Employer Relationship Manager — Engineering Co-op Program

While this position welcomes applications from the public, please note that preference will be given to current employees at the University of Alberta. Please indicate your internal status using the “Advertisement” drop down menu when applying.

This position is a part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).

In accordance with the Administrative and Professional Officer Agreement , this full-time continuing position offers a comprehensive benefits package found on our Benefits Overview page and an annual salary range of $63,515 –  $105,851.

Location – This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person. On-site work takes place at North Campus, Edmonton.

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Working for the Faculty of Engineering and the Engineering Co-op Program

The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta is a leading educational innovator. Its nine programs are accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) and consists of four departments and an additional department jointly administered the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. Currently, it has over 200 Faculty Members, 4800 undergraduate students and 1,600 graduate students, which makes the Faculty of Engineering one of the largest graduate programs on campus, with student support levels exceeding $20M/year.

By size, this makes it within the top 5% of Engineering Faculties in North America and one of the largest Faculties at the University of Alberta.

Since 1981, Engineering at Alberta’s Co-op Program has been a national leader in cultivating young talent and preparing students for the demands of an ever-changing global economy. Our passionate and engaged students learn from industry leaders and make meaningful contributions to their communities. As one of the largest CEWIL-accredited engineering Co-op programs in Canada, with over 2,200 placements a year, our students apply their skills and develop their talents with top-notch employers.

We serve students and employers by establishing and nurturing mutually beneficial relationships that facilitate the transition from classroom to career, enhance employability, and foster lifelong personal growth and career success.

By doing this, we help our organization achieve reputational excellence in preparing students to become future leaders in society.

We steward our resources by cultivating and maintaining long-term relationships and by upholding a standard of excellence in our work-integrated learning programs. 

Working as an Employer Relationship Manager

The Faculty of Engineering Co-op program is seeking a dynamic and outgoing Employer Relationship Manager. Are you energized by networking and relationship building? Do you love to attend events, initiate conversations and talk about mutually beneficial partnerships within the exciting and varied realms of engineering? If you thrive on making connections in industry and developing new employment opportunities for students we want to hear from you!

In addition to being a creative business developer, this position facilitates and is involved in every facet of the co-op program from student engagement & career preparation, issues management, managing recruitment, conducting work term evaluations and a variety of special projects that serve the program. A love of working with people is a must, and a passion to positively serve students is essential.

Duties

Relationship Management 

The Employer Relationship Manager leads the function for marketing, relationship building, and job development to meet the objectives of the Faculty.

• Serve as a primary point of contact for a portfolio of companies to ensure simplicity and efficiency for engineering campus recruitment. Provide referrals to other Faculties as required.
• Develop new corporate / employer partners through initiating contact and marketing the program to stakeholders using a variety of strategies such as research, referral development, networking at conferences and industry events. 
• Provide guidance on strategic campus recruitment to corporate partners including advising on compensation trends, strategies to increase offer acceptance and corporate recruitment brand development to increase student awareness on campus while being sensitive to issues of budget. 

The Employer Relationship Manager will serve as a subject matter expert of student, faculty, and alumni engagement as well as serve as an ambassador of the University of Alberta relying on a well-rounded knowledge base.

Co-op Recruitment 

The Employer Relationship Manager is responsible for the overall management of the co-op student recruitment process and effective interactions with employers.  

• Coordinate the full cycle recruitment process such as marketing to employers, developing and managing quality job postings, employer campus visitation and facilitating the employment offer process. 
• Work in close collaboration with Program Advisors and Administrative staff to achieve placement goals. 

Academic and Student Engagement 

Involved in managing, facilitating and/or presentation of workshops and special events designed to enhance education and student engagement.

• Facilitates and conducts formal assessments for the WKEXP (Credit) Courses;  this involves assigning on-sites to Program Advisors, conducting onsite meetings, assessing reports and managing grades.
• Relying on professional judgment in complex situations, managing conflict resolution processes to address issues between student, supervisor or others when they arise during a student work term including facilitation of performance improvement action plans.

Project Work

The Employer Relationship Manager will participate in areas of specialization – serving as a passionate “Champion” and subject matter expert to lead an area and transfer knowledge back to the team or lead a project when multiple stakeholders are involved.

Minimum Qualifications

• A minimum of an undergraduate degree in Engineering, Business, Human Resources, Education or related discipline 
• A minimum of 7 years of workplace experience 
• Local, provincial, national and international economics, employment trends and business markets to ensure job development opportunities are maximized while risks are mitigated 
• Adult education and experiential education philosophy, theory and practice within the context of work-integrated learning / education 
• General knowledge of engineering, and the various disciplines, within the context of academia, industry and employment  
• Communication skills, both verbal and written, to perform functions of promotion, counselling, education and assessment  
• Ability to work both collaboratively within a large team (Program Advisors and Administrative staff) and maintain relationships with multiple stakeholders to achieve departmental goals as well as independently with a significant requirement for self-direction and self-motivation 
• Ability to handle multiple demands and skills to assess priorities in a time-sensitive environment
• Initiative and drive to develop and maintain relationships with corporate, academic and student stakeholders
• Possess judgment to understand and analyze interpersonal relationships, and ability to resolve conflict and refer externally as required 
• Analytical ability to identify trends and develop opportunities in changing or emerging business climates / economic conditions 

Preferred Qualifications

• University of Alberta and Faculty of Engineering Cooperative Education Policies and Best Practices in Cooperative Education
• Familiar with Orbis, Excel, Google Suite, Gmail (Calendaring) is an asset
• Provincial and federal (and potentially international) employment standards and human rights legislation is preferred
• Self-motivated, high-energy new business development mind-set who loves to develop prospective employers, network and immerse in an array of forums such as conferences, industry nights, advisory boards and is available for evening and weekend events  

Application Instructions

Along with your resume, please submit a cover letter that outlines why you believe you are the right person for this position. In your cover letter, please provide a detailed answer to the following question: “How will you contribute to a culture of trust, effectiveness and execution in the Faculty of Engineering?”  Applications received without a cover letter that does not specifically address these important items will not be considered.

At the University of Alberta, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates. If you require accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let us know at the time of booking your interview and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.