Senior Director, Partnerships and Engagement Initiatives

University of Washington Medical Center•Bothell, WA

1d•$153,600 - $159,996•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Director, Partnerships and Engagement Initiatives serves as a key member of the leadership team for the UW Bothell School of Business. Reporting directly to the Dean, this position provides leadership for the development of strategic partnerships, engagement initiatives, and revenue-generating opportunities that advance the School's mission and reputation. The Senior Director cultivates and sustains a network of corporate partners, business leaders, and community supporters who enhance student learning and strengthen the School's impact. Responsibilities include securing revenue-generating business consulting projects, developing employer and community engagement opportunities, generating executive education opportunities, and creating programs and events that enrich the stakeholder experience. The position collaborates closely with the school leadership, the school faculty and staff, and campus stakeholders. The Senior Director oversees the strategic and operational aspects of partnership and engagement activities, including planning, budgeting, communications, implementation, events, stewardship, and relationship management. As one of the School's key liaisons between external engagement and internal academic programs and initiatives, the Senior Director works closely with the Dean, partnering with campus stakeholders and building and maintaining relationships with employers, business and community leaders, professional organizations, and more. The school seeks a collaborative, entrepreneurial, and results-oriented leader who can build meaningful relationships, create mutually beneficial partnerships, and enhance the School's reputation, visibility, and impact.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business or a related field
5 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in partnerships, engagement, or advancement in an academic or industry setting.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree
Higher education experience
Fundraising success
Strategic planning
Advanced communication and stakeholder management skills
Flexibility, with ability and willingness to lead and implement programs as part of a lean, high-functioning, entrepreneurial team
Demonstrated organizational skills sufficient to prioritize, form strategic plans and execute programs from inception to operation
Exceptional interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, used in situations requiring political acumen, conflict management, and an awareness of cultural differences; demonstrated experience and ability to communicate effectively, including presentations and public speaking
Advanced ability to think creatively and independently on concepts requiring advanced analytical skills
Able to develop strategies and plans that integrate with the organization’s mission, priorities and goals
Advanced ability to effectively interact with a broad community of faculty, researchers, scientists, corporate partners, program managers, staff, students, and funding agencies
Advanced ability to work collaboratively
Professional demeanor, attention to detail and ability to act decisively
Demonstrated fundraising success and partnership development
Knowledge of or experience working in higher education, especially graduate and professional programs
Experience with strategic planning
Ability to understand and articulate academic values and convey complex academic needs and priorities to potential partners accurately, understandably, and persuasively

Responsibilities

Promote and represent the School of Business to potential partners, including corporations, foundations, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, entrepreneurial ventures, and professional associations to expand external relationships, grow business consulting projects, secure corporate partnerships for executive education programs, strengthen employer engagement, generate revenue, and advance industry engagement.
Develop a strategy for growing a pipeline of partners and employers, establishing timelines for engagement and annual activities that leverage the School's strengths and assets.
Create meaningful opportunities and benefits for strategic partners and employer organizations, ensuring continued value from their relationship with the School.
Assess new partners, steward existing relationships, and integrate strategic school goals into partner events and activities.
Oversee the development and distribution of partnership-related materials, including website content and communications that promote School partnerships and engagement opportunities.
Prepare annual budgets and reconcile expenses related to partnership activities, and forecast revenue and program expenses.
Ensure exceptional experiences for partners throughout their relationship with the School, including stewardship, recognition, and ongoing engagement.
Secure commitments and external support, foster strong relationships with key individuals, pursue multi-year agreements, and report on outcomes and impact.
Source and/or manage business consulting projects and experiential learning opportunities from corporate and community organizations.
Develop a deep understanding of the requirements and characteristics of successful business consulting projects, ensuring they meet or exceed sponsor expectations and student learning objectives.
Partner with program leadership, faculty, and staff to evaluate potential projects and ensure they yield appropriate and attainable educational, analytical, and professional outcomes.
Develop and implement a strategy, timelines, and action plan for growing a sustained pool of projects and project sponsors that meet the needs of undergraduate, graduate, MBA, and executive education programs.
Coordinate and implement project-review activities with faculty, including workshops, planning meetings, and project definition sessions in collaboration with academic program teams.
Steward project partners, serving as a primary point of contact for external stakeholders and nurturing institutional relationships for continued engagement and identification of future collaboration opportunities.
Serve as a catalyst for a highly engaged community that brings energy, expertise, and resources to the School of Business.
Develop a comprehensive external engagement strategy that capitalizes on the School's programs, faculty expertise, and extensive range of stakeholders.
Design and implement an actionable model for engagement that includes volunteer opportunities, sponsorships, memberships, mentoring, employer engagement, and events.
Provide leadership and support for engagement initiatives involving alumni, mentors, business consulting project collaborators, employers, advisory board members, and strategic partners.
Develop and strengthen employer engagement efforts that connect organizations with students, in partnership with academic programs and campus career services.
Serve as a key external relations representative for the School's global engagement activities.
Arrange employer visits, executive speaker engagements, and other activities that expose students to leading organizations and emerging trends in business, innovation, entrepreneurship, and artificial intelligence.
Supervise and support a Support Staff position responsible for administrative coordination, event support, communications assistance, data management, and logistical support for partnership and engagement activities.
Engage in direct hiring, conducting performance evaluations, engaging in corrective action, and overseeing future team growth.