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Assistant Director, Strategic Partnerships

Career & Life Design
McMinnville Campus | Full-Time | Exempt

Position Summary

Linfield University seeks a collaborative, relationship-focused, and student-centered Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships to join the Career & Life Design team. This position plays a pivotal role in expanding career opportunities for students by cultivating strategic partnerships with employers, alumni, and community organizations that lead to internships, employment, mentoring, and other high-impact experiential learning opportunities.

In addition to leading employer engagement initiatives, the Assistant Director provides individualized career coaching to students, helping them explore career pathways, develop effective job and internship search strategies, and connect with meaningful professional opportunities. This position serves as a key ambassador for Career & Life Design, representing the university to employers and community partners while collaborating across campus to strengthen students' career readiness and post-graduation success.

Essential ResponsibilitiesEmployer & Strategic Partnership Development

• Develop, implement, and continuously refine a comprehensive employer engagement and strategic partnership plan that supports student career outcomes.
• Build and sustain relationships with employers, alumni, and community and industry partners that generate internships, employment opportunities, mentoring relationships, and experiential learning opportunities.
• Identify and prioritize target industries, sectors, and geographic regions for partnership development aligned with institutional priorities and student interests.
• Understand employer recruiting needs and align university talent pipelines with workforce demands.
• Serve as the primary university contact for employer and partner relationships while maintaining exceptional customer service and responsiveness.
• Develop innovative partnership opportunities, including employer site visits, job shadowing, micro-internships, consulting projects, networking events, and other experiential learning initiatives.

Career Coaching & Student Success

• Provide individualized career coaching to students, including career exploration, internship and job search strategies, resume and interview preparation, networking, and professional development.
• Connect students with employer, alumni, and industry opportunities that support career readiness and long-term success.
• Guide students in identifying and pursuing experiential learning opportunities aligned with their career goals.

Employer Programs & Campus Engagement

• Lead the planning and execution of employer-facing events, including career fairs, internship fairs, employer information sessions, recruiting events, and networking programs.
• Recruit and coordinate employers, alumni, and community professionals to participate as guest speakers, mentors, mock interviewers, panelists, evaluators, and career advisors.
• Collaborate with faculty and campus partners to integrate employer and alumni engagement into academic programs, classroom presentations, and career-related programming.
• Coordinate the Connect Me! mentoring program by identifying, cultivating, and matching alumni and community partners with students for career exploration and professional networking.

Data, Assessment & Strategic Planning

• Oversee employer and partnership data within the university's career management system (such as Symplicity), ensuring accurate records, reporting, and analysis.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret employer engagement, alumni participation, and graduate outcomes data to inform strategic planning and continuous improvement.
• Research labor market trends, industry developments, and employer engagement best practices and share insights with students, faculty, staff, and university leadership.

Leadership & Administration

• Supervise, mentor, and support student employees involved in employer engagement and outreach initiatives.
• Represent Career & Life Design at university, employer, alumni, and community events through presentations and public speaking engagements.
• Exercise sound judgment, professionalism, and conflict resolution skills when addressing concerns involving employers, partners, or students.
• Contribute to departmental planning, assessment, and strategic initiatives while performing additional duties as assigned.

Work Schedule

This is a full-time (1.0 FTE), exempt position working Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Regular morning or evening commitments, occasional weekend responsibilities, and moderate travel are required to support employer engagement and university events.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and three years of relevant professional experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, with the ability to effectively support and collaborate with students, employers, faculty, staff, and community partners from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience providing individualized coaching, advising, counseling, or client-focused support.
• Demonstrated success developing and maintaining professional relationships with employers, organizations, or external partners.
• Ability to build effective working relationships and navigate a collaborative university environment.
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities and projects.
• Experience supervising, coaching, or mentoring employees or student staff.
• Strong interpersonal, negotiation, relationship-building, and public speaking skills.
• Excellent organizational, project management, and communication skills.
• Experience collecting, analyzing, and using data to support strategic decision-making.
• Experience planning and coordinating events or programs, particularly those involving employer or community engagement.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and career management or database systems.
• Valid driver's license and satisfactory driving record.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree.
• Experience in corporate recruiting, business development, employer relations, sales, or community engagement.
• Experience working in higher education, career services, or workforce development.
• Experience using career management platforms such as Symplicity.
• Bilingual or multilingual communication skills.

Why Join Linfield University?

At Linfield University, you'll join a collaborative, student-centered community dedicated to preparing students for meaningful lives and successful careers. As the Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships, you'll play an essential role in connecting students with employers, alumni, and community partners while creating innovative career pathways that empower students to achieve their professional goals.

Guided by our mission of learning, life, and community, Linfield values intellectual curiosity, meaningful relationships, respect for diverse perspectives, and service to others. Through Career & Life Design, you'll help students translate their education into purpose, opportunity, and lifelong success while strengthening partnerships that benefit both students and employers.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Linfield University is committed to fostering an inclusive community that values diversity, equity, belonging, and mutual respect. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences who are committed to supporting student success and creating equitable access to career opportunities. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check and any other applicable pre-employment requirements.