Kenyon College’s Career Development Office (CDO) seeks a creative Director of Employer Relations. Reporting to the Dean for Career Development, the Director is responsible for the overall strategy for sourcing work-based projects, internships, and jobs for students and young alumni; and for developing talent acquisition pipelines between the College and national and global employers, including specialized programs for underrepresented students. This position curates innovative collaborations and specialized programs with companies, bringing a fresh approach to recruiting practices that meet 21st-century demands and realities. Ultimately, this position is tasked with expanding new employment opportunities and maximizing employment outcomes for students and graduates. Chiefly an externally facing role, with strong campus relationships, the Director for Employer Relations engages alumni, faculty, and parents in cultivating and strengthening long-term partnerships with employers in industries of interest to Kenyon students, and analyzes student, employer, alumni, and parent data to help shape an intentional outreach strategy.
The successful candidate will possess an ability to successfully market and promote constituents, services, and/or products to companies; and have a well-established network of diverse corporate relationships developed over their career to date. They will demonstrate both comfort and past success with prospecting activities, including making cold calls, leveraging interactions at professional networking events, and gaining the attention of corporate decision-makers through professionally appropriate means. Ideally, the candidate will be adept with recruitment-based technologies, platforms, and best practices and have excellent interpersonal, ambassadorial, sales, communication, listening, and customer service skills.
The Employer Relations Director will conduct site visits to employers to champion the liberal arts and Kenyon students and graduates, learn about employer needs, and offer individualized recruiting strategies to accommodate the size, culture, and/or recruitment practices of an organization. The successful candidate must have a willingness to become conversant in Kenyon’s curriculum, employer portfolio, and student interests and demographics--all toward effectively representing Kenyon to employers. This position will require a candidate to become knowledgeable of hiring trends in industries of interest to Kenyon students and present regularly to CDO staff, faculty, and campus partners on important industry recruiting trends and employer professional skill needs.
As a talent specialist, this role acts as a liaison between employers and CDO staff, faculty and students and will envision new ways to bring employers and Kenyon students together to showcase student work and intellectual acumen. The position will advise on and support CDO staff (and faculty) with career-related programming, including but not limited to industry career treks, in-class company collaborations, alumni and parent panels, mentoring and networking programs, and skill-building boot camps, all in an effort to best prepare graduates for the demands of a globalized economy.
The Employer Relations Director will collaborate with the Assistant Director for Career Development and the Database and Program Associate to construct annual recruiting activities, including a student ambassador program, information sessions, on-campus interviews, alternative career fairs, and employer/industry convenings. The candidate should have experience with corporate event management and promotion, as well as with securing corporate event-sponsorship.
The successful candidate will have a propensity for and experience with data-driven decision making and will be expected to work with the Database and Program Associate to analyze multiple sources of student, employer, alumni, and parent data sources to understand strengths and challenges of current office offerings and position listings. Analytical and research skills to discern compelling industry trends from noise in the field is required.
Applicants with a well-established network of corporate relationships preferred. Familiarity with recruiting for underrepresented populations and a demonstrated ability to work with a diverse student body are essential.
Minimum qualifications for this position include a bachelor’s degree and 5-7 years of related work experience including recruiting, talent acquisition, B2B corporate sales, corporate relations and partnerships, economic development, and/or major giving. Master’s degree and 7-10 years of related work experience interacting with executive decision-makers preferred. This role requires approximately 6-10 days of travel per month to conduct site visits to employers. Programming across campus happens regularly. Ability to carry 25-50 pounds on occasion required.
Kenyon College is a nationally prominent, private liberal arts college where academic excellence goes hand in hand with a strong sense of community and close relationships among students and professors. Kenyon brings together 1,600 young men and women to study on an exceptionally beautiful hilltop campus in central Ohio. Distinguished for its literary tradition and exceptional faculty, Kenyon is committed to connecting students to work-engaged learning opportunities throughout their four years, to an influential network of alumni and parents, as well as to excellent job opportunities upon graduation. The CDO plays a critical role in advancing the 3 key priorities outlined in Kenyon 2020, the College’s strategic plan:
Priority 1: Focus on an integrated, comprehensive experience that prepares students for post-graduate success.
Priority 2: Strategically use Kenyon’s resources to attract, retain, and graduate an academically excellent and diverse student body.
Priority 3: Intentionally build community on campus, in our local region, and in the world-wide Kenyon family that enhances the learning environment and strengthens lifelong ties with the College.
Compensation and Benefits
Salaries at Kenyon are competitive and commensurate with experience. In addition to an attractive salary, Kenyon offers benefits for employees and their family members. Children of employees are eligible for 100% tuition waivers at Kenyon, and through the Great Lakes Colleges Association, children of employees are eligible for 85% tuition waivers at fifteen other of the nation's finest liberal arts colleges.
We also offer health and dental insurance, TIAA/CREF retirement, and many other benefits, including provisions for a spouse, families, and domestic partners. Details about benefits as well as conditions of employment are described more fully in our Staff Handbook.
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Kenyon College is an equal opportunity employer. It is the College's policy to evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental disability, age, religion, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by institutional policy or state, local, or federal law.