Industry Outreach Specialist, STEM

Industry Outreach Specialist, STEM

The Industry Outreach Specialist, STEM is the Career Center's lead for STEM employer engagement and partnership development. This is primarily an external-facing role focused on business development, employer relations, and creating career opportunities for students, not a primary student advising or counseling position. The position is responsible for identifying, cultivating, and managing relationships with local, regional, and national employers to expand paid internships, experiential learning, research collaborations, and full-time hiring opportunities for UC Riverside students. The role targets high-growth and innovation-driven industries—particularly healthcare, logistics, engineering, and technology—to strengthen UCR's employer network and increase access to quality STEM opportunities.

Working closely with the Bourns College of Engineering, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, School of Medicine, and Career Center colleagues, this position aligns employer outreach with academic priorities, workforce trends, and student outcomes. Career Specialists provide direct student advising; this role complements that work by developing the employer partnerships and recruiting pipelines that create opportunities for students. This position requires a proactive, strategic, and relationship-driven approach similar to business development, account management, or external partnership roles. Key responsibilities include employer outreach, partnership cultivation, campus recruiting strategy, promotion of UCR talent, expansion of employer visibility on campus, and development of customized engagement plans that lead to hiring outcomes. The position also uses data and labor market trends to guide outreach strategy, assess results, and strengthen long-term employer engagement. The role supports the Career Center's broader goals of increasing paid internships, strengthening post-graduation outcomes, and advancing UCR's 2030 Strategic Plan through stronger university-industry connections and regional workforce impact.

The full salary range for the Industry Outreach Specialist, STEM position is $61,000 - $106,800 annually. However, the expected pay scale for this position is up to $76,000 annually. We base salary offers on a variety of considerations, such as education, licensure and certifications, experience, and other business and organizational needs.

Educational Requirements

Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training. - Required

Advanced degree in related area. - Preferred

Experience Requirements

Minimum of 4-7 Years of Experience - Required

License Requirements

Valid Drivers License - Required

Minimum Requirements

Ability to work with people from diverse cultures.

Strong knowledge of analyzing reports, and working with data and assessment tools.

Thorough knowledge of needs assessment theory, processes, and practice; workshop and program design.

Ability to serve as Career Center and UCR representative at on and off campus events, professional meetings and conferences. Ability to offer services that meet or exceed expectations, utilize persuasive dialog when needed and mediate potential issues before they escalate. Creativity and tenacity to drive new business within the employment community.

Ability to work well under pressure, especially with the constant succession of inquiries from employers and students, with the flexibility to respond to changing priorities and fluctuating workload. Proven skills in organizing work, defining tasks, prioritizing assignments and follow through.

Strong written and verbal communication skills. Must be effectively able to deliver information in a clear, concise and articulate manner to both students and employers. Skill in conducting presentations from small to large groups.

Ability to design and modify computer applications to meet program needs, problem identification, presentation skills, verbal communication, written communication, and organization skills.

Demonstrated outreach skills and communication abilities. Comfort and skill in communicating with decision makers. Superb ability to build relationships.

Preferred Qualifications

Proficient in persuasive communication and negotiation, especially in converting initial contacts into long-term partnerships.

Demonstrated skill marketing within an academic environment.

Demonstrated understanding of STEM industry trends, employer expectations, and workforce needs.

Knowledge of UC programs, career services, employer, alumni, and faculty needs and expectations, recruiting and staffing methods, and employment trends.

Skill developing collaborative relationships with academic departments, creating trust, and mutual support.

Knowledge and skill with identifying, and creating strategic partnerships with employers.

Strong knowledge of career development theories, adult development theory, counseling process, career coaching techniques, career decision making, learning styles, and job search techniques.

Knowledge of evaluating the role of social media for employer and student engagement.

Ability to work with diverse employers and understand the cultural dynamics in a variety of STEM fields, promoting inclusivity in employer engagement efforts.

Knowledge of Handshake system.

In the Heart of Inland Southern California, UC Riverside is located on nearly 1,200 acres near Box Springs Mountain in Southern California; the park-like campus provides convenient access to the vibrant and growing Inland region. The campus is a living laboratory for the exploration of issues critical to growing communities' air, water, energy, transportation, politics, the arts, history, and culture. UCR gives every student, faculty and staff member the resources to explore, engage, imagine and excel.

UC Riverside is recognized as one of the most ethnically diverse research universities in the country boasting several key rankings of which we are extremely proud.

• UC Riverside is proud to be ranked No. 12 among all U.S. universities, according to Money Magazine's 2020 rankings, and among the top 1 percent of universities worldwide, according to the 2019-20 Center for World University rankings.
• UC Riverside is the top university in the United States for social mobility. - U.S. News 2020
• UCR is a member of the University Innovation Alliance, the leading national coalition of public research universities committed to improving student success for low-income, first-generation, and students of color.
• Among top-tier universities, UC Riverside ranks No. 2 in financial aid. - Business Insider 2019
• Ranked No. 2 in the world for research, UCR's Department of Entomology maintains one of the largest collections of insect specimens the nation. - Center for World University Rankings
• UCR's distinguished faculty boasts 2 Nobel Laureates, and 13 members of the National Academies of Science and Medicine.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under state or federal law. It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.

For information about our generous employee benefits package, visit: Employee Benefits Overview