Ready to join a workforce UNLIKE any other?

Unit: Student Success

Department: VCU Career Services

Position Summary: The Student Employment Manager fulfills an important need for VCU students and serves three primary functions: 1) developing relationships with, and supporting, employers and supervisors interested in hiring VCU students for part-time and seasonal positions on and off campus; 2) helping to prepare students interested in securing part-time or seasonal employment while attending VCU through resources and information; and 3) serving as a member of the VCU Career Services Employer and Experiential Development team, designing strategies to increase employment-related opportunities for students.

The position regularly spends time in the local community, developing relationships for the purpose of connecting VCU students with employers who can provide part-time and seasonal opportunities to support students’ earning potential during their studies, as well as directly supporting students as they pursue work-based learning opportunities as part of their college education. This individual will maintain records and produce internal and external updates on a regular basis, detailing job location and development (JLD) and student employee hiring, as well as reporting JLD hiring to VCU Financial Aid for inclusion in their annual report on use of Federal Work-Study (FWS) funds. This position reports directly to the Assistant Director of Internships & Experiential Programs.

Members of the VCU Career Services team regularly engage in professional development, including in-house and external training and conference opportunities, to make sure we are able to best serve students and alumni, to stay current with industry standards and changes, to revise programs and services to reflect trends, and to increase our office’s visibility, both at VCU and on a broader scale.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Relationship Development and Management (30%): 

• Develop and maintain employer relationships, with a focus on employer partners interested in hiring current students for part-time and seasonal opportunities, as well as Federal Work-Study-eligible positions, both on and off campus.
• Engage regularly with members of the Office of Financial Aid team.
• Outreach (phone, in-person, via email) with new and prospective employer partners who may have part-time, seasonal, and work-study eligible job opportunities for current students.
• Orient employer partners to VCU, VCU Career Services, and the Handshake system so they can make informed decisions about engagement and be prepared to effectively post and follow up on student employment opportunities.
• Respond to employer inquiries regarding part-time and seasonal employment opportunities that may be a fit for current VCU students.
• Recruit employers and organizations for relevant career fairs and other campus events and engagement opportunities.
• Check in regularly with existing employer partners to ensure high-quality service and continued campus engagement throughout the year.
• Provide training and resources related to designing employment opportunities for students that will enrich their learning and professional development in and out of the classroom, including collaboratively updating and publishing the annual Federal Work-Study Employer Training.
• Support the strategic development and improvement of on-campus and off-campus employment opportunities, both those that are Federal Work-Study-eligible and non-FWS, ensuring consistency and quality throughout.

Program Development and Management (30%): 

• Work with colleagues across roles and functional areas to create and execute programming related to part-time, seasonal, and work-study employment, and that facilitates student learning and skill development.
• Collaborate and communicate with team members, campus partners, employers, and alumni to ensure successful event design, marketing, staffing, delivery, and evaluation.
• Serve as primary organizer and point person for annual Part-Time Job Fair and Seasonal & Part-Time Job Fair, and any other necessary career fair events related specifically to part-time, seasonal, and work-study employment. This includes, but is not limited to, employer invitations, registration, day-of-fair logistics, and communications regarding career fairs.
• Serve on the project leadership team for the Transforming Federal Work-Study grant project and the VCU Federal Work-Study Internship Program.
• Create and deliver “Earn While You Learn” workshop for incoming first-year and transfer students and their families as part of New Student and Transfer Student Orientations during both Summer and Winter sessions, as well as providing customized versions of this workshop upon request for other campus partners.
• Support other career fair planning and day-of operations, as a member of the Employer and Experiential Development Team.
• Utilize appropriate processes so that event marketing can be created and distributed to employers and students as appropriate.
• Coordinate with other campus units productively in collaboration of career services

Leadership and Strategic Initiatives (30%): 

• Recruit, train, supervise and mentor the Federal Work-Study Internship Coordinators, who are part-time, grant-funded team members, as part of the Transforming FWS Grant from SCHEV.
• Contribute to the development of an elevated, coordinated, and more robust student employment experience across campus for students, hiring departments, and supervisors through student education, supervisor education, and service on work groups.
• Adhere to principles of professional conduct and ethics as outlined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), including but not limited to:
  • Engage with employer partners to promote equitable pay/wages, inclusive recruitment and hiring practices, mentoring and management, and professional development.
  • Implement, review, and enforce employer recruitment policies.
  • Providing resources for all those engaged in career advising and recruitment to promote informed and responsible decision-making.
• Implement, review, and enforce — in conjunction with Employer & Experiential Development team — employer and student policies.
• Serve on appropriate committees and work groups within VCU Career Services and across campus (e.g., Work+, FWS, Transforming FWS), as well as externally, representing VCU within regional and national associations related to student employment.
• Contribute actively to the development, adaptation, and implementation of the VCU Career Services Strategic Plan through collaboration and project work.
• Perform other duties to support team operations and strategic initiatives, as assigned.

Technology Management (5%): 

• Promote effective office, employer, and campus engagement with the Handshake system in support of student recruitment, retention, experiential learning, networking, and event participation, as well as organizational relationship management and documentation.
• Manage communications with students to provide resources and guidance related to part-time, seasonal, and work-study job search, application, interview, and in-job success.
• Develop and maintain robust web content on part-time and seasonal jobs, off-campus employment, and the Transforming Federal Work-Study Internship program, increasing transparency, data sharing, and resources available to students and employers.
• Respond to student email inquiries related to part-time, seasonal, and work-study employment and Handshake, referring to other Career Services and Financial Aid colleagues when appropriate.
• Provide troubleshooting assistance on the Handshake system to students, including student employees of Career Services.

Assessment and Reporting (5%):

• Regularly collect, analyze, and share data related to student employment opportunities and in support of programs and services related to the JLD Program.
• Collaborate on evaluation, reporting, and data analysis related to the Federal Work-Study Program, in collaboration with the Office of Financial Aid and other EED team members.
• Support and collaborate with the TFWS Internship Coordinators on assessment and reporting responsibilities related to the Federal Work-Study Internship Program. 

Other Position Details:

• This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement with up to 40% weekly telework. 

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• 2-3 years of relevant experience in a university or industry setting.
• At least one year of experience supervising part-time, full-time, or student staff members.
• Experience using database systems, e.g., Handshake, GradLeaders, CSO, Symplicity, SalesForce, PeopleSoft, etc., for relationship management and reporting.
• Solid working knowledge of MS Office (includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Mail/Calendar. Beginning level is required; intermediate level is desired.
• Ability to provide education and outreach to students and employers about part-time employment
• Superb customer service with a keen attention to detail.
• Effective communication skills (includes both written and oral), and the ability to act with diplomacy, tact, and knowledge of grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and correct spelling
• Critical thinking, problem-solving, and negotiation skills, as well as the ability to synthesize new information, incorporate, and apply across tasks.
• Ability to develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with internal and external departments and agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in student personnel/higher education, counseling, human resources, public administration, business, or related field.
• Experience developing or fostering partnerships with employers and non-profit agencies.
• Experience working in a Career Services and/or Financial Aid Office, including working knowledge of Financial Aid, Student Employment, and Federal Work-Study.
• Ability to generate student employment opportunities with employers and market them to students
• Familiarity with the Greater Richmond area and connections within the local community.

Salary Range: $47,000 - $49,000

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: No

Flexible Work Arrangement: Hybrid

University Job Title: 35224N - Sr Specialist SS 1

Posting Closes: June 17th at 11:55PM