Director of Employer Relations and Community Engagement

SUMMARY:

The Director of Employer Relations and Community Engagement is a member of The Aspire Center team and is the key point person for employers and community members interested in drawing upon the talents of Carthage students through a variety of experiences, such as student employment, internships, job shadowing, service projects, course-integrated learning, and post-graduate experiences.

The Aspire Center is the hub of activity for The Aspire Program with a scope of work that extends well beyond the work of a traditional career center - this 4-year career development program also helps students to develop skills in entrepreneurship, leadership, and creativity. Carthage's location in the Milwaukee to Chicago corridor provides students access to a wide range of experiential learning and post-graduate opportunities, and its unique J-term and off-campus study programs have historically provided global options to expand students' perspectives on the world.

The Aspire Center consists of a small and growing team doing work that will make a real impact in both on- and off-campus communities. In an average day, we're as likely to be strategizing about regional workforce development needs as planning a program with on-campus colleagues for first years to explore their sense of purpose. We're like a start-up housed in an established organization, and we are looking for people who are energized by the trials and triumphs of building a new program.

The Director of Employer Relations and Community Engagement will implement policies, programs, and initiatives to strengthen the recruitment pipeline for students to community organizations, employers, and graduate/professional schools through traditional and innovative methods. The director will develop and execute a strategy along with necessary tactical practices for managing and reporting on a portfolio of prospects and engaged alumni, employers, and other external partners using a customer relationship management system (CRM) and engagement practices designed to reach target audiences and deliver results.

This role requires someone who is proactively collaborative. Sometimes you will be executing work independently, but more frequently, you will be working with colleagues on- and off-campus to develop initiatives that support students' ability to gain access to meaningful experiential learning opportunities and connections needed to support completion of The Aspire Program's objectives. An effective director will listen to the needs of stakeholders and build buy-in for initiatives that meet departmental and institutional goals.

AS EXAMPLES OF PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES:

• Host formal and informal learning opportunities in collaboration with faculty and the college's advancement team to engage alumni, employers, and other external partners on topics like helping students understand how to be engaged in the broader community and region, the role of identity and cultural competence in workplace success, teaching students about expectations in their fields of interest, how to network/build relationships, and transitioning into new roles successfully.
• Facilitate training for on- and off-campus supervisors/employers to increase the number of available opportunities for students and to enhance the value of learning available for students through part-time employment, research, internships, and other related career-building experiences; provide guidance and resources on how to recruit, mentor, and supervise students, as well as how to be involved as a partner on campus and to use relevant tools, such as Handshake (job/internship posting system) and PeopleGrove (The Aspire Network/alumni directory and mentoring portal).
• Manage special student employment programs, such as the PATH program (an off-campus student employment/scholarship program) and providing a leadership role with on-campus student employment, to strengthen students' access to student employment on- and off-campus that supports students' developmental and financial needs.
• Develop, implement and refine programs and events drawing upon recruiters and external expertise, such as career fairs, employer-led skill-building activities, service-based programs, industry panels, site visits, and networking events.

The director will supervise a newly designed position (Program Specialist for Equity and Community Connections), which is a position shared between The Aspire Center and the Office of Equity and Inclusion. The director may also teach a course, such as a College Success Seminar or Aspire-related course, as part of their normal responsibilities.

The position will require willingness to travel occasionally to complete College business - primarily in Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, and the Chicagoland area and primarily occurring within normal business hours. Some night and weekend work will be required.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• All areas of study are invited to apply.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Recruiting, sales, or other demonstrated relationship management experience required.
• Ability to organize and translate external interests into programs and initiatives that serve students' needs.
• Possess effective written and verbal communication skills across mediums with attentiveness to detail, tone, and audience.
• Demonstrated commitment to creating safe, supportive environments for students and being willing to address difficult workplace situations, when needed.
• Able to use relevant technology tools, such as a customer relationship management system (like SalesForce, Less Annoying CRM/LACRM, Raiser's Edge, or others), Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Google Workspace/GSuite, LinkedIn and similar productivity, reporting, and communication tools. Familiarity with Smartsheet, Handshake, and/or PeopleGrove are helpful, but not required - these will need to be learned on the job if a person does not have prior experience.
• Understanding for cultural competence, unconscious bias, and historic inequities that influence students' ability to succeed in and after college; comfortable engaging others in conversations to build understanding and address inequities; additional training and development experiences will also be offered to Aspire team members on an ongoing basis.
• Experience prioritizing immediate and longer term work, as well as managing competing priorities.

APPLY ONLINE

REQUIRED MINDSETS FOR SUCCESS:

• Commitment to improving equity and inclusion.
• Optimistic and team-oriented; able to keep team goals in mind, even when working independently.
• Works well with ambiguity and is able to make decisions without always having all of the information.
• Thinks strategically and is able to prioritize.
• Adaptable and able to handle unforeseen events/requests with ease and cheerfulness.

Institutional Information

Founded in 1847, Carthage College combines an environment of reflection and self-discovery with a culture of high expectation, so that our students uncover and ignite their true potential. As a four-year private liberal arts college with roots in the Lutheran tradition, we place a strong emphasis on both moral and intellectual values. Our prime location in Kenosha, Wisconsin, midway between Chicago and Milwaukee, allows students the opportunity to learn in a professional context. Our beautiful campus, an 80-acre arboretum on the shore of Lake Michigan is home to 150 scholars, 2,600 full-time students, and 400 part-time students. Our rich academic experience equips students with foundational knowledge and skills, preparing graduates to be lifelong learners and to lead meaningful, productive lives.

Carthage College is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse community. We welcome applications from a broad spectrum of people, including members of ethnic minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability.