Director of Employer Engagement

Position Summary

The Director of Employer Engagement provides strategic leadership and oversight for UTEP’s employer‑facing engagement efforts. Reporting to the Executive Director of the Office of Business, Community, and Government Engagement, this role leads the Employer Engagement unit and is responsible for developing, managing, and scaling institutional relationships with industry, government, nonprofit, and community partners that result in meaningful student engagement, internships, and post‑graduation employment outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for the Employer Engagement unit, ensuring alignment with UTEP’s Quality Enhancement Plan, institutional priorities, and post‑graduation success outcomes.
• Lead, supervise, and evaluate a team of Engagement Officers responsible for managing defined portfolios of external employer and community partners.
• Manage and steward the University’s highest‑priority employer relationships, including key regional, national, and strategic partners, serving as the primary point of contact for select, top‑tier industry partners.
• Develop and oversee a coordinated employer engagement strategy that supports internships, applied learning experiences, on‑campus recruitment, and full‑time employment opportunities for students and graduates.
• Collaborate closely with Data Analytics, Operations Support, Career Education, academic colleges, Institutional Advancement, and other campus partners to ensure consistent communication, coordinated outreach, and effective use of shared infrastructure.
• Support the Executive Director in strategic planning, reporting, and presentations related to employer engagement and workforce outcomes.
• Comply with all State and University policies.
• Other duties may be assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws.

Qualifications

• Minimum Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum Experience: Two (2) or more years of professional experience in employer relations, workforce development, economic development, higher education partnerships, career services, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated supervisory or team‑lead experience, including coaching, performance management, or oversight of professional staff.
• Demonstrated experience building and managing complex, long‑term relationships with external partners such as employers, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or community stakeholders.
• Preferred: Master’s degree in higher education administration, business, public administration, economic development, workforce development, or a related field.
• Preferred: Experience leading an employer relations or workforce engagement function within a higher education or related organization.
• Preferred: Experience managing multiple staff members and scaling engagement strategies across portfolios, industries, or regions.
• Preferred: Demonstrated success using a CRM or relationship‑management system.

Benefits

• Medical, prescription, life insurance, and wellness platform.
• Voluntary benefits: dental, vision, additional life insurance, UT Flex, short and long‑term disability plans.
• Retirement programs.
• Longevity pay.
• Paid vacation and sick leave.
• Paid holidays.
• Employee discounts and perks.
• Employee education assistance program.
• And more – a full benefits summary is available.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to sit; use hands to feel; and reach with hands and arms.
• Occasionally required to stand; walk; and talk or hear.
• Must be able to lift and move up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, virtually, and in writing.
• Ability to travel locally and attend off‑campus meetings and events.

Work Environment

• Standard office environment with occasional travel to employer sites, meetings, and events.
• Occasional evening or weekend work to support employer engagement activities or events.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UTEP is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity in employment or the provision of services in accordance with state and federal law. Discrimination on the basis of sex includes an employee’s or prospective employee’s right to be free from sexual harassment under Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972. Inquiries—including the filing of a Formal Complaint or reporting an incident—about the application of Title IX may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, who can be reached by phone at (915) 747‑8358, by email at , or by mail at 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX, Kelly Hall, Room 223C. For accommodation information for employees and applicants with disabilities, please contact UTEP’s Equal Opportunity Office at

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