Director of Strategic Partnerships

Marian University•Indianapolis, IN

About The Position

As part of a diverse community of faculty and staff who represent many faith systems and worldviews, Marian University seeks a Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Sr. Norma Rocklage Franciscan Leadership Institute to promote our Catholic Franciscan mission and identity by sharing the story of the institute’s programs through creative content that will foster partnerships that further our mission of forming missionary disciples to renew the Church and society. The Director of Strategic Partnerships is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders in the Catholic Church and community to enhance the institute’s visibility and support, and to position it as a national leader in forming missionary disciples. The position involves crafting compelling messaging and storytelling to engage a variety of audiences, ensuring that the institute’s Catholic Franciscan mission, vision, and values are clearly communicated. Responsibilities also include managing events, overseeing digital platforms, and creating content that aligns with the organization's overall strategy, with a focus on nurturing positive connections with supporters and the wider community. The ideal candidate will be entrepreneurial and have a joy-filled missionary spirit. S/he will be creative, highly organized, opportunity focused, and collaborative. Resourcefulness and adaptability, with the ability to find solutions with limited resources, and the drive to create and implement systems that can scale, are important.

Requirements

Ability to embody the Catholic and Franciscan identity of the University as a practicing Catholic, exhibiting public conduct and ministerial practices reflective of the teaching of the Catholic Church.
Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Business, Nonprofit Management, or similar).
3-5 years relevant experience with measurable success
Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
Experience in budget management
Technology Proficient
Work hours necessary to perform job requirements satisfactorily on a regular basis.
Manage absence from work in responsible manner to ensure service to clients, work teams, and coworkers.
Comply with Marian University policies and practices and seeking clarification of them when necessary.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or certifications in areas like fundraising or nonprofit management would be a plus.
Spanish language proficiency

Responsibilities

Develop and implement strategic plan and systems that build upon and align the success of existing programs within the institute.
Collaborate with institute program directors to tell the stories of their programs through creative content that will cultivate new partnerships and engagement.
Provide monthly engagement progress reports highlighting successes, challenges, and recommendations for improvement.
Develop and secure new strategic partnerships (5-7 annually) to help build the organization's brand and expand its network, understanding that initial partnerships may need to be creative and unconventional.
Increase partnership-generated revenue by 20% year-over-year through new and existing partnerships.
Maintain a partner retention rate of 85% or higher, ensuring long-term collaborations and maximizing mutual benefits.
Build and maintain relationships with at least 50 prospective donors, increasing this number by 20% annually.
Generate $200,000 in new gifts annually through partnerships, contracts, supporter cultivation, and targeted campaigns.
Connect prospective and active supporters with institute programs, events, staff, and students.
Take ownership of all digital content creation, producing compelling articles, newsletters, social media updates, visual content, and/or podcasts to establish and build the institute’s presence from the ground up.
Increase audience engagement (measured by comments, shares, likes, etc.) by 25% within the first year through innovative and relevant content development.
Create and maintain consistent brand voice and style across all content produced for the institute, with 100% adherence to brand guidelines in all published materials.
Other duties as assigned (10%)
Knowledge of and a commitment to the mission of Marian University
Adheres to Marian University’s policies and procedures
Shows courtesy and respect in interactions with fellow employees, students subordinates, and supervisors
Communicates regularly with supervisor about Department issues
Meets department productivity standards
Participates in developing department goals, objective, and systems
Assists to establish department measurements that align and support the accomplishment of the University’s strategic goals
Adheres to the department budget.