Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships & Outreach

Posting Details

Position Information Title Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships & Outreach Department Career & Life Design Center Regular or Temporary Regular Hours Per Week 40 FLSA Determination Exempt Weeks Per Year 52 Open Date 05/20/2025 Open Until Filled Yes Full or Part Time Full Time Position Summary Trinity is a highly selective, independent, nonsectarian liberal arts institution located in the capital city of Hartford, Connecticut. The college maintains a rigorous academic profile complemented by a vibrant co-curricular program. With more than 2,100 full-time undergraduate students, representing forty-three states and ninety-one countries, we consider our location in a culturally and socioeconomically diverse capital city to be among Trinity’s most distinctive assets; and we cultivate strong connections with our surrounding neighbors and with institutions and organizations throughout Hartford and the region. As a preeminent liberal arts college in an urban setting, Trinity College prepares students to be bold, independent thinkers who lead transformative lives.

The Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships & Outreach will work collaboratively with key internal and external constituents, including parents, families, and alumni, to enhance the profile of the Career & Life Design Center (CLDC). A passionate advocate of the liberal arts, he/she will take the lead in designing, implementing, and evaluating business development and employer relations strategy for the CLDC. Metrics-driven and outcome-oriented, the Associate Director will build upon existing employer relationships while researching and targeting employers with the greatest potential to expand hiring of Trinity students and alumni for externship, internship, and full-time positions. He/she will design and implement marketing strategies and will utilize recruiting technologies to create operational efficiencies that facilitate the development and maintenance of relationships. The Associate Director will be known for his/her work ethic, integrity, and professionalism.

The Associate Director will:

• Lead efforts to expand internship, externship and experiential learning opportunities in Hartford and beyond while integrating opportunities to cultivate students’ self-reflection skills.
• Analyze data regarding student career interests to create and implement a strategy of outreach to potential employers of interest.
• Maintain portfolio of employer contacts; arrange site visits to current/potential employers to maintain/develop new relationships; document efforts, measure outcomes. Build and leverage relationships with employers to promote Trinity students and to keep a finger on the pulse of employer hiring.
• Provide career coaching staff with insights into hiring trends, job and internship opportunities of special interest to students.
• Market CLDC and Trinity students to employers and alumni; create processes for soliciting employer feedback (e.g., recruiting process). Assist in development of tailored materials to market internship and job deadlines provided by alumni and other key employer partners.
• Act as CLDC’s representative to LAUNCH consortium which runs a multi-school virtual recruiting event each January. Member schools’ representatives volunteer to serve in different functions to support recruitment of employers and facilitate their participation in all phases of the event including but not limited to posting of jobs and internships, coordinating candidate review, and promoting student participation on their respective campuses.
• Act as CLDC’s representative to work with the employer and job aspects of the Handshake platform including but not limited to evaluating and approving/declining employers, internships, jobs, and events submitted via the platform. Keep abreast of new aspects of the platform and integrate them to benefit students. Work with office marketing representative to publicize positions as appropriate.
• Lead on- and off-campus employer networking and recruiting activities and services (e.g., Trinity Days Treks).
• Collaborate with CLDC staff to plan programs that prepare students for internship and job opportunities; ensure robust applicant pools that sustain employers’ recruitment efforts.
• Provide individualized career coaching when asked, including job search strategy, internship search techniques, and offer negotiation.
• Build and leverage relationships with campus partners (e.g., Faculty, Admissions, Communications, College Advancement, Dean of Students, Campus Life, Community Relations) to expand awareness of the career development needs. Educate students, colleagues, and campus partners on industry trends, qualities employers seek in candidates, employer culture, and selection processes.
• Develop assessment metrics; design and integrate opportunities for feedback loops to inform strategic decisions and operations.
• Act as CLDC’s delegate to work with Alumni Relations and the Athletics Department on initiatives associated with the Peoplegrove networking platform, the Bantam Career Network (BCN), including providing support for new users, monitoring platform to ensure all parties are adhering to stated policies and engaging in associated outreach and problem-solving when necessary.
• Lead CLDC’s efforts to conduct annual survey of graduating seniors to collect confidential information regarding employment and salary trends, job offers, and graduate school acceptances. Analyze results of survey and develop effective ways to help new graduates looking for employment connect with the right resources and opportunities.
• Partner with College Advancement to identify and connect with alumni and parent prospects as well as targeted employers to expand hiring of Trinity students for externship, internship, and full-time positions. Manage stewardship of relationships with alumni and parents involved with job development efforts. Advance employer relations’ priorities in accordance with institutional cultivation goals.
• Represent Trinity and CLDC at local, regional, and national professional association conferences and workshops.
• Monitor financial expenditures relative to team budget.
• Have the ability to travel, including overnight stays, and to work nights/weekends as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Comprehensive knowledge of employment trends; demonstrated ability to integrate career development and innovative recruiting technologies, set priorities, take initiative, establish and institutionalize efficient processes and procedures.
• Adept at strategic outreach; successful track record of cultivating, recruiting, and maintaining employer relationships, partnerships, and sponsorships.
• Strong analytical skills; experience managing databases, data analysis, and advanced knowledge of computer applications including career management systems.
• Diligent, proactive, organized, and detail-oriented; capable of managing large workload and multiple projects simultaneously; evidence of ability to follow through. Energy to excel in a fast-paced, demanding environment.
• Stellar interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills; ability to listen. Capable of exercising good judgment and making independent decisions. Engaged team player.
• Deep knowledge of and experience with Trinity student community
• A bachelor’s degree required; five years of experience in a similar role required.