Associate Director of Employer Relations

Vanderbilt is a community of talented and diverse staff & faculty!

At Vanderbilt University, our work - regardless of title or role - is in service to an important and noble mission in which every member of our community serves in advancing knowledge and transforming lives on a daily basis. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, on a 330+ acre campus and arboretum dating back to 1873, Vanderbilt is proud to have been named as one of “America’s Best Large Employers” as well as a top employer in Tennessee and the Nashville metropolitan area by Forbes for several years running. We welcome those who are interested in learning and growing professionally with an employer that strives to create, foster and sustain opportunities as an employer of choice through:

• Working and growing together as a community of communities... we are One Vanderbilt.
• Providing a work environment where every staff and faculty member can be their authentic and best self, while providing the resources and opportunities to learn and grow.
• Encouraging development, collaboration, and partnership both internally and externally while fostering the value that every member of the Vanderbilt community can lead and grow regardless of title or position.

We understand you have a choice when choosing where to work and pursue a career. We understand you are unique and have a story. We want to hear it. We encourage you to apply today so that you might become a part of our story.

Please submit both a cover letter and resume with your application to be considered for this position.

The Associate Director of Employer Relations is part of the Career Center at Vanderbilt University and is a key individual leader responsible for the strategic management of the Career Center’s Employer Relations program. Their primary role is to increase the volume, caliber, and diversity of internship and full-time professional opportunities for Vanderbilt University students. The Associate Director of Employer Relations manages the Employer Relations team and develops and manages a comprehensive recruiting program, including on-campus recruiting, career fairs, and other recruiting initiatives.    

 The Employer Relations team serves as subject matter experts for strategic talent management on behalf of Vanderbilt University, continuously connecting employers with VU students, programs, and initiatives to solve their business needs and fulfill partnership interests. This position requires careful attention and guidance to manage expectations, facilitate experiences, and drive results. Insightful and continuous matchmaking, progress tracking, story capturing, and best practices research are essential aspects of advancing such partnerships.  

  About the Work Unit: 

Launched in fall 2021 under the leadership of the new Vice Provost for Career Advancement and Engagement & Executive Director of the Evans Family Career Center, the Office of Career Advancement and Engagement (CAE), centrally supported within the Provost’s Office, drives radical campus-wide collaboration by integrating career advancement activities into the broader VU student experience.  

 The new CAE division comprises three key areas:  

• Career Center - serves undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars while continuing to support career and professional coaching of recent graduates (0-2 years) after graduation 
• Corporate Partnerships – fosters enhanced employer and alumni engagement and facilitates high-impact corporate partnerships 
• VU Network – oversees a network of regional hubs that promote activity and engagement with Vanderbilt’s growing community of students, alumni, parents, faculty and partnership corporations 

 Duties and Responsibilities: 

Design and Manage a Best-In-Class Employer Relations Program 

General 

• Manage and build a successful employer relations program on the Vanderbilt University campus to provide meaningful internship and employment opportunities for students on a local, regional, and national level.  
• Maintain and communicate employer engagement programming, including but not limited to recruitment events, branding activities, and educational opportunities to all constituents. 
• Develop pathways for employers to engage in student-facing programs beyond the traditional recruitment offerings. 
• Stay current on employment and recruiting-related activities and trends pertinent to and supporting the wide variety of majors and graduate programs on the Vanderbilt campus. 
• Ensure the Employer Relations team adheres to data collection and review processes to enable regular generation and review of operational reports 
• Manage the Employer Engagement element of the Vandy In Community Model, the VU Career Center’s engagement philosophy, by establishing and maintaining expectations, managing accountability of the overall employer engagement strategy, and reporting progress on relationship building and management. 
• Develop and implement a comprehensive long-term strategic plan for the Employer Relations program. 

 Relationship Building & Management 

• Support the tiered approach to employer engagement, as outlined by the Director of External Partner Engagement, to advance relationships with prospective, new, and active employers. 
• Support the Employer Relations Team as they manage employer portfolios that align with their assigned Vandy In Communities.  
• Actively engage in employer development and outreach activities, establishing and maintaining relationships with representatives from business, government, education, non-profit organizations, trade associations, search firms, and employment agencies for the purpose of sourcing, acquiring, and promoting extensive job and internship opportunities for Vanderbilt students.  
• Proactively build and expand recruiter activity by driving job postings, increasing engagement, and boosting hires while leading and managing the ERS team to deliver on these goals.   
• Beyond relationship maintenance, focus on actively growing new and emerging recruiter partnerships to increase visibility, recruiter engagement, and hiring outcomes. 
• Consistently manage a portfolio of 10-15 (with the possibility for more) strategic, highly active employers to expand their connection to Vanderbilt talent, with the intention of promoting them to greater corporate partner engagement 
• Develop and enforce expectations for use of the enterprise CRM system (Salesforce)to track and manage employer relations engagement. 

 Marketing Strategy for Employer Relations Initiatives 

• Consult and partner with the Marketing and Communication Coordinator to develop and implement printed and digital collateral materials, identifying creative outlets and strategies for increasing the visibility of students to employers and vice versa.  
• In partnership with the Marketing and Communications Coordinator, develop and deploy intentional communication strategy to enhance employer participation at recruiting events with a significant emphasis on larger hiring programs (e.g. Career Fairs, Networking Nights, etc.).  
• Benchmark with peers and employers to ensure employer relations best practices and resources.  

 Develop & Strengthen University Relationships 

• Consult with the Student and Scholar Engagement team leader(s) to develop appropriate programming, services, and guidelines to ensure that students who participate in recruiting programs are well-prepared for the job search, and that employers reach appropriately targeted students and alumni.  
• Collaborate with the broader Career Center teams (Innovation, Operations, HPAO) to ensure intentionality of employer engagement across Career Center initiatives. 
• Partner with key University offices, including, but not limited to, the Athletics program, and the academic departments, to strengthen job development support for all students.   
• Serve as a liaison between the Employer Relations Team and the Corporate Partnerships team, supporting the ER Team in co-managed relationships and enhancing Student Engagement & Hiring initiatives. 
• Represent the department on committees and initiatives as delegated by leadership.  

 Manage the Employer Relations Team 

• Supervise and provide coaching and support to the employer relations team including setting expectations and key strategic initiatives and performance measures.  
• Provide feedback, complete performance reviews, identify appropriate recognition and rewards, and perform corrective actions as needed.  
• Hire and train new staff. 
• Delegate and implement special projects and/or perform related duties as assigned.  

 Supervisory Relationships: 

This position has supervisory responsibility, including hiring, over the Employer Relations team. This position reports administratively and functionally to the Director of External Partner Engagement of the Career Center.  

Education and Certifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in business, communications, human resources, or related area required;  
• MBA or master’s degree preferred. 

 Qualifications: 

Required 

• Minimum 3-5 years’ experience successfully leading a college or university-based recruiting operation and/or working in a talent-acquisition setting such as human resources or a private search firm.  
• Experience managing professional staff members.  
• Occasional weekend and evening hours will be required. 
• Occasional travel for student- and employer-related programming.  

 Preferred 

• Significant national employer connections. 
• Knowledge of and proficiency with career- and recruitment-management software (preferably Handshake) as well as MS Office, Excel, and database management software.  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to deliver creative and persuasive presentations, strong project management abilities, and experience with building relationships and providing effective customer service with diverse stakeholders.   
• Ability to conceptualize and implement a sales/marketing/business development plan at both a strategic and tactical level. 
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment. 
• Demonstrated initiative to take on special projects. 
• Ability to travel to attend relevant conferences and corporate events and meet with key partners.  
• An appreciation and understanding of the different means of providing employment and internship opportunities for students from a wide variety of majors. 
• High degree of ethical and professional standards and strict confidentiality in sensitive matters related to hiring decisions.