Senior Associate Director, Corporate Relations, Institutional Partnerships

Senior Associate Director, Corporate Relations, Institutional Partnerships

Overview

The Senior Associate Director of Corporate Relations in the Office of Institutional Partnerships brings specialized expertise and in-depth knowledge of grant‑seeking for philanthropic donors within the Division of University Advancement. This role is instrumental in developing new business through prospecting, identification, securing, and stewarding of grants, sponsorships, and philanthropic support from private foundations, corporations, and public/government donors. This role is focused primarily on corporate donor partnerships while providing additional support to the team on foundation and public/government donor partnerships.

This position will serve as a point of contact, collaborator, and thought partner for deans and faculty in developing funding opportunity pipelines, pursuing proposals and solicitations, and securing sponsorships for academic programs. It will help oversee the identification and vetting of opportunities and coordinate the development and submission of applications for grant support from foundations and institutional donors as well as competitive grant opportunities from local and federal government sources. The role also will help identify and link areas of overlap among programs in various schools to create larger initiatives and collaborations that can attract major external funding.

Through the management and coordination of training opportunities and through individual and group mentorship, the Senior Associate Director of Corporate Relations plays a critical role in building a culture of business pursuit by strengthening the capacity of faculty and staff to engage with and solicit institutional partners in support of the University’s academic and strategic goals.

The Senior Associate Director of Corporate Relations develops and manages a portfolio of institutional prospects to help achieve an aggressive annual revenue goal.

The position will also assist the Institutional Partnerships team in day‑to‑day work with an external firm contracted by the University to increase the volume of institutional and research funding from federal government sources. This function requires close coordination between University Advancement and the Office of Sponsored Programs within the Provost’s Office.

This position is an important member of University Advancement’s Institutional Partnerships team. Other duties may be assigned at the discretion of the Senior Director of Institutional Partnerships.

Salary: $85,000–$105,000

Responsibilities

Identify, strategize for, and prepare applications and approaches for funding to granting agencies from both the public and private sectors, working with faculty members and leaders of centers or programs to determine best fits with foundations or government agencies. Work with faculty/ principal investigators to outline and draft applications, work with the corresponding finance manager and Sponsored Programs to assemble budgets, and submit successful applications. Continuously source new RFPs and grant opportunities, distribute these to faculty and staff as appropriate, and facilitate periodic brainstorms about new funding strands.

Work with the Senior Director for Institutional Partnerships to support the development and application of standardized processes and tools designed to guide faculty and staff through the business development cycle, including forecasting, funding opportunity vetting, bid decision‑making, proposal preparation (strategy, project conceptualization, writing, budget development), and approval.

Train and guide academic partners through the proposal development process, emphasizing modeling and shaping ideas that create transformational gift, sponsorship, and grantmaking opportunities for the University. Work with the team and OSP to create resources and training opportunities for faculty in grant seeking. Coordinate and manage ongoing training opportunities for colleagues across campus.

Coordinate with school‑based directors of development/major gift officers, their Deans, and faculty in pursuing all types of institutional funding specific to those academic centers. Coordination may extend to staff and leaders of divisions supporting the student experience, such as Student Affairs and Athletics, and their respective Advancement leads.

Work with the Senior Director for Institutional Partnerships and in conjunction with the Vice‑Provost for Research to assist in the implementation of a contract with an external consultancy firm that expands institutional support and grants from public sources (federal and district government agencies, and potentially some international NGOs). Help manage and coordinate the day‑to‑day interaction and business between the firm and key stakeholders on campus, including faculty, deans, Advancement, and the Office of Sponsored Programs. Assist in preparing and assembling grant proposals and budgets and running these through University approval channels.

Support the identification and cultivation of relationships with corporations as well as foundations and public/government donors to secure grants, sponsorships, and philanthropic funding in support of the university’s academic research and program priorities.

Support on‑site and off‑site meetings with donors and corresponding faculty/deans, as needed.

Support university stakeholders, including deans, faculty, and staff, in developing university collateral to raise visibility and position for and capture funding for the university’s academic research and programs.

In consultation with the Senior Director for Institutional Partnerships, assist in reviewing strategic objectives and development of a work plan for the Office of Institutional Partnerships that incorporates an overall revenue goal and targets for proposal activity across the team. Track and measure progress against goals for dollars submitted/booked, renewal rate, expanded donor relationships, new donors/sponsors identified, faculty training and education, and faculty engagement in research funding, among other metrics.

Work closely with senior partners across campus (Provost’s Office/Office of Sponsored Projects; Finance, program leads) and the Senior Director of Institutional Partnerships to support an increased effort to grow the University’s base of research funding from private and public/government sources.

Play a key role in supporting grant stewardship and reporting for open grants, in collaboration with the relevant University faculty and administration colleagues.

Qualifications

EDU: Bachelor’s degree.

Prefer 4+ years of experience in a front‑line institutional fundraising capacity in higher education or nonprofit settings. Proven track record of applying for and receiving grant awards from private or public sources. Prior experience raising funds from foundations and government institutions for issues related to social work, psychology, mental health, nursing and healthcare, life sciences, education, the arts, or other disciplines related to the University’s mission is a definite plus. Should have demonstrated experience working with faculty of all disciplines. Experience with federal grant portals such as Grants.gov, Research.gov, Fastlane, etc., and with grant and project budgeting.

Experience with Raiser’s Edge donor database software is a plus. Strong working knowledge and skill with the Google suite of applications and Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with accounting guidelines and regulations regarding accounting of federal funds is a plus.

Strong written and verbal communications skills required. Demonstrated grant‑writing ability (successful work samples/funded applications will be required of applicants). Research capabilities including background on foundations and agency priorities, ability to uncover board‑level connections, and skill at researching and presenting funding opportunities on issue areas and programs of the University that align with donor guidelines. Ability to train and frame the process of grant seeking for others who have little or no experience in the field.