Employability and Employer Partnerships Adviser

Position Details

Birmingham Business School

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 4th January 2026

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Background

Working as part of the Birmingham Business School careers team reporting directly to the Careers Consultant (UG), you will be responsible for proactively managing and developing the Birmingham Business School Careers service for undergraduates within the University of Birmingham's Business School and College of Social Sciences. You will work with a team of BBS Careers and Placement professionals with the aim of delivering positive experiences and outcomes to all Birmingham Business School students, graduates, and alumni.

Role Summary

The post holder will work towards specific Business School targets around improving student success and ensuring that we deliver on the expectations of Business School accrediting bodies, as well as working towards the key performance targets set by Birmingham Business School, Careers Network, and the University of Birmingham.

Main Duties

• Source and manage year-long placements, internships, and employer-led projects for BSc students.
• Develop and maintain long-term relationships with national and international employers, ensuring clear responsibilities for students and the University.
• Represent the School at recruitment events, open days, and career fairs to secure new opportunities.
• Provide one-to-one employability student appointments as needed.
• Organise and deliver employer-led events (mock assessment centres, panels, information sessions) on campus and virtually.
• Collaborate with academic staff to integrate employer speakers and real-world projects into course modules.
• Monitor market trends, competitor initiatives, and graduate outcomes to inform placement strategy.
• Analyse placement data and produce reports for internal stakeholders and external accreditation.
• Research global and regional labour markets to identify new opportunities and student demand.
• Work closely with Careers, Corporate Relations, External Relations, and Careers Network to align objectives and communications.
• Co-lead international employer engagement events in priority regions (China, India, Singapore, Nigeria, UAE) as required.
• Develop project plans, manage budgets, and implement activities alongside BBS Careers colleagues.
• Source student success stories to showcase graduate outcomes.
• Support postgraduate Business School initiatives when required.
• Manage expenditure in line with budgets and maintain accurate financial records.
• Attend occasional evenings, weekends, and overseas trips as needed.
• Undertake additional tasks to maintain high customer service standards and support team goals.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to degree level or equivalent professional experience.
• Solid understanding of work-related learning, current employability trends including the graduate labour market.
• Awareness of current recruitment practices and employer expectations.
• Demonstrable background in student and graduate recruitment or experience within a Higher Education setting, specifically supporting student employability.
• Hands-on experience organising careers fairs, networking events, and employer workshops.
• Evidence of success integrating employer speakers and real-world projects into course modules.
• Proven recent experience in engaging with graduate employers or working within recruitment, with the ability to demonstrate successful outcomes such as securing placements, building employer relationships, or meeting recruitment targets.
• Excellent organisational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills, able to engage diverse audiences.
• Proven project management skills: planning, coordinating, and delivering events.
• Data analysis and reporting: producing, interpreting, and presenting management information.
• Ability to prioritise tasks and deliver under pressure to tight deadlines.
• Effective negotiation and stakeholder-management skills, engaging senior academics, external partners, and international recruiters.
• Proficiency in database management and tracking systems to monitor graduate/placement destinations.
• Track record of ambition, drive, innovation, and measurable achievements.
• Self-starter who can work autonomously and thrive as part of a collaborative team, consistently achieving KPIs such as securing exclusive employer partnerships, increasing graduate placement rates, and meeting annual recruitment targets.
• Flexible approach to working hours, including evenings, weekends, and occasional overseas travel.

Dimensions

The role will take responsibility for developing and delivering recruitment activities to drive recruitment of home and/or international students to agreed targets.

Planning and organising

The role devises and delivers a variety of employer activities, normally over an annual cycle, reporting to internal stakeholders and managers on progress, and liaising with a number of external stakeholders, including employers, alumni, current students, and potential students and parents. The role is operating within defined requirements, systems and processes, but does devise plans based on evidence and intelligence, and consider and recommend improvements, through feedback after each employer/student engagement activity.

Problem solving and decision making

This role will be expected to devise and deliver employability events and other activities designed to increase work experience and graduate success while enhancing the University's reputation and Graduate Outcome performance. The focus of the role is on delivery of the internships, placements, and graduate-level outcomes for our BBS undergraduate students. The role will be likely to operate within constraints set by managers.

The role will take the day-to-day operational decisions relating to delivery of employer engagement and for guidance given to external contacts as well as current and prospective students.

Internal and external relationships

The role is a key liaison and co-ordination role on specified deliverables, so will have a range of internal and external stakeholders:

• BBS and Careers Network colleagues
• Employers, alumni, and other external stakeholders
• Current students
• Prospective students and parents

External contacts, current students, and prospective students are core stakeholder groups, and the role will need to engage and communicate extensively with all. In their communications, they will need to be a friendly and approachable contact, as well as to encourage their participation in the programme of activities and collect their feedback and input.

Informal enquiries to Tripp Martin, email:

View our staff values and behaviours here

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .