Director of External Affairs

Job Description

Job Description

Director of External Affairs

Position Summary
The Director of External Affairs leads graduate placement, career services, employer relationship development, job fairs, and hybrid student support. The Director oversees the campus externship program, assists the Campus Director with program planning, implementation, compliance, and evaluation, and manages employer-facing externship activities. Employer feedback is used to support student success, program improvement, and employment outcomes.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Career Services and Graduate Placement
• 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.

Employer Relations and Career Events

• 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.

Hybrid Student Success

• 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.

Employer Facing Externship Oversight

• 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.

Advisory Meetings

• 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.

Reporting Collaboration and Compliance

• 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.

Preferred 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.