Executive Director, Corporate Relations

U Mass Amherst Foundation (UMAF) seeks a strategic, collaborative, and entrepreneurial leader to serve as its first Executive Director of Corporate Relations (ED). This individual will work in close collaboration with campus partners to design and launch a university-wide corporate relations program that strengthens industry partnerships and unlocks new sources of philanthropic and strategic support. As the Foundations inaugural leader in this space, the Executive Director will act as a convener, connector, and advocateensuring companies can navigate the university with clarity and ease while helping internal stakeholders work together in service of shared goals. This position represents a critical investment in a more integrated, relationship-centered approach to corporate engagement. It is a rare opportunity for a buildersomeone energized by cross-campus collaboration, institutional navigation, and the chance to co-create a model for corporate relations that benefits students, faculty, alumni, and external partners alike.

Reporting to the Vice President for Advancement, the Executive Director will play a lead role in building a cohesive, strategic approach to corporate relations in alignment with the universitys research, teaching, and workforce development priorities. They will act as a connector between the university and the corporate world, helping to craft mutually beneficial partnerships with new and existing partners, oftentimes in collaboration with colleagues and faculty who serve as primary relationship managers. In designing this program, ED will also define the infrastructure, tools, policies, and workflows necessary to create a transparent, organized operation.

As the ED supports corporate partners to engage more easily with the university and understand the many ways they can support and benefit from collaboration with U Mass Amherst, they will coordinate internally with Foundation colleagues, faculty inside academic units and across the Office of the Provost and Office of Research & Engagement to complete the work at hand. There is significant opportunity to foster relationships with UMAF and university colleagues that support 10 schools and colleges, the Mt. Ida campus, Henry M. Thomas III Center at Springfield and other units with the goal of maximizing corporate involvement throughout the university ecosystem.

The position requires a mix of strategy, diplomacy, and execution. While philanthropy will be a focus, the Executive Director will also steward and refer relationships that lead to research partnerships, recruitment pipelines, and other forms of mutually beneficial engagement. In the first year, the Executive Director will lead the development of a shared framework for corporate relations in close partnership with colleagues across the Foundation, Research & Engagement, and the Provosts Office which includes career services and executive education. Over time, the ED will also manage a portfolio of high-potential corporate prospects and donors.

A highly collaborative role with broad exposure across the university and UMAF, the ED will initially operate as a one-person function supported by shared services in marketing, events, and administrative support. Their success will make the case for future investment as the program evolves.

Select Responsibilities

• In partnership with key stakeholders across the university, establish a strategic roadmap for corporate relations in support of university strategic objectives, including an internal framework for relationship management across the university.
• Convene stakeholders to co-create a shared model for corporate relations that clarifies roles, reduces duplication, and enhances internal coordination.
• Establish systems to better track corporate touchpoints across the university and facilitate regular information sharing among internal partners.
• Devise a plan to identify and track partner prospects and to build the potential of current partnerships, particularly with those who have capacity to make gifts of $25,000 or more.
• Build strong working relationships with key partners, including principal investigators, deans, university administrators, and advancement colleagues, to foster trust and shared accountability.

Select Qualifications

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in corporate relations or fundraising within a complex organization that required collaboration across functions and departments.
• Demonstrated success developing and managing strategic partnerships with corporations, preferably within a university, research, or mission-driven context.
• Familiarity with the principles of institutional advancement, including fundraising, stewardship, and stakeholder engagement.
• Proficiency with CRM and fundraising database systems; knowledge of Salesforce or Ellucian Advance preferred.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to connect big-picture goals to actionable plans; proactive and takes initiative.

Application Details

Pearl Street Collective, the search firm with purpose, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. To apply or view full position description, visithttps://www.pearlstreetcollective.com/positions/umaf-edcr.

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