Future workforce coordinator: college of emerging and collaborative studies - utk

The College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is one of the University’s fastest growing and most innovative colleges, built to respond to emerging technologies, evolving industries, and a workforce that is changing faster than ever before.

At the center of that mission, the CECS Future Workforce Coordinator will work at the intersection of emerging technology, industry, education, and the future of work. This forward-thinking, learner-facing position will keep up to date on where the workforce is headed and translate those changes into meaningful opportunities for CECS learners. As technology transforms existing occupations and creates entirely new possibilities, the Future Workforce Coordinator will help learners understand what is next, develop the skills and experiences needed to get there, and connect their academic preparation to internships, experiential learning, and rapidly evolving employment opportunities.

Reporting to the Director of Advising, the Future Workforce Coordinator will collaborate closely with the CECS Advising team, Partnership and Economic Development team, Student Success and Engagement team, and the University’s Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration (CCDAE). A primary focus will be connecting learners with internships, apprenticeships, experiential learning, professional development, and employment opportunities that align with their interests, capabilities, and future career potential. The Coordinator will develop and manage learner-facing placement processes while maintaining strong engagement with learners and liaising with industry partners to support successful outcomes.

We are looking for someone who is curious, innovative, adaptable, and energized by possibility. The successful candidate will be comfortable working in a space where technologies are evolving, industries are transforming, and career pathways are still being defined. This individual will understand emerging workforce trends, build meaningful connections between learners and industry, and develop creative approaches to preparing CECS graduates for an increasingly dynamic and technology-driven world of work.

This is an opportunity to do more than prepare learners for the jobs that exist today, it is an opportunity to help define pathways to the careers of tomorrow.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Future of Work and Emerging Career Pathways

• Stay current and up to date on emerging technologies, occupations, workforce trends, and competencies shaping the future of work.
• Develop and define experiential learning pathways in emerging fields where traditional career trajectories may not yet exist.
• Translate industry needs into actionable career pathways, professional competencies, and workforce preparation for CECS learners.
• Connect CECS learner capabilities with evolving industry and workforce opportunities.

Industry Partnerships and Experiential Learning

• Collaborate with the CECS Advising team to assess CECS learners competencies and interests.
• Collaborate with CECS Advising team on administrative procedures and learner tracking of all internships and applied experience programs.
• Collaborate with the CECS Partnerships and Economic Development team to identify employer partnerships, talent needs, and workforce opportunities by establishing the internships and other applied experiences programs for CECS learners.
• Collaborate with the CECS Student Success and Engagement team to assess and match qualified learners with internships, apprenticeships, externships, service learning, research, and other workforce-connected opportunities.
• Develop and implement onboarding, participation, documentation, and completion processes.
• Maintain learner and employer engagement to address barriers and strengthen experiential learning outcomes.

Career Readiness and Workforce Placement

• Prepare learners for emerging careers through resume development, interviewing, networking, professional communication, and workplace readiness in collaboration with CECS teams and CCDAE.
• Implement workforce-readiness milestones that prepare learners for internships and employment.
• Lead CECS learner workforce development programming, including CECS’s unique RISE pathway and RISE Summit Showcase programs, and coordinate learner-facing engagements with industry professionals, mentors, and employers.
• Connect career-ready learners with employment opportunities and support their transition from college into meaningful, gainful employment upon graduation.
• Create and maintain CECS Alumni database to keep current on the statuses of all CECS alumni.

Workforce Assessment and Continuous Improvement

• Track and assess learner internship trends, learner readiness, experiential learning participation, placement, and employment outcomes.
• Track data on learner performance during their time in CECS and upon graduation.
• Analyze learner and pathways data to identify gaps, barriers, and emerging opportunities.
• Develop reports and recommendations on CECS learners’ experiences to inform CECS leadership on future workforce development strategy and program improvement.
• Continuously adapt career pathways and workforce development programming as technologies, industries, and employment opportunities evolve.

Learner Success, Engagement & Progression

• Provide individualized learner development and success support focused on goal setting, time management, learning strategies, problem-solving, resource navigation, and other competencies that strengthen persistence and progression toward graduation.
• Maintain proactive, sustained engagement with learners through individual meetings, electronic communication, outreach, programming, and student-facing events, providing targeted intervention when barriers arise.
• Review progress and relevant learner information to identify needs, inform individualized strategies, and connect learners with appropriate CECS and University resources and opportunities.
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of University academic policies, procedures, resources, and student support systems to help learners navigate academic decisions and successfully progress toward degree completion.
• Support intervention and early-alert initiatives through proactive outreach, learner engagement, documentation, referrals, and follow-up.
• Engage prospective and current learners through new student orientation, open houses, recruitment activities, admissions programs, and other college and University events.
• Utilize student success and case-management systems, including Banner and related technologies, to document learner engagement, monitor progression, coordinate interventions, and support data-informed decision-making.
• Contribute to the development, implementation, and assessment of learner success initiatives, using outcomes and learner needs to inform continuous program improvement.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Qualifications

• Education: Master’s Degree with a preference for backgrounds in a technical field.
• Experience: Experience in workforce development, career development, experiential learning, industry engagement, talent development, or related field.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Strong ability to translate complex or evolving workforce needs into actionable programs and career pathways.
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building, written, and oral communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Exceptional attention to detail, initiative, and follow-through.
• Demonstrated adaptability, curiosity, initiative, and comfort working in a rapidly changing, fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work in a collaborative, team-oriented academic environment across academic, industry, and organizational boundaries, and build effective relationships with campus and multiple stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and CRM technology supporting student, workforce, and professional development programs.
• Experience with data tracking and outcome measurement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Industry work experience in a related field to CECS programs.
• Demonstrated proven ability to understand and communicate emerging workforce, technology, and industry trends through former work experience.
• Experience coordinating internships, experiential learning, workforce development programs, or student-industry engagement.

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN, UTK Campus
• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR08
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

About the College:

The College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is at the forefront of changing the future of higher education. It is a first-of-its-kind college created to meet the needs of students seeking a customizable degree path in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and data science that leads to rewarding careers upon graduation. CECS offers timely, innovative, student-centric degrees, minors, and stackable certificates at both undergraduate and graduate levels that address the future talent gap and expose students to experts and disciplines from across campus through a cross-cutting curriculum. CECS utilizes strong industry partnerships to ensure students gain relevant skills and real-world experience, offering for-credit internships and multi-disciplinary projects. CECS emphasizes the cohort experience where students learn and interact with fellow students from across campus and disciplines, allowing them to learn from one another and work together to solve real-world problems.

Who We Are:

We are a small team of energetic, adaptable, and hardworking individuals committed to educational initiatives that will lead to meaningful careers for our students and a positive impact on society. Every member of our team is a valuable collaborator, driven entrepreneur, and proficient multi-tasker dedicated to working together to find innovative approaches to achieving our shared goals. We are fast-moving and growing. Our work is constantly evolving to meet changing needs.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!