Director of External Affairs

Responsibilities

• Provide career coaching and employment placement assistance to students and graduates.
• Identify job opportunities that align with graduates' training, qualifications, certifications, and career goals.
• Refer qualified candidates to employers and coordinate interviews and hiring activities.
• Maintain regular contact with graduates until employment is secured and properly documented.
• Verify employment information and maintain placement records required for institutional, accreditation, and regulatory reporting.
• Track graduate placements, employment retention, employer feedback, and required follow-up activities.
• Assist students and graduates with resumes, cover letters, applications, professional references, and job-search strategies.
• Conduct mock interviews and coach students on professional communication, workplace expectations, appearance, networking, and workplace etiquette.
• Build and maintain relationships with employers, staffing agencies, workforce organizations, community partners, and industry representatives.
• Conduct employer outreach to identify job openings, hiring needs, externship opportunities, and potential partnerships.
• Maintain current employer contact records, including outreach history, opportunities, referrals, participation, and hiring outcomes.
• Coordinate campus job fairs, employer presentations, hiring events, mock interviews, and recruitment activities.
• Invite employers and community partners, manage event participation, and track interviews, referrals, and hires resulting from each event.
• Represent the campus at employer visits, workforce meetings, community events, and professional networking activities.
• Orient hybrid students to the learning management system, attendance requirements, academic expectations, communication procedures, and support services.
• Monitor hybrid students' attendance, participation, grades, assignment completion, and overall academic progress.
• Contact students with attendance, academic, participation, or engagement concerns and conduct documented advisements.
• Develop improvement plans, monitor agreed actions, and coordinate follow-up support with instructors and academic leadership.
• Help hybrid students manage schedules, meet deadlines, navigate course requirements, and communicate effectively with instructors.
• Refer technical problems to the Support Coordinator and coordinate complex academic concerns with the Director of Academic Affairs, registrar, and campus leadership.
• Maintain regular communication with hybrid instructors regarding student progress and support needs.
• Manage the employer-facing portion of the externship program.
• Serve as the primary contact for site supervisors regarding student performance and the employer's externship experience.
• Conduct scheduled employer check-ins and obtain feedback on attendance, punctuality, professionalism, technical skills, communication, initiative, dependability, and compliance with workplace policies.
• Obtain completed performance evaluations from site supervisors and document employer feedback, concerns, and recommendations.
• Report performance, conduct, safety, or policy concerns to the Campus Director and appropriate academic personnel; provide the Support Coordinator with information needed for student follow-up and recordkeeping.
• Follow up with site supervisors after coaching or corrective action to determine whether student performance has improved.
• Evaluate employer satisfaction and share recommendations that may improve curriculum, student preparation, or externship procedures.
• Identify opportunities for externship students or graduates to transition into employment.
• Assist with planning and coordinating Program Advisory Committee meetings.
• Identify and invite employers, industry professionals, graduates, and community representatives to participate.
• Assist with agendas, invitations, program information, presentations, attendance records, and participant communication.
• Present information on employer partnerships, externship performance, graduate placement, and industry feedback when requested.
• Document recommendations and action items, follow up with responsible campus departments, and maintain required advisory records.
• Prepare reports on graduate placement, employer engagement, career events, hybrid student progress, externship feedback, and advisory activities.
• Collaborate with the Director of Academic Affairs, Support Coordinator, instructors, registrar, student services, admissions, financial aid, and campus leadership.
• Protect confidential student and employer information and comply with FERPA, institutional policies, accreditation standards, and applicable regulations.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education, administration, business, or a related field; a master’s degree may be preferred.
• Career services, placement, employer relations, externship, or recruiting experience.
• Post-secondary education experience.
• Employer partnership and event coordination.
• Regulatory reporting and student privacy knowledge.
• Communication, technology, organization, and recordkeeping skills.