Career and engagement specialist

Location: Binghamton, NY Category: Professional Posted On: Tue Oct 21 2025 Job Description:

Budget Title: Senior Staff Assistant (SL-3)

Salary: $58,000 or higher, commensurate with experience

The Career and Alumni Engagement Specialist in the Watson Career and Alumni Connections (WCAC) Office within the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Sciences enhances professional development opportunities for students through various career-oriented initiatives, including student appointments, workshops, events, and targeted initiatives engaging Watson alumni. The Career and Alumni Engagement Specialist is responsible for creating opportunities for students to learn from alumni and for alumni to engage in meaningful ways with Watson College.

The Watson Career and Alumni Connections Office is dedicated to being the trusted career partner for students in engineering and the applied sciences. We place students at the center of all we do - providing expert guidance, exceptional support, and the tools they need to pursue meaningful careers in their chosen fields. Through strategic and impactful programming and consistent engagement with alumni and employers across diverse sectors, we foster lifelong relationships that expand opportunities, drive impact, and sustain our commitment to Watson student success.

Duties of the Career and Alumni Engagement Specialist include:

• Student Career Development

• Meet with students in a 1:1 capacity to provide feedback on professional resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn/networking, interview preparation, job/internship search, and graduate school planning. Assist with graded curricular career assignments.

• Alumni & Industry Engagement

• Develop and execute an alumni engagement strategic plan, offering both in-person and virtual opportunities for student-alumni connections.

• Build and sustain relationships with alumni by creating opportunities for engagement with students (panels, roundtables, networking events, industry mock interviews, guest speakers, tech talks).

• Collaborate with the WCAC Sr. Employer Relations Coordinator to promote and support employer recruitment initiatives, including programmatic aspects of the Watson Career Expo Conference, and joint opportunities to leverage alumni for student career development (jobs, internships, shadowing opportunities, short-term projects).

• Events & Networking

• Serve as liaison with the Office of Alumni Engagement for initiatives such as Networking Nights (NYC, Boston, DC, Silicon Valley), Homecoming, and other annual events.

• Plan and facilitate alumni networking receptions at targeted locations across the country.

• Plan and execute programming and events for Watson Engineers Week, including the annual Alumni & Friends Reception.

• Assessment & Data Analysis

• Evaluate the effectiveness of alumni relations programs by collecting and analyzing data on participation, engagement, and outcomes. Use insights gained to identify strengths, address gaps, and implement strategies for continuous improvement and stronger alumni connections.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree

• Minimum of three years of professional experience

• Experience planning and organizing activities and special events

• Effective oral and written communication skills with both internal and external constituents through phone, email, video conference platforms, and in-person

• Effective presentation and facilitation skills

• Effective customer service and interpersonal skills with a proven ability to collaborate effectively with individuals from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds, including students, alumni, staff, faculty, and industry partners

• Proactive, detail-oriented, with organizational/time management skills

• Ability to work both independently and within a team

• Proficiency in analytical and computer skills (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Zoom, Canva, Google Workspace, Generative AI tools, and other common office software/technology)

• Commitment to program innovation, assessment, and metrics-based management

• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and work some evenings or weekends

Preferred:

• Master's degree in a related field (e.g., Student Affairs Administration, Higher Education, Public Relations, Business Administration, Engineering or related)

• Experience working with students in a higher education setting, such as career development, talent acquisition, recruiting, or Human Resources

• Experience or background in a technical field with demonstrated proficiencies in data analytics and/or PowerBI

• Experience working with alumni and/or donors

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. If you currently need sponsorship or will need it in the future to maintain employment authorization, you do not meet eligibility requirements. Additionally, please note that Binghamton University is not an E-Verify employer.

Additional Information:

Offers of employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a pre-employment background check and verification of degree(s) and credentials.

Binghamton University is a tobacco-free campus.

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at [email protected]

Payroll information can be found on our website

Cover letters may be addressed "To the Search Committee."

Postings active on the website, accept applications until closure.

For information on the Dual Career Program, please visit:

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

The State University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. It is the policy of Binghamton University to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or arrest and/or criminal conviction record unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

As required by Title IX and its implementing regulations Binghamton University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the educational programs and activities which it operates. This requirement extends to employment and admission. Inquiries about sex discrimination may be directed to the University Title IX Coordinator or directly to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). Contact information for the Title IX Coordinator and OCR, as well as the University's complete Non-Discrimination Notice may be found here ( .

Binghamton University is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact the ADA Coordinator by completing the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form ( .