Director of Community and Strategic Partnerships

Point Loma Nazarene University • San Diego, CA

3d • $90,000 - $120,000 • Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for managing and directing community partnerships to accomplish the strategic goals of the university’s Pathways and Partnerships initiative. The Director will position PLNU as a trusted partner and talent pipeline for San Diego’s driving economic and societal sectors, ensuring students benefit from meaningful pathways to career opportunities. This role, operating out of the Provost’s office, involves coordinating regional partnership activity, supporting internal alignment of partnership efforts, and ensuring partnership initiatives are executed in a manner consistent with university-wide communication and engagement strategies.

Requirements

• Minimum of five years of experience managing complex projects or teams within a university, non-profit, or business setting.
• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, with a graduate degree in business administration or a related field preferred.
• Strategic thinker with a strong operational focus and a proven track record of managing growth.
• Innovative mindset, self-reliant, and results-oriented with refined project management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; supportive and team-oriented with excellent people skills.
• Commitment to PLNU’s decidedly Christian community and its shared beliefs and practices.
• Knowledge and experience working with a diverse population
• Evidence of Christian commitment and active church involvement. In addition, staff agree to live in agreement with PLNU’s Community Life Covenant.
• The job offer is contingent on the successful completion of a background check. PLNU will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local "Fair Chance" laws.

Nice To Haves

• graduate degree in business administration or a related field preferred

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary coordinator for community partnership activities, working with campus partners to evaluate and support the ROI of community engagement events, sponsorships, and relationships.
• Expand and refine TUG (Traditional Undergraduate) and GPS (Graduate and Professional Studies) community partnerships across the university.
• Collaborate with key industry partners across San Diego business, technology, professional sports, healthcare, and education sectors to develop, manage, and sustain strategic partnerships, sponsorships, affiliation agreements, and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) that advance university priorities, workforce alignment, and community impact.
• Facilitate coordination of community partnerships across the university by supporting shared processes, tools, and collaboration between Traditional Undergrad and Graduate and Professional Studies.
• Provide oversight of community partnerships, including formalizing tuition discounts and other academic, partnership-related benefits.
• Work with University Advancement and the Provost’s Council to operationalize a coordinated approach to external engagement, ensuring alignment with broader university priorities.
• Support the implementation of PLNU’s approach to external engagement by coordinating Advisory Board structures for each School/College and providing deans with aligned resources and communication guidance.
• Oversight of a centralized Partnership Management System, including the selection, implementation, and university-wide adoption of a CRM or partnership tracking tool.
• Establish and maintain a Partnerships Dashboard & Reporting Framework to provide regular reports categorizing partnerships by sector, including BioTech, Hospitality, Education, Military, Healthcare, Public Affairs, Non-Profits, Arts and Culture, Media, and Church-related entities.
• Develop guidelines for tracking both formal and informal partnerships to ensure a sustainable, non-siloed internal system.
• Connect alumni with current students to expand university partnerships.
• Develop and manage a structured alumni-to-student mentorship program, including participation tracking, satisfaction surveys, and internship and career opportunity integration.
• Identify potential donors, foundations, and granting agencies through community partnerships and work with University Advancement to leverage these relationships for the benefit of the university.
• Build on existing donor relationships to expand strategic engagement opportunities across campus, including internships, guest speaking, mentorship, sponsorships, and other partnership initiatives that connect donors with students, faculty, and university programs.

Benefits

• health
• dental
• tuition benefits for employees and dependents
• competitive retirement matching
• vacation and sick time
• 15 paid holidays per year
• opportunities to engage with our community including staff chapel and a robust wellness program

What This Job Offers

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