Associate Director, Employer Relations

Business Career Services within the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida is seeking a forward thinking, innovative, and dynamic Associate Director of Employer Relations. The successful candidate will have experience building and managing relationships with local, regional, and national companies, or possess applicable sales/business development experience. Reporting to the Director of Employer Relations, the Associate Director will identify, build, and maintain recruiting relationships with companies sourcing talent from the Warrington College of Business. This position is responsible for both business development and account management, focused on enhancing employer engagement and recruitment initiatives. The ideal candidate will proactively seek new recruitment opportunities with reputable companies, maximize relationships with existing employers, and respond quickly to inquiries from potential prospects. In collaboration with the Director, this individual will establish performance goals and metrics to evaluate the success of recruitment initiatives, with the goal of maximizing internship and job placement of business students and delivering a high-quality employer experience, emphasizing their return on investment. This role will collaborate with Career Coaches within Business Career Services to help students secure internships and jobs, with a focus on employers hiring MBA talent. Responsibilities include actively meeting with recruiters and hiring managers to discuss recruitment and engagement strategies, and maintaining relationships with internal stakeholders including faculty, staff, and Career Coaches. The Associate Director will supervise one or more full time employees and student assistants. This role will contribute to annual planning and analysis of the overall Business Career Services strategy and is an integral part of accomplishing the office’s vision and mission. 

New Business Development: Conduct proactive business development and prospecting activities to identify and engage new employers who actively recruit student talent, with the ongoing goal of expanding the College’s campus recruitment network. Identify areas of recruiting opportunities, such as MBA, with existing recruiting partnerships to cultivate and grow additional career opportunities for our students. Actively meet with campus recruiters and hiring managers to discuss recruitment and engagement strategies. Create and implement targeted business development strategies to attract diverse organizations and industries to recruit at Warrington. Develop and work a target list of quality employers who provide internship and employment opportunities that match our Warrington students career goals. Utilize online resources to identify target companies and conduct outreach. Travel to key recruitment markets to conduct on-site visits with current and prospective employer contacts to increase engagement with on-campus recruiting opportunities. Proactively represent the College to employers in all business sectors at recruitment events, within professional associations, alumni chapters, and via email campaigns, to educate hiring sources on college programs, services, and our student talent. Attend industry conferences and networking events to build relationships and promote Warrington’s business programs.

Employer Engagement & Relationship Management: Oversee relationships with existing employer partners, ensuring their campus recruiting programs meet expectations and align with student needs. Act as the primary point of contact for employers, addressing their inquiries and providing timely support for recruitment events and initiatives. Consult with employers to tailor their recruiting strategies and programs that enhance student engagement and their desired recruitment outcomes (ROI). This includes consulting with employers on best practices for posting opportunities, scheduling recruiting events, and hosting single employer events such as information sessions, office hours, and interviews.  Proactively connect employers with career coaches for candidate referrals and talent consulting as needed. Conduct ongoing employer visits with existing recruiting partners to identify year-over-year hiring needs. Ensure accurate records of employer relations contacts, outreach efforts, and student engagement in employer-related activities are maintained. Collaborate with career coaches to create opportunities for current students to connect with employers by securing employer and alumni engagement in networking events including but not limited to information sessions, career-related workshops, receptions, and corporate site visits. Respond in a timely fashion to inquiries from new employers interested in recruiting at Warrington, providing detailed information about services, resources, and student talent. Develop and maintain a comprehensive understanding of industry trends and recruitment needs to effectively communicate the value of engaging with Warrington students.

Leadership: Provide guidance and direction to full time (TEAMS) and student staff involved in department services and programs. Provide direct supervision to professional and student staff in functional areas with a focus on team building and development.

Employer Program Development, Collaboration, and Communication: Collaborate with Business Career Services team to develop, enhance, and increase employer attendance during employer-focused programs, workshops, and recruiting events. Assist with implementing large-scale, on- or off-campus events and participate in planning, employer marketing, student marketing, event execution, and post-event evaluation. Regularly communicate information on available recruiting programs and services to current and prospective employer contacts. Market and promote Business Career Services hosted multi-employer events and single-employer events to various stakeholders. Organize visits to campus for employers who are considering recruiting from Warrington. Analyze recruitment data and employer feedback to inform continuous improvement initiatives in employer relations and recruitment processes. Collaborate with campus partners who work closely with employers, building relationships and establishing pipelines of opportunity. Communicate effectively with stakeholders, providing updates on employer relations activities, trends, and outcomes. Work closely with academic departments, faculty, and student organizations to align employer engagement strategies with curriculum and student interests. Collaborate with college development staff to ensure employer partner-related outreach is highly coordinated and in-line with larger college priorities.

• Master’s degree in an appropriate area and eight years of relevant experience; or a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization and ten years of relevant experience.
• Possess a strong business development mindset; constantly motivated by building and maintaining strong corporate relationships. 
• An entrepreneurial orientation, proven track record of taking initiative and making things happen, self-starter.
• Strong project management and time management skills to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Highly responsive to inquiries from various stakeholders with consistent customer focus.
• Ability to work under pressure, with the flexibility to respond to changing priorities and fluctuating workloads.
• Strong organizational work skills, defining tasks, prioritizing assignments, and following through on all projects independently.
• Superior communication and presentation skills.
• Strong attention to detail. Very thorough and dependable.
• Highly proficient with web-based resources, spreadsheet and presentation software is required (MS Word, Power Point, Outlook and Excel). Experience with data analytics and data visualization software a plus. 
• Strong understanding of business degree career paths and management level career issues along with in-depth understanding of the college recruiting employment market and corporate hiring practices/process.
• Ability and willingness to work flexible hours with occasional travel required.
• Ability to travel with overnight stays on occasion (30%)