Business & Professional Services Engagement Officer

About the Role

The Engagement Officer serves as a primary point of contact between the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and external employers, including industry, government, nonprofit, and community organizations seeking to engage students and hire graduates. The role is responsible for proactively cultivating and managing a defined portfolio of external partners and coordinating meaningful engagement opportunities that support internships, applied learning experiences, and post-graduation employment for UTEP students. This position focuses on cultivating partnerships within the business and professional services industry cluster, including finance, consulting, insurance, and corporate services organizations, to connect UTEP students with internships and career opportunities in these fields.

This is a full-time, temporary position contingent upon availability of funds, with a possibility of extension. It is eligible for full benefits and requires on-site work in El Paso with local travel to employer sites, meetings, and events. Occasional evening or weekend work is required to support employer engagement activities or events.

Responsibilities

• Manage and actively engage a defined portfolio of approximately 75 businesses from the business and professional services industry cluster.
• Serve as a primary liaison between UTEP and assigned external partners to understand workforce needs and develop opportunities for student internships and employment.
• Identify, develop, and coordinate employer engagement opportunities, including on-campus events, internships, experiential learning opportunities, and posting job opportunities on university platforms.
• Coordinate and share information with academic colleges, faculty, Advising and Student Services, and Institutional Advancement.
• Track engagement activity, partner interactions, and outcomes using designated relationship management and data systems to support assessment and enable leveraging relationships across the university.
• Represent UTEP professionally in meetings, site visits, events, and external engagements with employers and community partners.
• Comply with all State and University policies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of one (1) year of experience in employer relations, workforce development, economic development, higher education partnerships, business development, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience building and managing professional relationships with external partners.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain detailed records, and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency with CRM systems, databases, or relationship management tools.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across teams and units.
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, virtually, and in writing.
• Ability to travel locally and attend off-campus meetings and events (daily local travel to employer sites, meetings, and events).
• Occasional evening or weekend work to support employer engagement activities or events.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in business, public administration, higher education, economic development, or a related field.
• Experience working with employers, government agencies, or nonprofit organizations in a higher education or workforce context.
• Familiarity with experiential learning, internships, or career development programs.
• Bilingual proficiency (English/Spanish).

Benefits

• Medical, prescription, life insurance, and wellness platform.
• Voluntary benefits: dental, vision, additional life insurance, UT Flex, short- and long-term disability plans.
• Retirement programs.
• Longevity pay.
• Paid vacation and sick leave.
• Paid holidays.
• Employee discounts and perks.
• Employee education assistance program.

Visit the Benefits Summary Page for more information on additional benefits. Eligibility for perks and benefits may vary based on part-time or full-time employment.

About UTEP

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a comprehensive public research university that is increasing access to excellent higher education. We advance discovery of public value and positively impact the health, culture, education, and economy of the community we serve. UTEP is America’s leading Hispanic-serving university. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 26,000 students are Hispanic, and half are the first in their families to go to college. UTEP offers 170 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.

This is an especially exciting time to join UTEP as it advances the goals of its 2030 Strategic Plan. Built around the institution’s core strengths—its location, its people, its supportive culture, and its community partnerships—the plan lays out a bold vision for the next decade, aimed at maximizing the University’s regional impact and national stature.