Director of Corporate Partnerships

Position Summary:
The Director of Corporate Partnerships will build deep and lasting partnerships between the university and business/industry as well as other strategic external entities that result in significant investment via student and alumni hires co-marketing executive education and training as well as sponsored investments in other projects and/or research/philanthropy.

This position requires careful attention and guidance to manage expectations facilitate experiences and drive results. Insightful and continuous matchmaking progress tracking story capturing best practices research and co-creation are essential aspects of advancing such partnerships. Providing a single point of contact for the primary interface for a portfolio of strategic partner organizations with Vanderbilt to organize across and support holistic engagement across the university is essential to create and grow these lasting partnerships.

The Director of Corporate Partnerships role serves as the primary interface for an assigned portfolio of strategic external partner companies on behalf of Vanderbilt University continuously connecting these clients with VU programs and initiativesas well as other key partnersto solve their business needs and fulfill partnership interests.

About the Work Unit:
The Center for Corporate Partnerships provides central leadership to coordinate and advance corporate engagement across Vanderbilt University. The Center stewards and connects any opportunities with business and industry is a continuous resource for faculty and staff and provides unified relationship management with key corporate accounts the university collaborates with. The Center is a key component of the newly launched Vanderbilt Enterprises initiative.

Vanderbilt Enterprises is a strategic initiative launched to unlock the full potential of Vanderbilt Universitys assetsfacilities services and partnershipsto generate sustainable revenue and support long-term institutional priorities. Led by CEO Markus Schreyer the venture draws inspiration from global best practices across industries including hospitality sports and entertainment.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

Key functions include:

Cultivate and Maintain External Partnerships
Serve as the Vanderbilt University focal for an assigned portfolio of strategic partner organizations.
Create and implement client account plans to map existing alignment and forge strong value-added relationships through achievement of identified partner business objectives.
Drive collaboration engagement and accountability to align solutions for client needs that are achieved on schedule on budget and meet/exceed expectations.
Deliver repeatable engagement processes to achieve clients desired solutions and outcomes.
Assist with inquiries and/or answering questions on university capabilities aligning visits and/or providing tours making presentations making referrals and facilitating the achievement of official partnership agreements where appropriate.
Represent the department on committees and initiatives as delegated by leadership.

Grow and Maintain Internal Collaboration
Facilitate and maintain deep collaborations with colleges and departments to develop and cultivate key relationships with researchers faculty academic leadership administrative and research units including Development and Alumni Relations Government and Community Relations Athletics The Office of the Vice Provost for Research & Innovation IT Facilities Procurement and student employment units including the Career Center and other student talent gatekeepers to increase breadth and depth of partnership opportunities.
Assist leadership in development of internal programs to increase visibility and opportunities for industry/business engagement for faculty and staff.

Measure Iterate and Improve Engagements and Processes to Inform and Support Divisional Strategies
Proactively measures client satisfaction. Resolve any issues or potential process breakdowns and then leverage to preserve resources and create products and/or services that can be re-purposed as future solutions.
Collaborate on designing and implementing client focused policies and procedures that ensure that the university has an effective framework for maintaining and growing relationships with strategic partners so that they will recognize Vanderbilt University as an undeniable partner of choice.
Capture data and partner engagement to effectively allow marketing and communications to tell the story of transformational outcomes related to working with Vanderbilt University.
Help design and populate systems for progress metrics collection and reporting. Provide reports on a known regular cadence.
Advise leadership on issues opportunities and best practices associated with partnership relationship management and make recommendations for continuous improvements.
Direct and implement special projects and/or perform related duties as assigned.

Supervisory Relationships:
This position may provide direct and/or indirect supervision to professional or student workers. The position reports functionally and administratively to the Head of Corporate Partnerships.

Education and Certifications
A bachelors degree is required; masters degree or advanced degree in a relevant field preferred.

Experience and Skills:
Minimum 7 years of related professional work experience is required
Experience in implementing and scaling SalesForce or similar CRM is preferred
Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required
Ability to exercise good judgment in the handling of confidential information is required
Capacity to perform in an intellectually rigorous and complex academic environment is required
The ability to work independently take initiative manage multiple projects simultaneously meet deadlines and adapt to changing priorities is required
A professional attitude with the ability to exhibit considerable tact persuasion and judgement in interactions with internal and external constituents is required
Demonstrated ability to work successfully with high-level executives is required
Commitment to equity diversity and inclusion as an organizational operating principle is required