Corporate Engagement Senior Liaison

The Ohio State University • Columbus, OH

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Corporate Engagement Senior Liaison is centrally embedded within Corporate and Foundation Engagement (CFE), with the primary goal of identifying, building, and maintaining corporate partnerships for Ohio State’s academic units, as well as research institutes and centers, as needed. This position qualifies and pursues high-level opportunities (valued up to and exceeding $100,000) for sponsorships, sponsored research projects, and philanthropic gifts and grants. The Senior Liaison maintains strong relationships with faculty, researchers, development staff, and academic leaders in units/centers to identify areas of opportunity and collaboratively pursue corporate support. This position conducts faculty trainings to raise awareness of corporate opportunities for sponsorships, philanthropic funding, and sponsored research, and to engage faculty in corporate business development. The role serves as one of CFE’s liaisons to corporate partners. The Senior Liaison works to understand companies’ prior investments, industry-driven needs, philanthropic and community engagement goals, and strategic direction, offering solutions that leverage units’ and centers’ strengths, represent faculty’s individual needs, and develop partnerships between the business community and the university. The Senior Liaison adds value beyond the corporate partners’ immediate requests and implements strategic, holistic engagements to drive diverse revenue streams. Guided by corporate strategy, the Senior Liaison may travel to visit companies and C-suite alums in Ohio and beyond, and plans and executes campus engagements supported by corporate partners. The Senior Liaison manages corporate relationships and collaborates with Sr. Director, Corporate Engagement, as well as unit leaders, faculty and staff in execution of long and short-term goals, strategic plan, and annual business planning efforts. This position regularly documents progress through The Advancement System (TAS) and other written and verbal means to keep CFE updated and continually evaluates efforts and optimizes for success. The Senior Liaison builds and maintains strong internal and external networks to drive innovation processes and interdisciplinary collaboration, ensure mutual value and cultivate long-term relationships. The Senior Liaison reports to the Sr. Director, Corporate Engagement. Annual goals are set jointly by the Sr. Director. Annual performance is measured by metrics defined by the Associate Vice President, CFE, which include dollars generated for diverse revenue streams (e.g., philanthropy, research) in alignment with the team’s goals. Each team member may have different expectations regarding these figures based upon, but not limited to, their experience level, corporate portfolio, past performance, etc. Goals are set collaboratively prior to each fiscal year to assure transparency, consistency and alignment. All members of CFE are part of creating a culture that inspires an exceptionally multifaceted and talented team and are expected to exhibit The Ohio State University’s Shared Values. CFE is committed to acting with kindness, respect, and integrity at all times and welcoming our colleagues’ ideas, voices, and perspectives, acknowledging that we are better together.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education/experience
• Four (4) years of professional experience in corporate relations and/or higher education fundraising
• Experience researching and qualifying corporate prospects and highly placed alums using a variety of specialized tools
• Proven ability to establish and achieve business development goals; Metrics and results driven
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively toward goals in a complex environment with multiple and changing demands; deals well with ambiguity and paradox
• Possesses outstanding verbal, written and visual communications skills

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree
• Six (6) years of professional experience in corporate relations and/or higher education fundraising

Responsibilities

• Identifies, builds, and maintains corporate partnerships for Ohio State’s academic units and research centers
• Researches, qualifies and pursues high-level opportunities (valued up to and exceeding $100,000) for sponsorships, sponsored research projects, and philanthropic gifts and grants
• Collaborates with Senior Analyst to standardize industry sponsorships across the enterprise, advise academic units on appropriate sponsorship levels, and support execution of sponsorship awards, payments, and documentation
• Solicits industry sponsorships and memberships to support federally funded academic centers and institutes
• Works closely with CFE colleagues to collaboratively establish strategies for corporate partners
• Facilitates engagements between companies and units/centers, crafts proposals, and oversees stewardship plans
• Travels in Ohio and beyond, as needed, to generate and elevate corporate connections
• Strategically engages highly placed (C-suite) alums who are able to advocate on Ohio State’s behalf
• Partners with colleagues in CFE and Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK) to pursue large-scale sponsored research agreements and high-impact philanthropic investments
• Effectively represents Ohio State to corporate partners, and pursues well-aligned opportunities that leverage units’/centers’ strengths, reflect faculty’s and labs’ particular needs, and establish partnerships between the business community and the university
• Maintains strong relationships with faculty, researchers, development staff, and academic leaders to identify areas of opportunity to build corporate support
• Conducts regular faculty trainings to raise awareness of corporate opportunities for sponsorships, sponsored research, and philanthropic funding, and to engage faculty in corporate business development
• Partners with Sr. Director, Corporate Partnerships, CFE team members, as well as unit/center leaders, faculty and staff in execution of long and short-term goals, strategic plan, and annual business planning efforts
• Regularly documents progress through The Advancement System and other written and verbal means to keep the team updated
• Continually evaluates efforts and optimizes for success
• Builds and maintains strong internal and external networks to drive innovation processes and interdisciplinary collaboration, ensure mutual value and cultivate long-term relationships
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• Medical, dental and vision coverage, with Ohio State paying a significant portion of the cost.
• Paid time off, including sick and vacation time and 11 holidays.
• State retirement plan or an alternative retirement plan, both with generous employer contributions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior