Assistant Director, Internship Programs and Professional Experiences

Job Summary

This position will be key to strengthening and scaling the established Guaranteed Work Experience (GWE) program by expanding student participation and advancing early career outcomes. The Assistant Director will operate as an independent contributor who proactively creates measurable value for students, takes direction and executes with strong follow-through, and effectively manages different verticals for program excellence. This role is responsible for onboarding students into the program, facilitating placement, and tracking and reporting on student progress. Responsibilities will include the creation and execution of new programming with weekly events that connect students directly with industry, including company-specific events, site visits, and large-scale career fairs in coordination with the Indianapolis Career Council. The Assistant Director will also support student development through instruction of professional skills courses and utilizing the university Symplicity CSM platform for tracking purposes. The position will report weekly to the Director of Career Relations and university leadership related to continual progress being made in student placement rates and creation of opportunities.

This role requires flexibility to support events outside of standard business hours and a strong focus on developing programming and employer partnerships within Indianapolis and across the State of Indiana. The position requires 80% in-person at Purdue University in Indianapolis Career + Experience Collaboration Hub. Direct, day-to-day management will be led by the Director of Career Relations for Indianapolis, who leads strategy for the Guaranteed Work Experience program, with supervisory oversight from the Director of the Office of Professional Practice.

This position offers a chance to make a meaningful impact at a prestigious institution known for innovation and research excellence. Join our community of lifelong learners and contribute your skills to this critical program. At Purdue, you’ll find unrivaled pride and unlimited potential as we persistently pursue the next giant leap together. Take the next step in your career journey – apply now to help build a better world at Purdue University.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Campus Programming & External Engagement

• Lead and coordinate strategic efforts and execution of on-campus and off-campus industry engagement initiatives that directly advance College of Engineering students in the Guaranteed Work Experience Program.
• Effectively expand relationships with partners to increase the number of internship opportunities with Indiana companies for College of Engineering and Computer Science students in Indianapolis under the supervision of the Director of Career Relations for Indianapolis.
• Design monthly events and engagement experiences including career fairs, networking, professional development workshops, and employer site visits to drive measurable student participation and internship attainment.
• Engage in the Indianapolis Career Council meetings as an active contributor of the overall mission to create coordinated programming in Indianapolis.
• Lead forward-thinking efforts on behalf of the Office of Professional Practice for the Indianapolis Career Council, driving coordinated engagement strategies while fostering a culture of partnership, shared accountability, and cross-campus alignment across experiential education initiatives.
• Drive and coordinate cross-functional programming events during the first and second-year experience in partnership with other experiential learning programs like EPICS, VIP, and the Data Mine.
• Support the Indianapolis Career Council on educating employers and best practices on student outcomes and engaging with student opportunities.
• Expand programming opportunities for project-based learning partnerships to increase internship opportunities with external partners.

Data Collection, Analysis, Reporting, and Planning

• Lead the execution and oversight of comprehensive student engagement tracking for OPP in partnership with the Indy Career Council ensuring accuracy, completeness, and alignment with the Guaranteed Work Experience benchmarks.
• Provide frequent reports related to progress on student placement, opportunities made available, and new partner prospects.
• Be the Symplicity CSM subject matter expert serving as liaison for campus partners, while advancing collaborative efforts to report on work-based learning.
• Utilize data to guide strategies associated with existing programs and aid in the development of new programs.
• Organize and analyze data to support strategic development of new industry partners and initiatives.
• Lead training sessions for OPP staff, co-op coordinators, and academic advisors on data tools related to OPP programs.

Instruction & Student Engagement

• Provide instruction for first and second year seminar courses at Purdue University in Indianapolis and hire, train and manage student staff for OPP.
• Collaborate with Director of Career Relations and other OPP staff members to host appointments, workshops and programming for students in the GWE.
• Develop engagement opportunities to connect with Purdue Indianapolis students on campus through the organization of classroom lectures, career fairs, and networking events.
• Support the development of curriculum for Professional Practice courses and workshops in Indianapolis via collaboration on course materials and coordination of industry speakers.
• Develop workshops based on employer feedback to better prepare students for industry experience.
• Serve as an instructor of record for a variety of co-op or internship courses. Provide feedback to students to enhance their early professional development.
• Partner with University Residences, engineering instructors, and other experiential learning programs to enhance career development across a multitude of courses and experiences.

Communications and Outreach

• Assist with the development of promotional materials targeted towards both employers and students.
• Represent Purdue University at external events including but not limited to professional conferences, summits and meetings.
• Support the Office of Professional Practice at recruitment events.
• Plan, host and organize multiple events related to OPP programs and initiatives, often outside of normal work hours including evening and/or off campus.
• Provide presentations about OPP programs to a variety of audiences.
• Track employer feedback related to student preparedness and internship performance. Provide reports to university leadership to aid in the advancement of student preparedness.

About Us:

The College of Engineering at Purdue University is among the best and largest Engineering schools in the world. With nearly 16,000 engineering students and more than 500 tenure track faculty in the college, this position has ample opportunity to have an impact at one of the world’s most influential universities.

For more information about our department, please visit:

What We’re Looking For:

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Business, Communications, Liberal Arts, or Relevant Field
• Masters’ degree preferred but not required
• Four (4) years’ experience in education, higher education, or industry programs

Skills needed:

• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Experience with data analysis and reporting
• Experience with customer relationship management (CRM) or other workforce/career services management software
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office software
• Experience with process improvement
• Strong interpersonal skills for relating effectively with a diverse group of students, faculty, university staff, alumni, and employers
• Some travel and/or evening events will be required

Who We Are:

Purdue is a community built on collaboration, with global perspectives, Boilermaker pride and endless opportunity to live, learn and grow. Join us and contribute to our culture.

Additional Information:

• Purdue’s benefits summary https://www.purdue.edu/hr/Benefits/
• Purdue will not sponsor employment authorization for this position
• A background check will be required for employment in this position
• FLSA: Exempt (Not Eligible For Overtime)
• Retirement Eligibility: Defined Contribution Waiting Period

EOE

Purdue University is an EO/EA University