Co-op Consultant

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Canada.

📋 Description

• Independently develop suitable co-op work term positions to achieve the departmental goal of 100% employment each term.

• Create a marketing strategy to promote Business & Economics, Arts, and Science students, involving research, definition, and development of job opportunities within an assigned area.

• Conduct development calls (both in-person and remote) with potential employers at all organizational levels, including senior executives, line managers, and human resources representatives.

• Annually conduct approximately 65-75 job development calls along with follow-up meetings with employers, depending on territory size and other program responsibilities.

• Prepare suitable presentations for employers.

• Foster strong relationships with new and existing employer clients through proactive, personal, and responsive service to create opportunities in management accounting, finance, chartered accounting, operations, marketing, HR, business technology management, and all arts/science disciplines.

• Coordinate the recruitment process.

• Advise employers on ethical recruiting strategies and guidelines, including insights on salaries and academic programs, such as various options within business, double degrees, arts, science, and graduate co-op programs.

• Maintain and update a recruiting database that includes over 8,500 employers and more than 10,000 contacts.

• Contribute to the educational, professional, and personal development of participating students by assisting them in exploring career options, enhancing job search skills, securing rewarding work term opportunities, and acquiring marketable employment skills.

• Interview and select students for co-op admission in programs where enrolment is limited and admission is competitive.

• Offer guidance and support to newly admitted students individually and in group sessions throughout each of the two terms.

• Prepare and deliver a workshop introducing co-op to the assigned group, addressing questions and providing feedback to ensure their understanding of the co-op process and requirements.

• Advise students on job search strategies to prepare them for the work term, including resume and cover letter writing, interview preparation, career and industry opportunities through a co-op speakers’ series, report writing, social adjustment, and appropriate work habits.

• Assist students in developing learning objectives for their work terms and evaluate their initial written submissions.

• Review progress in meeting objectives with both students and their employers during work term visits, in student work reports, and their final self-evaluations at debrief meetings.

• Monitor the quality of positions, student performance during work terms, and satisfaction levels of all stakeholders.

• Aid employers in creating job descriptions and ensure they are approved prior to posting, managing approximately 500-700 job postings each year.

• Schedule and conduct work term visits, totaling 250-300 annually, to assess the quality of positions and stakeholder satisfaction.

• Provide mediation and guidance to students and employers throughout the work term, including being available after hours to address issues such as performance problems, inappropriate job responsibilities, and interpersonal conflicts, which may lead to highly charged emotional situations.

• Investigate terminations and guide students regarding the appeal process when their co-op status is under review.

• Ensure that employers complete evaluations of students and that these evaluations are reviewed by all relevant stakeholders as necessary.

• Promote and disseminate information about co-op opportunities at Laurier.

• Establish and maintain connections with assigned professional associations for networking and professional development, which may include the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario, the Insurance Institute of Canada, Supply Chain Canada, CPA Ontario, and various boards of trade.

• Provide information and guidance to faculty, high school students, and parents at events like the Ontario University Fair and Campus Open Houses; engage individually with students and their parents.

• Manage individual projects that support the department.

• Collaborate on the development of policies and procedures to enhance the effectiveness of the Co-op Office.

• Undertake ad hoc projects as required.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of an undergraduate degree along with three (3) years of relevant experience in job development, employment advising, and sales/marketing.

• A thorough understanding of the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors, current employment market conditions, job search techniques, and opportunities available for work-integrated learning, especially within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

• Familiarity with Laurier’s academic and co-op programs and the principles of experiential learning.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, excellent interpersonal abilities, and effective presentation skills.

• Outstanding organizational skills, a results-driven mindset, and the capability to manage multiple priorities.

• Ability to work both autonomously and in collaboration with others, while balancing competing priorities in a fast-paced work environment.

• Flexibility and willingness to a) respond to students and employers outside of regular hours and b) travel within a specified geographic area and to the Waterloo campus, including overnight stays in Waterloo each term.

• A valid driver’s license and a dependable vehicle, as travel is necessary, including travel on the 400-highway series.

• Capability to support a culture that emphasizes a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenization.

🏝️ Benefits

• Flexible work arrangements

• Opportunities for professional development