Under the general direction of the Director of Career Advancement, the Assistant Director of Employer Engagement advances employment outcomes for the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School’s graduate business students through strategic employer relationship management and talent pipeline cultivation. The person in this role will support the design and execution of a strategic employer relations plan, including employer recruiting events and experiential learning programs, to expand recruiting opportunities and strengthen the Graziadio School's employer reputation and market presence.

Key priorities for this role include: Cultivating new and existing employer relationships, designing strategic employer recruiting and experiential learning programs for students, and building sustainable internship and full-time hiring pipelines. Additionally, the role collaborates closely with the Student Success and Career Advancement team to match qualified student talent with active employment leads.

This role is part of a dynamic, student-centered team dedicated to helping students develop lifelong career management skills, cultivate confidence and fluency in the job search process, and actively engage in their professional development through career education, experiential learning, peer-to-peer engagement, employer-facing opportunities, and alumni connections.

This hybrid-eligible role invites a collaborative professional to make a direct impact on graduate student success while advancing the Graziadio School’s mission of developing values-centered leaders.

Duties

Employer Engagement:

• Cultivate an alumni-to-employer pipeline in collaboration with Graziadio Alumni Engagement, identifying and engaging alumni in senior roles to develop alumni relationships that generate recruiting opportunities.
• Consult with employers on graduate recruiting strategy, internship program design, hiring practices, and talent acquisition trends while partnering with Career Advancement colleagues to integrate employer insights into student programming and coaching.
• Collaborate with Pepperdine Graziadio and University partners, including Alumni Engagement, Graziadio Partnership Development, and University Career Services, to design and execute a cohesive, aligned employer engagement strategy.
• Maintain working knowledge of hiring trends, emerging industries, labor market data, and employer recruiting practices to identify new opportunities and inform employer engagement strategy.
• Represent the Graziadio Business School at employer events, conferences, professional association meetings, and networking functions.
• Prepare reports, dashboards, and presentations summarizing employer engagement activity, recruiting trends, and employment outcomes.
• As needed, communicate with employers to qualify and post jobs and answer general inquiries.

Student Success & Career Programming:

• Collaborate closely with career coaches and faculty to align employer expectations with student career interests and skill sets, facilitating strategic candidate referrals.
• Conduct industry-specific student coaching and employer-focused group preparation sessions to help students navigate corporate recruiting and potential referral opportunities.
• Coordinate employer recruiting activities, including information sessions, networking events, coffee chats, and other recruiting engagements.
• Manage full-cycle On-Campus Recruiting and Interviewing (OCR/OCI) schedules, logistics, and candidate pipelines during peak fall and spring recruiting cycles.
• Strategically design and execute outcome-focused experiential learning programs for students, including employer-sponsored case competitions, company visits, and other experiential learning opportunities.
• Integrate recruiting opportunities into experiential learning, such as employer networking, candidate referrals, resume collections, and interview opportunities.
• Evaluate and vet employer organizations and internship opportunities to ensure high-quality professional learning experiences for graduate MBA and MS business students, partnering with the Program Manager who administers academic credit requirements.

Opportunity Development:

• Proactively prospect, target, and grow a robust portfolio of employer partners across target industries to expand internship and full-time hiring opportunities throughout the academic year.
• Develop employer relationships to expand employment opportunities for domestic and international students, including with organizations that hire candidates who require work authorization.
• Achieve annual employer engagement and employment outcome goals established in collaboration with the Director of Career Advancement.
• Serve as a key collaborator with University Career Services on centralized employer engagement initiatives, proactively identifying and advocating for opportunities that benefit students across all Pepperdine colleges and schools.
• Maintain accurate employer records and activity within CRM platforms (e.g., Handshake, 12Twenty) to support strategic planning, reporting, and informed decision-making.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve employer engagement, student matching, recruiting efficiency, and career services operations.

Strategic Planning & Assessment:

• In collaboration with the Director of Career Advancement, develop, implement, and assess an annual employer engagement plan to generate high-quality job and internship opportunities for students across priority industries.
• Monitor key performance indicators (employer acquisition and retention, recruiting activity, internship conversion, hiring outcomes).
• Gather employer feedback and labor market insights to inform career programming, student preparation, and future employer engagement initiatives.
• Assess participant engagement, employer satisfaction, and employment outcomes associated with programming initiatives to inform continuous improvement.
• Support data collection and institutional reporting efforts related to MBA employment outcomes, rankings, accreditation, and employer engagement metrics.

University & Professional Expectations:

• Travel occasionally within the region and nationally to cultivate employer partnerships, attend conferences and networking events, conduct employer visits, and support experiential learning initiatives.
• Participate in ongoing professional development and departmental assessment projects, and attend all staff training and meetings.
• Support team and institutional initiatives through participation in all-hands-on-deck responsibilities as needed, such as New Student Onboarding, contributing to the broader success of the department and University.
• Recommend and develop processes to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of departmental/student service functions.
• Participate in professional associations to remain apprised of current research and issues pertaining to higher education, career advancement, assessment, employer engagement, and student development (i.e., NASPA, NCDA, CSEA).
• Support committees and programs that promote student success and career readiness, as well as other departmental or University initiatives.
• Align with the department's holistic approach to student success by staying informed about Pepperdine University resources and referring students to appropriate student support services, including academic advising, Office of Student Accessibility, Office of International Student Services, Hub for Spiritual Life, and the Thrive Wellness Program and Counseling Center.
• Maintain confidentiality of student information at all times (as per FERPA).
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Uphold University mission through work performed.

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Skills and Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• A minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in employer relations, business development, talent acquisition, career services, corporate partnerships, higher education, or a related field.
• Experience building and maintaining professional relationships with employers, alumni, corporate partners, or external stakeholders.
• Experience planning and executing employer-facing events, programs, or partnership initiatives.
• Ability and willingness to travel occasionally within the region and nationally in support of employer engagement, recruiting activities, professional conferences, and experiential learning initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and sustain productive relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, including employers, alumni, recruiters, campus partners, external partners, and students.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, cultivate, and expand external partnerships through proactive outreach, relationship management, and consultative engagement.
• Advanced business development, networking, and relationship management skills.
• Strong political acumen and organizational diplomacy, with proven success navigating complex institutional structures, building consensus, and communicating effectively with senior-level leaders.
• Familiarity with internship program development and experiential learning initiatives.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proven organizational, project management, and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across departments and build consensus among colleagues and partners.
• Ability to analyze employer feedback, labor market trends, and employment data to inform strategy and improve outcomes.
• Demonstrated initiative, creativity, and sound judgment in identifying opportunities and implementing new programs or partnerships.
• Commitment to providing exceptional, tailored service to students, employers, alumni, faculty, and university partners.
• Ability to articulate and support Pepperdine University's mission and values through daily work.
• Willingness to occasionally work evenings and weekends in support of employer events, networking programs, and student activities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and virtual meeting platforms.
• Ability to leverage social media and digital communication platforms to engage employers, students, and alumni.

Preferred:

• Master's degree in higher education administration, student affairs, counseling, business administration, organizational leadership, human resources, or a related field.
• Experience in graduate business education, career services, university recruiting, corporate talent acquisition, or employer engagement.
• Experience working with MBA, graduate, or professional student populations.
• Experience developing employer partnerships that support internships, experiential learning, and full-time employment.
• Experience using career management platforms and CRM systems to manage employer relationships and analyze engagement outcomes.
• Knowledge of graduate business education and MBA recruiting timelines and practices.
• Understanding of employer recruiting strategies, talent acquisition trends, and current labor market conditions.
• Knowledge of international student employment pathways, including Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT).
• Experience supporting employment outcomes reporting, assessment, rankings, or accreditation initiatives.
• Familiarity with employer engagement metrics, CRM reporting, and data-informed decision making.
• Experience designing employer-facing programming, networking events, or industry engagement initiatives.
• Experience with Handshake, 12Twenty, Salesforce, or similar employer relationship management systems.
• Familiarity with Pepperdine University systems such as ModernCampus, Trumba, Qualtrics, WaveNet, 25Live, or related platforms.
• Experience using artificial intelligence tools and data-driven platforms to improve employer engagement, communication, and operational effectiveness.

This is a Regular, Exempt, 40 hour per week position that may be eligible for remote or hybrid work in accordance with the University Policy Manual.

Expected Pay Range: $72,384 - $76,000 per year

The above pay range reflects what Pepperdine University reasonably expects to pay for this position at time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on relevant factors such as work experience, market conditions, education/training, and skill level. In addition to base pay, Pepperdine offers a robust and highly competitive benefits package.

Pepperdine is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Pepperdine is committed to providing a work environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. Engaging in unlawful discrimination or harassment will result in appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University.

Pepperdine is religiously affiliated with the Churches of Christ. It is the purpose of Pepperdine to pursue the very highest employment and academic standards within a context that celebrates and extends the spiritual and ethical ideals of the Christian faith. While students, faculty, and staff represent many religious backgrounds, Pepperdine is permitted under applicable law and reserves the right to seek, hire, and promote persons who support the goals and mission of the institution, including the right to prefer co-religionists who support Pepperdine's Christian mission.

Qualified individuals should be able to show respect for workplace differences, and have the ability to work effectively with individuals from different backgrounds.

Offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal, education, and employment screening. The University conducts such screenings in compliance with applicable laws and with the objectives of evaluating risk and supporting a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests; safeguarding key University assets including people, property, information, and the University’s reputation; and providing comprehensive job-related information to University leaders to enable them to make prudent hiring decisions. Individuals will be required to disclose any criminal convictions on a designated form after receiving a conditional offer of employment; failure to disclose accurate information may result in withdrawal of the offer or termination of employment. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.