Penn State’s Smeal College of Business is hiring an Employer Engagement Specialist to advance strategic employer partnerships. In this pivotal role, you will develop curated internships, research, and post-graduation employment opportunities for undergraduate business students through data-driven outreach and relationship management.
What You'll Do
- Manage employer outreach using consultative sales techniques to increase high-quality experiential learning and job opportunities.
- Build and sustain a diverse network of employers through hybrid engagement tactics like site visits, campus events, and cold outreach.
- Advocate for the Smeal talent pipeline by aligning student undergraduate majors with market hiring needs.
- Execute and manage a strategic travel schedule to promote student value to prospective partners.
- Partner with Chambers of Commerce and professional associations like SHRM and NABA to build recruiting pipelines.
- Team with the office’s Employer Relations group for cross constituent updates and planning.
- Maintain a dynamic knowledge base of employment trends, alumni outcomes, and industry talent needs.
- Analyze internal and external data sources to inform strategy and identify areas for opportunity growth.
- Collaborate across departments to integrate insights into employer engagement and student programming.
- Develop and implement an outreach and communications plan to attract and retain employers.
- Create customized pitch materials, sector-specific messaging, and engagement menus in partnership with Strategic Communications.
- Collaborate with Alumni Relations and Development to engage alumni as connectors and advocates.
- Define key performance indicators and performance metrics in coordination with College leadership.
- Track sales funnel activity, employer engagement outcomes, and hiring conversion metrics.
- Produce reports and presentations for stakeholders to highlight impact, trends, and return on investment.
- Maintain customer relationship management tools to document touchpoints and manage pipelines effectively.
What We're Looking For
- A Bachelor's degree.
- A minimum of three (3) years of experience in business development, employer engagement/relations, sales, recruitment, talent acquisition, consultative sales, or B2B relationship management.
- Demonstrated ability to manage outreach pipelines and achieve measurable engagement goals.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, sales, and persuasion skills.
- High emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills with comfort interacting with senior professionals and stakeholders.
- Outstanding data analysis, strategic planning, analytical and reporting abilities.
Nice to Have
- Experience in higher education, workforce development, business development, or related fields.
- Familiarity with CRM systems such as Salesforce, Handshake, or Symplicity.
- Demonstrated success implementing and managing outreach/sales strategies.
- Experience developing promotional content and employer-facing communications.
Team & Environment
This role is part of the Employer Relations group within the Smeal College of Business.
Benefits & Compensation
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- Robust retirement plans.
- Substantial paid time off including holidays, vacation and sick time.
- Generous 75% tuition discount for employees and eligible spouses and children.
- Salary Range: $56,200.00 - $81,500.00.
Work Mode
This position is a hybrid role with work locations in the United States.
Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
