Director of Internships and Employer Partnerships

Director of Internships and Employer Partnerships College of Health

Lehigh University's College of Health seeks a Director of Internships and Employer Partnerships to lead the development and growth of internship and co-op programs for undergraduate health disciplines while supporting graduate opportunities as relevant. This exempt, full-time position offers the opportunity to shape student career pathways by building strategic employer partnerships and expanding access to high-quality, paid internship and co-op opportunities.

Position Number: S80029

This position is a Grade 10-40 with an approximate salary range of $67,270$90,000, commensurate with experience, skills, and qualifications.

Key Responsibilities

• Cultivate and maintain high-level partnerships with private-sector employers across the health innovation landscape, including biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, health technology, and data analytics sectors, serving as the College's primary point of contact for talent recruitment.
• Collaborate with the Center for Career and Professional Development Employer Relations team to establish a dedicated pipeline of 510 midsize employer partners, specifically creating recurring internship and co-op opportunities for College of Health students.
• Align outreach strategies by participating in university-wide engagement initiatives, including monthly career development meetings, annual Career Expos, and weekly coordination with Corporate and Foundation Relations.
• Design and scale high-impact internship and co-op opportunities by analyzing workforce trends and advocating for paid compensation with employer partners.
• Coordinate with internal partners, including CCPD, Corporate and Foundation Relations, and the College's Director of Development, to align internship and co-op opportunities with academic advising and leverage alumni and parent networks for talent placement.
• Partner with the College of Health Assistant Director of Student Experiences and CCPD to prepare students for professional roles and facilitate successful placement into internships and co-op experiences.
• Conduct site visits and employer check-ins to monitor student progress while collecting stakeholder feedback to strengthen career readiness initiatives and align degree programs with evolving industry needs.
• Track and analyze key metrics, including internship participation, compensation, employer engagement, and post-graduate outcomes, to refine employer outreach strategies and identify high-impact partnership opportunities.
• Assess progress toward placement and quality goals and prepare comprehensive bi-annual and ongoing status reports for College leadership and university partners, including CCPD and Corporate and Foundation Relations.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on emerging healthcare workforce trends to represent the College in university-wide initiatives and effectively communicate the value of the College of Health student skill sets to industry partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Health Administration, Human Resources, Business, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
• Five to eight years of related professional experience, with a preference for experience as a hiring manager or recruiter for a relevant organization in the health sector.
• Professional experience working in or closely with health innovation sectors, including healthcare organizations, pharmaceutical or biotech companies, medical device, health technology, data analytics, consulting, life sciences, public health agencies, startups, or health-focused nonprofits.
• Demonstrated success building and sustaining employer partnerships that result in recurring internships, co-ops, or early-career hiring pipelines.
• Experience negotiating or advocating for paid internship opportunities.
• Background in career development, internships, co-op programs, experiential learning, or workforce development, preferably within higher education or a mission-driven environment.
• Familiarity with emerging workforce trends and interdisciplinary health career pathways that integrate health, data, business, policy, and technology.
• Strong assessment, data tracking, and reporting skills related to student outcomes and employer engagement.

Join a nationally recognized research university that values both professional excellence and personal well-being. Located in Bethlehem, Lehigh's 2,350-acre campus provides a vibrant academic community within close proximity to both New York City and Philadelphia.

Lehigh employees enjoy access to outstanding professional development opportunities, comprehensive benefits, and a collaborative work environment that supports innovation and work-life balance. The university's strong alumni network and industry partnerships create exceptional opportunities to build meaningful workforce connections and advance student success.

Lehigh University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate. We are committed to a culturally and intellectually diverse community and we seek qualified candidates to contribute to the university's mission.

Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing an accommodation for any part of the interview or hiring process may contact Lehigh's Accommodations Specialist.

Special Considerations

• This is a soft-funded position supported through a philanthropic investment in advancing student career pathways and workforce partnerships, with funding currently anticipated for five years.
• This position may be eligible for a fully remote work arrangement pending university approval. Candidates must reside within the United States and preferably on the East Coast, with strong preference given to candidates located in the Northeast within proximity to major pharmaceutical and health innovation corridors.
• Periodic travel, including employer visits, conferences, and on-campus engagement activities, will be required.

Successful completion of standard background checks including but not limited to: social security verification, education verification, national criminal background checks, motor vehicle checks, PATCH, FBI fingerprinting, Child Abuse Clearance and credit history based upon the requirements of the position.

Only complete applications will be considered therefore please complete the application in its entirety. Once the posting is removed from the website applications may no longer be allowed to be completed.