Intermediate Specialist, Industry Engagement and Development

University of Ottawa

• $85K — $107K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Undergraduate degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
  • Minimum five years in business development, employer relations, or similar roles.
  • Bilingual in French and English at Low Advanced proficiency or higher.
  • Knowledge of experiential learning programs.
  • Proven ability to build and maintain employer relationships through networking.
  • Strong communication and presentation skills in both languages.
  • Experience with CRM tools for account management.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and manage a portfolio of employer partners for experiential learning programs.
  • Act as the primary contact for employer accounts, ensuring high-quality service.
  • Identify employer needs and align them with student talent and learning opportunities.
  • Maintain proactive communication with employers to foster long-term relationships.
  • Secure new employer partnerships through outreach and networking.
  • Represent the University at industry events to promote programs and gather market intelligence.
  • Collaborate with internal teams to enhance employer engagement and service delivery.

Benefits

  • Access to professional development opportunities.
  • Flexible work schedule with potential for local and regional travel.
  • Supportive work environment focused on student success.
  • Engagement in meaningful community and industry partnerships.
Full Job Description
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Posting Reason:
Temporary replacement of a regular position

Job Type:
Employee

Anticipated Duration in Months (for contracts and temporary assignments):
36

Job Family:
Business Development

# of Open Positions:
1

Faculty/Service - Department:
Student Affairs, CO-OP, Employer & Business Development

Campus:
Main Campus

Union Affiliation:
SSUO

Date Posted (YYYY/MM/DD):
2026/10/01

Applications must be received BEFORE (YYYY/MM/DD):
2026/10/11

Hours per week:
35

Salary Grade:
SSUO Grade 10

Salary Range:
$85,040.00 - $107,421.00

Position Purpose:

Support the University's mandate to build strong, strategic relationships with industry partners that expand experiential learning opportunities for students across programs with an assigned portfolio. This includes developing, leading, and growing strategic employer partnerships in support of all experiential learning (EL) programs offered through CDEL, including co-op, career fairs, on campus activities and curriculum collaborations.

Serve as an ambassador for the University of Ottawa, promoting its reputation and values within industry and professional communities, promote the full portfolio of CDEL experiential learning programs, and ensure high-quality, meaningful employer engagement. Maintain a strong external presence and build and sustain relationships that support student learning, employability, and institutional priorities.

In this role, your responsibilities will include:

Employer Portfolio and Relationship Management
  • Develop, manage, and sustain an assigned portfolio of employer partners in support of CDEL experiential learning programs, including co-op, career-integrated learning, and employer engagement initiatives.
  • undefined
  • Act as the primary point of contact for assigned employer accounts, ensuring consistent, responsive, and high-quality service delivery.
  • Identify employer hiring and engagement needs and align them with appropriate experiential learning opportunities and student talent, in collaboration with internal partners.
  • Maintain regular, proactive communication with employers, both digitally and in-person, to foster long-term relationships and ongoing participation in CDEL programs.
  • undefined
  • Ensure accurate and timely maintenance of employer account information, engagement activities, and outcomes in CRM and related databases to support continuity, reporting, and strategic planning.


Partnership Development and Growth
  • Identify, prospect, and secure new employer partnerships through targeted outreach, referrals, market research, and strategic networking, often off-campus and in-person.
  • Contribute to the development and execution of business development strategies and annual partnership objectives established by CDEL leadership.
  • Expand the scope and depth of employer engagement by identifying opportunities for sustained and multi-program participation, including hiring, events, mentoring, sponsorships, and sector-based initiatives.
  • Apply a relationship lifecycle approach that emphasizes retention, expansion, and diversification of employer involvement over time.
  • Develop and report on key performance indicators (KPI's) for partnership development and growth and adjust engagement strategies as required to support organizational goals.


External Representation and Market Intelligence
  • Represent the University of Ottawa and CDEL as an ambassador at employer, industry, alumni, and community events, promoting experiential learning programs, students, and institutional priorities.
  • Maintain a visible and credible presence within employer and industry communities to strengthen awareness, reputation, and connections.
  • Leverage external engagements to gather market intelligence on labour market trends, sector needs, and emerging opportunities.
  • undefined
  • Share insights and observations with colleagues and leadership to inform employer engagement strategies, program development, and priority setting, taking into account organizational goals and KPI's.


Experience, Collaboration, and Continuous Improvement
  • Assess and monitor the quality and suitability of employer-provided experiential learning opportunities to ensure alignment with academic, ethical, and learning standards.
  • Address employer and student concerns professionally and proactively, escalating issues when appropriate and contributing to timely resolution.
  • Participate in employer and student feedback processes, including evaluations and surveys, and recommend improvements to engagement practices and service delivery.
  • Collaborate with CDEL colleagues and internal partners (faculties, analysts, event coordinators, marketing teams, alumni, advancement teams) to deliver a coordinated and consistent employer experience.
  • Participate in the training, mentoring, and supervision of student staff supporting Industry Engagement and Development activities, as required


What You Will Bring:

  • Knowledge of business development, employer engagement, and experiential learning principles normally acquired through an undergraduate degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
  • Minimum five years of experience in business development, employer relations, sales, account management, or related client-facing sales roles.
  • Bilingualism: French and English (spoken and written), to be considered for this position, candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language. The rating is determined by a proficiency test designed by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.
  • Knowledge of experiential learning programs.
  • Demonstrated experience building and maintaining employer relationships through direct engagement and networking.
  • Strong comfort representing an organization externally and promoting programs in professional settings.
  • Strategic thinking, analytical skills, and understanding of labour market dynamics.
  • Experience coordinating events and outreach initiatives in fast-paced environments.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills in both official languages.
  • Experience using CRM tools for account management, tracking engagement, performance and data.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities with attention to detail and tight deadlines.
  • Proactive, enthusiastic, and committed to delivering high-quality programs to students and services to partners.
  • Experience with Microsoft Office, online researchand analytics tools
  • Flexible schedule and willingness to travel locally and regionally for industry meetings and events, in accordance with the applicable collective agreement.
  • Valid driver's license and access to a vehicle.


Key Competencies at uOttawa:
Here are the required competencies for all or our employees at uOttawa:

Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

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