Director, Business Development & Employer Engagement

About the Role The Director, Business Development & Employer Engagement leads Columbia Business School's (CBS) business development strategy and employer engagement efforts for the School, supporting approximately 2,500 current students (MBA, Executive MBA, MS) and 50,000+ global alumni. The role reports to the Assistant Dean, Strategic Partnerships, and collaborates across CBS to design and implement industry-specific strategies, establish and measure KPIs, report on impact and trends, and coordinate employer and student-facing programming and engagement activities with US-based and global employers. What You'll Do

• Design and implement informed and dynamic business development strategies and assessment efforts in support of all CBS student populations; oversee efforts to develop, maintain, and further relationships with employers in sectors of interest to the students and alumni, and in alignment with the School’s vision for the future of business. Collaborate with colleagues across CBS to ensure employer relationships are fully leveraged.
• Craft and share creative outreach initiatives, oversee CMC-wide employer databases, support School-wide initiatives to align, liaise with assigned Centers & Programs, and represent CBS and CMC on select University-wide careers-focused committees.
• Strategically develop and execute engagement plans to help employers build their sustainable talent pipelines via job postings, campus/club events, thought leadership, educational programming and other activities.
• Actively maintain recruiting partnerships by providing high-level consultation to employers seeking to maximize recruiting efforts.
• Synthesize and share employer feedback with career advisors, students, faculty, and other internal stakeholders.
• Serve as sector lead and strategic advisor for employers and alumni in high impact sectors, as aligned with institutional priorities (i.e., PE, global, small/midsized firms).
• Team Leadership: Oversee the selection, hiring, development, and management of the Business Development team. Actively collaborate with the Sr. Associate Director, Recruitment & Employer Relations, Executive Director of Career Education and Advising, and Executive Director of Working Professionals to ensure employer relationships and engagement strategies appropriately support all CMC stakeholders across industries.
• Data-Driven Strategy & Analysis: Analyze employer engagement metrics against industry-specific KPIs to assess outcomes, inform strategy, and demonstrate impact. Partners with Assistant Dean to ensure appropriate allocation of resources to meet evolving demands.
• Event Planning & Execution: Drives high-impact recruiting and educational events with meticulous attention to detail. Engages employers in target industries as event speakers and panelists.
• Student Career Support: Serves as a liaison with assigned student clubs and industry-aligned Centers & Programs to develop industry insights, inform CMC engagement efforts, and guide student career exploration. Educates students on employer and industry trends, recruitment opportunities and sector-specific best practices.
• External Representation: Represents CMC at select professional and peer school meetings, recruiter meetings, media/press interactions, etc., and acts in place of Assistant Dean, as needed and appropriate. Works with Assistant Dean, CMC, and the School’s Marketing and Communications team to develop content for website, social media, and other external facing channels. Responsible for production of the School’s bi-monthly Employer Newsletters, and employer-facing website.
• Other Responsibilities: Performs additional responsibilities as assigned or necessary. What We're Looking For
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 5-7 years of experience required, preferably with management and business experience.
• Demonstrated deep commitment to customer service, with the ability to multitask, meet deadlines, and excel in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Ability to balance independent delivery of work with collaborative orientation.
• Outstanding interpersonal and relationship management skills, and superior writing, verbal, interactive facilitation, and presentation skills for a variety of audiences.