Employer Partnerships and Placement Senior Associate

ABOUT ALU

ALU provides higher education for a higher purpose. Our students declare missions, not majors. They develop the real-world skills to take on the world’s most pressing challenges. And they take ownership of their learning from day one through our peer and student-led approach – because ALU believes in the power and agency of young people to start shaping the future right now.
Together with a world-class faculty and staff, our students are igniting a ripple of positive impact across Africa and the world.

We are dedicated to fostering an open yet secure environment, balancing the safety of students, staff, and visitors with respect for individual rights, and safeguarding responsibilities.

HOW WE WORK

The ALU Team works in starkly different ways to traditional academic bureaucracies. We approach education from first principles, empower individuals to design, test, and implement creative new ideas, and work closely together to craft transformative learning experiences. We are deeply passionate about our students and excited by the challenge of building something entirely new.

The African Leadership University is committed to ensuring the safety and Well-being of all students under our care. As part of this commitment , we have a comprehensive safeguarding policy in place , which outlines our Zero-tolerance approach to any violation of safeguarding.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Student Professional Development (SPD) Team is the professional development arm of the Learning Development department which ensures that ALU students are equipped with the knowledge, skills, mindsets and experiences necessary to chart & drive their professional development journeys and career paths during and beyond their ALU experience. This team performs two basic functions: 

1. Student Preparation, Professional Development & Guidance; and
2. Employer Partnerships & Placements, 

Together these 2 work-streams provide a cohesive framework that ensures that students leave ALU with confidence in their abilities to drive their career journeys, irrespective of the paths they choose to pursue.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Employer Partnerships & Placement Associate will report directly to the Student Professional Development Lead and work closely with the Student Professional Development workstream. You will drive the employer partner sourcing and onboarding, employer-student matching processes specifically for  jobs for students moving into official academic internship cycles, our final year students and recent alumni, in collaboration with the ALUmni Relations Team. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Stakeholder Management

• Assist in managing the sourcing and Employer Partner onboarding experience from end-to-end.
• Support the planning, preparation, and hosting of Employer Partnerships Events (in person or online) to increase student awareness of opportunities.
• Help create and maintain strategic partnerships with Employer Partners and key industry players.
• Attend and represent ALU at key events in Kigali that convene employers and industry partners across diverse sectors to drive employer outreach and establish new partnerships

Account Management

• Maintain regular communication with Employer Partners to understand their needs and expectations.
• Ensure timely and accurate responses to Employer Partner inquiries.
• Assist in managing relationships with key accounts, ensuring their satisfaction and retention.

Student Support

• Conduct office hours with students to provide support and guidance.
• Assist in pre-screening applicant profiles for Employer Partners (upon request).
• Collaborated in managing the SPD Hub and other platforms for student and employer interactions.

Data Gathering & Reporting 

• Keep track of all incoming opportunities for Monthly Reporting
• Process Internship Support Letters in a timely manner
• Analyse and report on Internships, Manager & Student Self Assessments
• Track all Employer Partner Engagement Activities in order to improve Employer Partner Experience and long term engagement with ALU/ALCHE
• Engage in any and all Data Gathering & Reporting activities as assigned by the Team Lead

Others

• Assist in coordinating employer engagement activities across both ALU Rwanda & ALC Mauritius Campuses in accordance with the Employer Partner Engagement Strategy.
• Collaborate with the Student Preparation work stream and liaise with academic and non-academic teams to integrate professional development into the student experience.
• Assist in analyzing and reporting feedback from employer partners and students.
• Maintain the SPD Salesforce Dashboards and update individual student information.
• Oversee the Employer Partner & Placement email addresses and ensure timely responses.

Ensure the safety and well-being of all young persons and vulnerable adults with whom we deal,  by adhering to ALU’s comprehensive safeguarding policy, maintaining a zero-tolerance approach to any violations of safeguarding standards.

REQUIREMENTS

• 3-5 years of work experience; ideally in a diversity of company profiles (multinational, high growth, SME etc.)
• Understand the diverse expectations companies have of entry-level talent
• Negotiation Skills and creating common interest and tangible value for all parties
• Experience with digital tools such as Salesforce CRM, Wordpress and email campaign platforms
• Self-Motivation and sense of initiative
• Love for building a strong culture driven by the values and core beliefs for our community
• Passionate about transformative education
• Skills: Relationship and Account management,  data analysis, resourcefulness, problem solving, interpersonal, project management & empathy
• Mindsets: Data driven, collaborative, design thinking skills

LOCATION

This is primarily an in-person opportunity and is based in Kigali, Rwanda.