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Position Summary

The Program Lead, Division Early Careers (EC) is responsible for executing a division-level early careers strategy aligned with workforce planning needs and the company's broader talent development goals. This team member partners closely with business leaders, hiring managers, HR Business Partners (HRBPs), and the Corporate Early Careers Program team to cultivate early talent pipelines, deepen university partnerships, and drive employer brand visibility across priority campuses. The ideal candidate combines strategic insight with operational excellence and has a proven ability to manage university recruiting programs that support long-term workforce sustainability.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Development & Execution

+ Develop and lead a division-level university recruiting and early careers strategy aligned with workforce planning and future talent goals.

+ Translate enterprise priorities into local execution plans, with measurable goals and timelines.

+ Monitor campus recruiting KPIs, provide insights to leadership, and continuously refine strategies to meet hiring objectives.

+ Stay current on trends in early careers recruiting, experiential learning, and educational partnerships to inform program design.

+ Align divisional early careers programming with Southland’s enterprise-wide strategy by partnering closely with the corporate Early Careers Program team to co-plan, execute, and innovate local programs.

+ Collaborate with local leadership teams to ensure campus engagement efforts reflect divisional talent needs, technical priorities, and market-specific nuances.

University & Academic Partnerships

+ Serve as a strategic support partner to key alumni and business leaders who maintain primary university relationships, helping coordinate and amplify Southland’s presence on campus.

+ Enable alumni champions by providing tools, guidance, and coordination for on-campus engagement activities such as career fairs, panels, classroom visits, and student org sponsorships.

+ Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure a unified Southland brand experience at each academic institution, aligned with enterprise early careers strategy.

+ Assist in the planning and execution of targeted outreach efforts with academic institutions—including student events, networking opportunities, and employer visibility initiatives.

+ Facilitate consistent communication between Southland and university contacts (career services, faculty, student organizations) to support long-term relationship building and brand equity on campus.

+ Support business-led academic collaborations, such as curriculum development, faculty partnerships, or applied learning opportunities, by coordinating logistics and maintaining institutional knowledge.

Early Career & Internship Program Management

+ Partner with the division’s Intern Program Managers in the planning and execution of summer internship and co-op programs, including onboarding, curriculum development, project matching, engagement events, and feedback loops.

+ Collaborate with hiring managers to identify opportunities for entry-level hiring, rotational experiences, and post-internship conversion.

+ Standardize and manage the selection, evaluation, and feedback process for early-career candidates to align with company-wide program and outlines.

+ Ensure a high-touch, meaningful candidate and intern experience that strengthens brand affinity and retention.

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning Alignment

+ Partner with division HRBPs and hiring managers to assess entry-level talent needs based on workforce planning.

+ Support full-cycle recruiting activities, including resume reviews, interview logistics, and offer coordination.

+ Track hiring progress and provide regular reporting on early career metrics and outcomes to division leadership.

+ Identify opportunities to improve process efficiency and talent outcomes using technology and data insights.

Employer Branding & Candidate Engagement

+ Implement local employer branding initiatives tailored to student audiences.

+ Design and promote both in-person and virtual experiences (e.g., info sessions, hackathons, mentorship programs) to drive awareness and engagement.

+ Ensure messaging across recruiting channels reflects company values, inclusive culture, and career growth opportunities.

+ Serve as a brand steward for the company’s early careers strategy in external and internal forums.

Qualifications

Required

+ Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Communications, or related field.

+ 7–10 years of experience in university recruiting, talent acquisition, early careers program management, or workforce strategy.

+ Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with academic institutions and internal stakeholders.

+ Strong project management, program development, and communication skills.

+ Experience with applicant tracking systems (ATS), recruiting tools, and candidate engagement platforms.

+ Analytical and reporting skills to evaluate hiring performance and guide continuous improvement.

Preferred

+ Experience in the construction, engineering, or industrial services industry.

+ Familiarity with rotational program development or technical apprenticeship models.

+ Exposure to DEI Inclusion and Belonging initiatives and practices in early talent hiring.

+ Experience supporting distributed or multi-location programs.

YOU Matter

PEOPLE FIRST: BUILDING TALENT BY DESIGN

At Southland we aspire to build a workforce that’s as diverse as the people who occupy the buildings we design, build and maintain. Building talent by design is our intentional approach to creating a truly safe, collaborative, and inclusive work environment that fosters growth, empowers professional achievement, and where people are treated with respect at all levels.

If you’re someone with a true passion for our industry, a life-long learner, with high accountability and a drive for results we’re looking for you!  At Southland, we hire problem solvers that are focused on providing customer value through continuous improvement and will take ownership to create the best experiences that will have an impact wider than their own job.  We thrive on creating a strong company and culture where you’ll feel engaged, challenged, and valued.

If you’re ready for the next big step in your career and want a career full of fun and excitement and to be a part of a fast-paced growing company, then  **JOIN**  our team and become a part of an organization that values  **PEOPLE** ,  **SAFETY, INNOVATION, COLLABORATION, INTEGRITY, ACCOUNTABILITY & SUSTAINABILITY.**

Benefits:

As an employee-owned company, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent benefits for you and your family:

+ 401(k) Plan with  **50% Company Match** (no cap) and immediate 100% vesting

+ Annual incentive program based upon performance, profitability, and achievement

+ **Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance – 100% Paid for Employee**

+ Term Life, AD&D Insurance, and Voluntary Life Insurance

+ Disability Income Protection Insurance

+ Pre-tax Flexible Spending Plans (Health and Dependent Care)

+ Holidays/Vacation/Personal Time/Life Events Leave

+ Numerous training opportunities and company paid membership for professional associations and licenses

For more information on Southland Industries, please visit our website: ** Southland Careers (http://southlandindcareers.com/) ** or on ** Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SouthlandInd) ** or ** LinkedIN (https://www.linkedin.com/company/22132?trk=tyah&trkInfo=tarId%3A1408634606883%2Ctas%3ASouthland%20industries%2Cidx%3A2-1-4) ** 

To hear what our employees are saying about working at Southland Industries, check out our Culture site - **Explore Our Culture (https://southlandind.com/culture)**

Southland Industries and all its subsidiaries are an  **Equal Opportunity Employer ** and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing our employees with a safe work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Southland Industries are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, gender, gender identity, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, family care or medical leave status, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Southland Industries will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

**All employment offers are contingent upon successful, drug tests, background checks and professional reference checks. **

**We are not able to offer sponsorship of employment at this time**

If you don’t feel this position is a match for you, we encourage you to share it with others. Feel free to share throughout your social networks and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram to keep up to date on what we’re doing as a company.

Required Skills

Required Experience