Director of Strategic Partnerships, Rice Global Paris Center

Rice University•Houston, TX

30d•Onsite

About The Position

The director of strategic partnerships , housed within Rice Global and based at the Rice Global Paris Center , serves a critical role in advancing Rice University’s global engagement strategy by developing, managing, and strengthening high-impact institutional partnerships, with a primary focus on Europe and additional engagement in Asia and other regions. Reporting to the vice president for global strategy and working closely with the executive director of rice global , the Director leads partnership strategy across the Rice Global portfolio, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities. Key responsibilities include cultivating relationships with academic, industry, and corporate partners identified by the Vice President of Global Strategy; overseeing partnership-driven projects and events at the Paris Center and beyond; and directly supporting the planning and execution of conferences and convenings in collaboration with Paris Center leadership and staff. The role also includes coordination with regional leaders, including close partnership with the Rice Global India Director to support strategic initiatives in India, and contributes directly to Rice University’s objectives to expand its global presence, research collaborations, and international impact. The ideal candidate is a strategic, relationship-oriented professional with experience developing and managing international partnerships across academia, industry, and corporate sectors, particularly in Europe and/or Asia. They are highly collaborative, self-starting, culturally fluent, and adept at advancing institutional priorities through partnership-driven projects, events, and high-level engagement. This position is based in Paris, France, and candidates must be legally able to work in France . The director of strategic partnerships will be hired by Rice Global Paris, a French association, and this position is a full-time, in-person, CDI contract including a trial period. Rice Global will not consider candidates who require visa sponsorship to work in France.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree
4+ years experience in higher education or related field
Strong knowledge of American higher education institutions, as well as higher education systems and institutions globally.
Ability to identify new opportunities for Rice Global and bring them to VPGR for analysis
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Advanced analytical and problem solving skills
Marketing and communications acumen
Fluency in French and English

Nice To Haves

A master’s degree or higher in a relevant field is strongly preferred
Experience working in higher education, external relations, or a relationship management role

Responsibilities

Develops and directs strategic plans for partnership development and management
Develops and directs Rice Global’s strategic partnership framework, with a primary focus on Europe and additional engagement in Asia, ensuring alignment with Rice University’s institutional priorities.
Advises senior management on programmatic and policy development
Recommends actions and resolves complex issues that often span organizational boundaries
Cultivates, maintains, and expands high-level relationships with international academic institutions, industry partners, corporate entities, and other external stakeholders.
Works closely with the Vice President for Global Strategy and Executive Director of Rice Global to identify, evaluate, and advance new and existing partnership opportunities across the Rice Global and Rice University portfolio.
Coordinates with regional leaders, including the Rice Global India Director, to support partnership development and ongoing initiatives in India and other priority regions.
Serves as a key liaison between Rice Global, academic units, faculty, and external partners to ensure effective communication, coordination, and stewardship of partnerships.
Monitors partnership performance and outcomes, providing strategic recommendations for continuation, expansion, modification, or conclusion of agreements as appropriate.
Oversees the planning, execution, and assessment of partnership-driven projects, programs, and events, including conferences, convenings, and delegations at the Rice Global Paris Center and beyond.
Collaborates closely with the Paris Center Administrative Director and center staff on scheduling, logistics, and hosting of conferences and external partner engagements.
Represents Rice University and Rice Global at external meetings, events, and international forums, advancing the institution’s global visibility and reputation.
Ensures partnership activities comply with university policies, risk management standards, and applicable legal or regulatory requirements.
Other duties as assigned.