Employer Engagement and Partnership Specialist

Toronto, ON, Canada

Full Time

Career Services

Experienced

We are looking for the visionaries, the change-makers, and the self-starters who are seeking more from their career. Change begins with the small decisions we make, each day, to support each other, and strive to create inspiring, incredible educational experiences for all students, no matter where they are, or how they learn. In choosing a career with Yorkville University, you will have the opportunity to push boundaries, flex your creativity, and inspire positive change for so many people.

Our core values put the student experience at the center of what we do, reflecting who we are, and aspire to be. If you want to shine a light on academic excellence, be empowered to make an impact on the transformation of the Canadian post-secondary education landscape, and work collaboratively beyond levels, join us.

Who we need

Reporting to the Director, Career Education, we are looking for an Employer Engagement and Partnership Specialist. This role plays an essential part in connecting learners across undergraduate and graduate programs with the world of work. You will build and maintain deep, strategic partnerships with employers, industry leaders, and professional associations to create equitable pathways to employment, mentorship, and lifelong career growth. Collaborating across academic and administrative teams, you will embed real-world opportunities into the student experience, ensuring that every learner, regardless of location or background, can access industry-informed experiences that support meaningful careers.

As a national relationship leader, you will proactively cultivate and expand Yorkville University’s collective industry network, establishing the institution as a top-tier talent pipeline for employers seeking ambitious, diverse, and well-prepared graduates. You will engage with executive-level leaders and C-suite stakeholders across industry sectors, ensuring that every learner has access to high-value opportunities aligned with Canada’s evolving leadership talent landscape. This role requires a hands-on, outward-facing approach, actively identifying and developing new partnerships rather than relying solely on existing contacts.

This is a full-time role, currently following a hybrid model working 4-days a week on-site at our Toronto location and 1-day remotely.

What’s in it for you

Connection. You want to bring people and communities together and create meaningful opportunities for students, employers, and alumni to connect. Whether through events, mentorship, programs, or thought leadership, you will be at the centre of cultivating relationships that strengthen the Yorkville experience.

Creativity. You will play a key role in shaping employer-facing outreach, industry storytelling, and event experiences that highlight student talent and employer impact. From large-scale events to integrated marketing campaigns, you will help amplify the visibility and value of Yorkville’s career-ready graduates.

Career growth. You will expand your partnership development, events, communications, and business development skills in a supportive environment that values collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity. This is an opportunity to work closely with senior leaders, strengthen your expertise in employer engagement, and build a foundation for future growth within higher education, industry partnerships, or community engagement.

As our new Employer Engagement and Partnership Specialist, you will focus on:

Employer engagement and strategic partnerships. You will actively identify, initiate, and cultivate high-impact relationships with employers, alumni, and industry associations to support work-integrated learning and career development across disciplines. You will design partnership roadmaps that progress from initial engagement to multi-year, mutually beneficial collaborations, serving as the primary consultant to partners and aligning their recruitment and talent development needs with Yorkville’s diverse and distributed student population. You will act as the key point of contact for employers participating in recruitment, mentorship, and experiential learning, ensuring high-quality engagement and mutual value creation, and proactively expand Yorkville’s collective industry network, engaging with executive-level and C-suite stakeholders to strengthen national partnerships that support student career readiness.
Career pathways and student access. You will coordinate and oversee programs and events that connect students with employers, including career expos, sector roundtables, mentorship programs, employer-led challenges, and micro-consulting projects. You will collaborate with Career Coaches and Faculty to ensure that all students, whether online or in-person, have equitable access to experiential learning opportunities across Canada. You will facilitate networking and mentorship opportunities that help students develop confidence, professional acumen, and career readiness skills.
Program integration and co-curricular learning. You will embed employer perspectives into curricular and co-curricular activities by integrating industry challenges, alumni panels, and experiential components into academic programs. You will leverage national labour market insights to inform programming and ensure alignment between academic competencies and evolving workforce needs. You will partner with Career Education staff to develop scalable frameworks linking employer engagement to institutional outcomes, including employability, belonging, and graduate success.
Labour market intelligence and continuous improvement. You will analyze national and emerging workforce trends to inform partnership strategies, program design, and student engagement initiatives. You will gather and translate feedback from employers and students to continuously enhance career readiness programming. You will track partnership activity, student engagement, and graduate outcomes to support data-driven decision-making and strategic planning.
Scalable program design, marketing, and experience delivery. You will own and execute high-impact events, initiatives, and campaigns with a focus on measurable results, ROI, and continuous innovation. You will collaborate with the Marketing and Communications team to ensure consistent employer brand storytelling and visibility across platforms, strengthening Yorkville’s reputation as a trusted national partner in developing career-ready talent.

You have:

The education and experience. You have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Communications, Career Development, or a related field, and a Master’s degree is preferred. You bring experience in employer relations, partnership development, business development, or career services, with demonstrated success in event design, facilitation, and project management across virtual and in-person formats.
The knowledge. You have a strong understanding of labour market trends, emerging skills, and employer engagement practices. You are familiar with Life Design, Design Thinking, and experiential learning approaches that strengthen career education.
The interpersonal skills. You have exceptional written and verbal communication skills and a proven ability to understand and meet the needs of diverse, distributed, and international student populations. You excel at building and nurturing trusting and influential relationships and can work collaboratively and independently in a team setting.
The values. You are deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity with a priority on widening access to education and professional opportunities for growth and influence. You take an innovative and learner-centred approach with a focus on continuous improvement. You bring curiosity, a genuine interest in education, and a commitment to fostering inclusive communities.
The project management. You have successfully managed concurrent events and projects from end to end in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. You can navigate complexity and drive results, managing deliverables, coordinating tasks, and ensuring execution aligns with strategy. You are highly organized and have a strong attention to detail. You are disciplined and decisive, capable of taking ownership and making informed decisions to keep projects on track. You are proficient in MS Office Suite and virtual/remote presentation tools.
The flexibility. You are willing and able to travel for business and industry events.

Why work at Yorkville University?

An atmosphere that successfully blends an entrepreneurial culture with education. We value innovation and continuously look towards expanding our programming, working with the latest research, tools, and solutions. As a private school with government approval of our offerings, we have the opportunity to do more, stay current, and be future-forward.
The chance to accelerate your career and disrupt education by responding to the needs you see and purposefully challenging the status quo. Everything we do here is about delighting and engaging our employees and ultimately our students from mentorship to teaching, from creative outlets to analytical ones.
A place where all individuals feel welcomed in the academic and workplace environments, and can bring their authentic selves to the educational and work spheres. We celebrate the full range of human diversity, and we acknowledge that equal access to opportunities and services may require the removal of barriers that equity-seeking communities experience in trying to obtain this access.
The opportunity to grow with access to free courses, certifications and programs - right up to our Masters' offerings.
An appreciation for the insights and skills you bring to work with a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits, including a wide breadth of wellness services, and a work-life balance.

Join us

We welcome and appreciate candidates with a range of backgrounds and experiences. If you have 70% of the qualifications we are looking for, express your interest.

What you can expect from our hiring process:

A virtual interview with a Talent Advisor discussing your interest in the role. The conversation will be recorded using BrightHire, an AI-powered video interview tool. More details will be shared when you are invited to interview.
A virtual interview with the Director of Career Education to explore how your experience aligns with the needs of the role. You will be asked to prepare and deliver a presentation to a panel; full instructions will be shared in advance.
An in-person interview with the Director of Career Education and members of the executive team.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are a critical component of life at Yorkville University and Toronto Film School and we are committed to making these values an integral part of our culture. We encourage applications from all qualified applicants, including women, persons with disabilities, Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC), people from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Asexual + (LGBTQ2SIA+) community and other equity-seeking groups.

Yorkville University is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act ('AODA'). If you require accommodation for disability, please notify Human Resources at 1-877-429-4029.

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