The Assistant Director of Partner Relations (ADPR) works within the Center for Global and Career Education (CGCE), in the area of Career and Community Education, and assumes primary responsibility for maintaining positive and mutually beneficial relationships with a wide array of external partners related to internships, community engagement, off-campus work study placements, and career and educational outcomes. The ADPR may also assist the SD and other team members in partnering with internal partners to maximize the effectiveness of Career Education and Community Engagement programming. In addition, the ADPR assists the SD in maintaining and reporting on data related to both outcomes and participation in programs.

Main areas of emphasis

• Partnership management
• Overseeing large events involving partners
• New partnership development
• Program and partnership development via grants and other projects
• Enhancing outcomes for graduates of Earlham College and the Earlham School of Religion through the maintenance of strong partnerships that provide career-discerning programming and direct post-graduation outcomes
• Maintaining and reporting on data
• Assisting in making opportunities visible to students

Partnership Management (40%, approximately 16 hours per week)

Manage partner relationships:

• Maintain positive, mutually beneficial relationships with employers and internship providers at the local and regional scales as well as strategically targeted partnerships at the national and global scales.
• Maintain positive, mutually beneficial relationships with external entities that serve as partners in our Community Engagement programming (Bonner Scholars program, Community Scholars program, and other Community Engagement programming), including mainly local organizations, but perhaps including some organizations in other locations as well.
• Maintain positive, mutually beneficial relationships with external (and a few internal) entities that serve as partners in off-campus work study placements, including mainly local organizations, but perhaps including some organizations in other locations as well.
• Maintain positive, mutually beneficial relationships with graduate and professional schools at the regional and national scales as well as strategically targeted partnerships at the global scale.
• Maintain, in some cases, relationships that may address multiple partnership types listed above (e.g., a local museum that works with both community-engagement placements and off-campus work study placements; a graduate school that both accepts graduate applications from Earlhamites and hires Earlham alumni for administrative and/or faculty roles).
• Work with Alumni Engagement to connect with Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion alumni who may be interested in facilitating one or more of the types of partnerships listed above. Remain active and visible in the EC connect platform.
• Serve as the primary point-of-contact for existing partners.
• Maintain and continually update partnership information in Handshake and/or another agreed-upon database or system.
• Remain in regular communication with partners, including keeping them informed of relevant information (e.g., term dates, policy updates, etc.); checking in with them before, during, and after program periods; and answering any queries from them. Maintain a log of notes about partner relationships in Handshake and/or elsewhere.
• Manage partner expectations and address their concerns and requests for special approaches, exceptions to policy, etc. Accommodate partner needs to the fullest possible extent while maintaining College standards and complying with relevant laws and statutes.
• Ensure that partners understand the Earlham College commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and that they are operating with a similar framework in their engagement with our students and graduates. Work together with the SD, Career Coaches, and/or other personnel to address any DEI-related issues that may emerge. When necessary, terminate partnerships with entities that do not observe key DEI indicators.
• Where appropriate, conduct periodic site visits at the operating locations of local partners to observe and assess how their operations relate to our mission. The Bonner Scholars program requires this assessment annually for each partner.

Managing events (15%, approximately 6 hours per week)

General and Targeted Fairs, Info Sessions, and Campus Visits: With the assistance of other team members, conduct broad/general and/or targeted fairs or related events involving partners who might employ Earlham graduates, provide internships for Earlham students, and/or provide ongoing educational pathways after students leave Earlham.

• Assume primary responsibility for planning and administering any large-scale events that address the entire College population (e.g., Involvement Fair focusing on community and civic engagement), delegating administrative tasks, where appropriate, to other team members.
• Assist other team members in planning and administering more targeted events, such as a Grad School Highlights Session for students in the Science & Environment Career Community, or a campus visit for a recruiter from a major company or a fellowship program recruiter.
• Complete related tasks, including reservation of spaces, creation of Events in Handshake and the uConnect website, recruitment of partner participants, collecting and processing any partner participation fees, marketing and publicity of events to students (working with other team members), ordering any supplies, ordering any catering, staffing the event and managing event staff, and assessing the outcomes of each event.

EPIC Expo: Assist the SD and other team members across CGCE as well as all of the EPIC Centers in administering the EPIC Expo or any successor events that feature the Earlham EPIC Journey. These events operate in an all-hands-on-deck model, with the SD serving as the primary planner.

• Complete related tasks, including reservation of spaces, creation of Events in Handshake and the uConnect website, recruitment of partner participants, collecting and processing any partner participation fees, marketing and publicity of events to students (working with other team members), ordering any supplies, ordering any catering, staffing the event and managing event staff, and assessing the outcomes of each event.

Student-Alumni Events: Collaborate with other team members and Alumni Relations colleagues in planning and carrying out one or two events that connect students and alumni, such as the Alumni-Student Networking Social during Homecoming.

Partnership and program development (30%, approximately 12 hours per week)

New partnership development: Continually strive to develop new relationships with prospective partners in any of the various partnership categories iterated above.

• Engage broadly in the greater Richmond community in order to develop relationships with companies and organizations that may lead to new partnerships over time. This engagement may include participation in meetings or events sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Waynet.org, or other relevant organizations.
• Meet with and visit on-site representatives of entities that may become partners over time.
• Stay abreast of the Earlham College and ESR curricula, the programming in Community Engagement, and federal policies related to off-campus work study, in order to understand needs related to student internships, externships, and related experiences; possibilities for course-related community engagement activities in the community and beyond; and the kinds of graduate and professional schools that make for strong partnerships.
• Participate, where appropriate, in conversations about new “pathway programs,” such as 3+1 and 3+2 programs that allow students to pursue an Earlham B.A. degree paired with a graduate degree conferred by a partner institution. Pathways may also include “early acceptance” opportunities for Earlham students in the first or sophomore years as well as partnerships that involve active recruitment of Earlham graduates for particular graduate programs. Assist the SD and ED in maintaining information about currently active pathway programs in the CGCE website.

Program development: Participate in collaborative efforts to improve programming, especially in relation to grant- and gift-funded programs.

• Assist the SD, ED, and the Director of Sponsored Programs and Foundation Relations in maintaining relationships with partners in grant- and gift-funded programs, as appropriate and requested.
• Participate in efforts to seek new grant and/or gift funding, as assigned.
• Communicate with other team members about possibilities for program and funding development involving current or prospective new partners.

Data Maintenance and Reporting (10%, approximately 4 hours per week)

Partner Visibility: Working in collaboration with both off-campus partners and colleagues in CGCE and other EPIC units, keep track of partners such as internship employers, providers of certification and training courses, and community-engagement partners.

• Track the new partners selected by students arranging their own internships, certification courses, etc.
• Seek out and explore options for promising new possibilities.
• Maintain a searchable database of partners that is visible to all EPIC team members.
• Assist other CGCE team members in making strategically selected possibilities for internships, certification and training courses, field schools, community-engagement sites, etc. visible within the relevant Career Communities and other “communities” in the CGCE website.

Career Education and Community Engagement Statistics and Reporting: Manage the maintenance of data and information related to Career Education and Community Engagement.

• Assume primary responsibility for maintenance of relevant information that allows for tracking and reporting on our activities and the outcomes of our programs.
• Work with other team members to continuously improve tracking of participation and outcomes in Handshake, Terra Dotta, and other relevant systems.
• Provide data, as needed, for the use of other team members and Marketing and Communication colleagues to provide internal and external reports.
• Work with other internal constituents (e.g., academic departments) seeking targeted information and data.

First Destination Survey: Manage and produce the annual First Destination Survey (FDS).

• Assume primary responsibility for creating and deploying eac year’s FDS in Handshake.
• Ensure strong participation in the FDS, aiming for a 90%+ knowledge rate each year.
• Tabulate and report on data, working with other team members and Marketing and Communication to include reporting in relevant EPIC publications.

Other Duties (5%, approximately 2 hours per week)

Professional development: Participate regularly in regional, national, or international professional development opportunities and networks.

Board/committee service: Serve on various boards and committees, as appropriate to the CGCE and EPIC missions.

Ad hoc assignments: Complete other duties as requested by the Senior Director or the Executive Director.

• Bachelor’s degree and at least introductory 1 to 2 years of experience in relevant areas (employer relations, community engagement, career education, etc.)
• Demonstrated skill in and passion for working with internal and external partners that can help the College to enhance student programming and outcomes
• Demonstrated interpersonal relationship-building skills and experience working with a wide range of constituents, including employers, community partners, graduate schools, faculty, students, and alumni
• Experience communicating with and supporting people from diverse backgrounds and an expressed commitment to uphold and further Earlham’s Diversity Aspirations Vision Statement
• Ability to maintain high level of confidentiality
• Clear understanding of and affinity with the purposes and values of a private residential liberal arts college and a demonstrated ability to work with teaching faculty
• Experience and comfort with digital tools and technology, including social media
• Commitment to high visibility on campus, in the local community, among alumni, and with employers and graduate schools beyond the local community
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced office
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills, particularly in translating the value of the liberal arts into graduate outcomes

Additional Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree, graduate certificate, or some post-bac study
• Knowledge of current professional practices and challenges in community engagement and/or career education
• Knowledge of or experience in liberal-arts settings in higher education
• Experience in partnership development, management, and assessment
• Familiarity with the Handshake, Terra Dotta, uConnect, and People Grove platforms
• Experience in grant-writing and management of grant-funded projects

Please submit the following application materials in a single electronic file:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Statement on Diversity: The Statement on Diversity should describe how your values and leadership frame or center Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in your work.
• Contact information for three references

All materials should be submitted to the Earlham College Office of Human Resources at [email protected].

Earlham College requires all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or apply for and receive a qualified exemption within two weeks of the employment start date.

Earlham College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks applications from candidates who contribute to diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, age, religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and veteran status, among other distinctions and contributions. As a College with a Quaker identity, Earlham also is eager to solicit applications from members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

Earlham utilizes E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility for all newly hired employees within the United States.