University is the UNC system's westernmost campus and has been consistently ranked as one of the top 15 public regional institutions in the South.
Employees of WCU are provided a comprehensive benefits package as well as other resources, policies and programs to ensure a happy and healthy work/life balance. Benefit eligible employees have access to dental, vision and health insurance plans - eligibility begins on the first of the month following date of hire. Retirement plan contributions begin on the eligibility date following election and include employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. Optional disability plans are also available.
Eligible employees have access to tuition waivers for up to three courses per academic year; employee may enroll at any of the constituent UNC System campuses. Also offered are free group exercise classes multiple times per week, a discounted membership to the campus recreation center, free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus, pretax flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays and 24 hours of paid community service leave each year. Leave earning employees (staff and 12-month faculty) who work at least half of the working days of their first month of employment will begin accruing vacation and sick leave immediately. Paid parental leave after 12 months of continuous service.
WCU offers an abundance of training and development programs, certifications, workshops and conferences - many of which are offered free of charge.

The primary location of this position is on-site at the Cullowhee, NC campus. This position is designated as being exempt from the State of North Carolina Human Resources Act ( EHRA).

The Associate Director of Employer Engagement in the Center for Career and Professional Development is responsible for building relationships among corporate and community organizations on the benefits of hiring university students and graduates for jobs as well as for internships. The goals of the position are to increase job postings, career opportunities, recruitment, and hiring activity for Western Carolina University students and graduates and to generate increased support and resources for the career center and the university.

Responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Proactively develop and implement strategies designed to increase employment opportunities for WCU students and graduates.
2. Identify and cultivate relationships with organizations, agencies, and sectors that historically have had little or no interaction with the career center and/or experience with hiring our students and graduates. Seek to connect these entities with the appropriate resources and personnel at the career center and/or the University.
3. Advise and counsel employers with regard to the most effective means of identifying potential job candidates to meet the employer's specific needs, including, but not limited to, campus recruitment, job postings, internships, career fairs, class/organization presentations, and resume searches.
4. Seek to generate monetary support, sponsorships, and gifts-in-kind from the private sector to support the goals and objectives of the career center and the university.
5. Track job market demand, use of career services, and hiring results for students in various academic majors; formulate strategies for achieving greater participation rates for those majors that under use available career resources.
6. Monitor the quality of customer service for employers, including the collection and analysis of survey data and assessment of and follow-up with informal feedback. Make recommendations on how the career center can maintain and improve quality customer service for employer partners.
7. Maintain a working knowledge of local and national employment market trends and their actual and potential impact on the hiring of college students and graduates.
8. Coordinate outreach activities, when appropriate, with other university departments and personnel, including, but not limited to, the Office of Development, alumni groups, and academic departments.
9. Manage, in collaboration with others in the CCPD, the administration of large all-industry and specialty career fairs.
10. Oversee the administration of the university's on-campus recruitment program for employers, which may require skills in marketing and event planning.
11. Participate in career development programs coordinated by the career center, including, but not limited to, workshops, employer seminars, and meetings within and outside of the career center, and other special projects of the career center.
12. Interest in working with students in a counseling or mentorship capacity
13. Perform other duties as assigned to advance the goals and objectives of the career center and the university.

Must be legally eligible to work in the United States of America without the need for employer sponsorship or any other immigration-related assistance.

Master's degree in Counseling, Student Personnel, Business, Human Resource Management, Communications, Marketing, or related discipline required. Degree(s) must be from a regionally accredited institution. Experience in relationship development.

Three or more years of experience in a corporate or university career services environment. Previous experience with college recruiting from a higher education or a business perspective.

To be considered, you must apply online.

***Review of applications will begin May 12th and will continue until the position is filled.

Please include a cover letter, resume, and a list of at least three professional references to complete the application process.

For questions or additional information, please contact Theresa Paul at 828-227-7133.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks.

Western Carolina University uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. Proper documentation of identity and employability are required at the time of employment.

All new employees are required to have listed credentials/degrees verified within 30 days of employment. All new employees who will be teaching are required to provide official transcripts within 30 days of employment. Transcripts should be provided for the highest earned degree and/or the degree which is being used to satisfy credential/qualification requirements.

Western Carolina University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; ethnicity; religion; sex; pregnancy; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; political affiliation; National Guard or veteran status, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, and policies, and the policies of The University of North Carolina. Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations in the application and interview process please call (828) 227-7218 or email at jobs@email.wcu.edu.

The Western Carolina University Annual Safety Report is available online at University Annual Safety Report or in hard-copy by request at the office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, 227 HFR Administration Building, Cullowhee, NC 28723 (828-227-7147) or the Office of University Police, 111 Camp Annex, Cullowhee, NC 28723 (828-227-7301). The report, required of all universities participating in Title IV student financial aid programs, discusses crime statistics, procedures for reporting suspicious or criminal activity, security, police authority, crime prevention strategies, university policies on substance abuse and sexual offenses, workplace violence and fire safety.