Corporate Relations Specialist

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a cover letter and resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston Texas Rice University is ranked among the nations top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system which supports students intellectually emotionally and culturally through social events intramural sports student plays lectures series courses and student government. Developing close-knit diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rices culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name RICE Responsibility Integrity Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (OCFR) manages all corporate and foundation partnerships on behalf of Rice University directing strategy for stewarding and expanding existing partnerships while identifying and pursuing new opportunities. The Corporate Relations Specialist is a member of the corporate relations team within OCFR working with team members staff faculty and corporate contacts to support the university-wide effort to maintain and advance strong relationships with corporations to achieve the goals of Rice University.

The ideal candidateexhibits a high degree of organization and professionalism and works well independently and as part of a highly collaborative team.

Workplace Requirements:

This position is offered as a hybrid role combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. PerRice policy 440 work arrangements may be subject to change.

*Exempt (salaried) positions underFLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelors Degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement additional related experience above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis
• One or more (1) years of professional experience in an administrative position and extensive professional interaction with all levels of staff and leadership that are internal and external to an organization
  • In lieu of the experience requirement additional related education above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis

Skills:

• Abilityto prioritize work and multi-task in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Ability to take initiative work independently and collaborate effectively within a team
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Ability to exercise sound judgment in making decisions
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills
• Relevant subject matter knowledge

Preferences:

• Two or more (2) years of professional experience described above
• Experience working in a university setting
• Experience administering grants and proposals
• Experience interfacing with corporations
• Familiarity with fundraising database software and recordkeeping
• Experience in a PC Windows environment
• Strong Microsoft Office skills particularly with Microsoft Excel

Essential Functions:

• Supports holistic corporate engagement at Rice by assuring smooth administrative processes between Rice and corporate contacts and maintaining awareness of university policies and procedures
• Executes stewardship reporting for corporate partners
• Liaises with department administrators and faculty to assure that corporate gifts have appropriate documentation.
• Coordinates with team members on annual reporting processes for corporate partners
• Communicates with faculty staff and students about report deadlines and assists in the preparation of report materials
• Supports the corporate relations team in the preparation of corporate campus visits execution of events and meetings and communications
• Compiles data for corporate relations reporting
• Manages and distributes internal resources in support of training reports proposals meetings events and web content
• Interfaces with Development and Alumni Relations teams including Constituent Relations Communications and Data Services
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions:

• Frequent contact with corporate representatives related to appointments and funding/reporting information
• Frequent contact with administrators in academic units and in research accounting
• Maintain data integrity for corporate records in the OwlConnect system reviewing records for accuracy
• Understanding of various funding streams for companies engaged at Rice
• Familiarity with Cayuse (Rices database for sponsored projects) to track corporate sponsored projects and grants
• Manage day-to-day operations of the corporate relations team
• Occasional work on special projects

Rice University HR Benefits: Mission and Values:Mission and Values Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race color religion age sex sexual orientation gender identity national or ethnic origin genetic information disability or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process please get in touch with Rice Universitys Human Resources Office via email at for support.

If you have any additional questions please email us at Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.