Senior Manager, Industry Relations and Development

ACS•Chicago, IL

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a professional and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit www.facs.org. Our Mission The American College of Surgeons is dedicated to improving the care of the surgical patient and safeguarding standards of care in an optimal and ethical practice environment. Our Vision To create a healthcare landscape where surgeons thrive and every patient has access to and benefits from the highest standards of surgical care, driven by innovation, education, leadership, and trust. Summary: The Senior Manager, Industry Relations & Development is responsible for advancing the American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) engagement with industry organizations, including entities within the medical device, pharmaceutical, healthcare technology, and broader surgical science sectors. This role supports the development and coordination of strategic industry relationships and engagement opportunities that advance ACS priorities and support long-term organizational growth while ensuring consistency, quality, and strategic focus across external interactions. This position plays a key role in developing and executing engagement strategies, providing market intelligence and strategic insight, and supporting senior leadership—including the ACS CEO & Executive Director, COO/CRO, division leaders, and surgeon volunteers—in cultivating effective relationships with corporate and industry stakeholders, as well as affiliated grant-making organizations when appropriate. The successful candidate will build and manage a structured prospect pipeline and lead the development of a tiered industry engagement and recognition framework designed to strengthen long-term collaboration and organizational value. This role focuses on strategic relationship development and enterprise engagement and does not include responsibility for exhibit sales or transactional sponsorship sales. The primary focus of this role is strategic industry relations, alliance development, and executive engagement, with secondary responsibility for supporting select fundraising, donor engagement, and grant-related initiatives. This exempt position reports to the Director, ACS Foundation within the Division of Foundation. This is a hybrid role based in Chicago (3 days onsite / 2 days remote). Anticipated salary range: $135,000 – $150,000 (commensurate with experience).

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required.
Minimum of 7–10 years of experience in industry relations, corporate engagement, business development, strategic alliances, or related roles, preferably within a nonprofit, healthcare, association, medical device, pharmaceutical, or healthcare technology environment.
Knowledge of applicable healthcare industry regulations and compliance guidelines, including ACCME and the Sunshine Act.
Demonstrated success supporting and managing strategic corporate or industry relationships.
Strong business and financial acumen, including experience supporting revenue-generating initiatives.
Experience preparing senior executives and stakeholders for external engagement activities.
Demonstrated ability to develop executive-level presentations, briefing materials, and external-facing communications.
Experience in building strategic relationships and navigating stakeholder environments across healthcare, medical, or association sectors.
Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and relationship management skills, with the ability to translate market insights into actionable opportunities.
Experience working with CRM and pipeline management systems such as Salesforce or Raiser’s Edge.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting donor communications, volunteer fundraising activities, annual giving initiatives, and foundation solicitations (proposal writing) within a nonprofit, association, healthcare, or related environment preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain a comprehensive pipeline of current and prospective industry organizations and funders aligned with ACS strategic priorities and long-term growth opportunities.
Support the development and execution of strategies that position ACS as a trusted collaborator and thought leader across the surgical and broader healthcare communities.
Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing management of a tiered industry engagement and recognition framework that enhances organizational value and supports strategic industry engagement and sustainable revenue opportunities.
Coordinate cross-functional engagement efforts to ensure consistent, high-quality experiences across ACS programs, initiatives, and events.
Monitor and analyze market trends, competitive activity, and industry priorities to identify mutually beneficial engagement opportunities while ensuring compliance with applicable regulatory and organizational standards.
Support strategic industry engagement activities associated with Clinical Congress and other key ACS initiatives, with a focus on relationship development and organizational engagement rather than exhibit or sponsorship sales.
Develop and maintain a comprehensive pipeline of current and prospective funders from the surgical sciences and related fields to identify and cultivate strategic engagement opportunities that support ACS initiatives and long-term revenue goals.
Coordinate with internal stakeholders to ensure alignment with applicable regulatory, accreditation, and organizational requirements, including Education (primary collaborator), Strategic Communications & Marketing, Business Development, Conventions & Meetings, Education, Trauma, and Quality programs.
Serve as a strategic liaison to senior leadership by preparing executive briefings, background materials, proposals, and engagement strategies for external meetings and strategic engagement opportunities.
Coordinate leadership engagement activities with industry prospects and stakeholders, ensuring clear objectives, tailored messaging, and actionable follow-up.
Translate complex organizational priorities and programmatic initiatives into clear, compelling external value propositions.
Track and manage key relationships and engagement activities to ensure continuity, alignment, and effective stewardship across leadership interactions.
Support leadership preparation for negotiations, strategic discussions, and engagement planning.
Track and analyze pipeline activity, engagement outcomes, and revenue performance metrics to support strategic planning and continuous improvement.
Develop reports, dashboards, and actionable insights to inform leadership decision-making and resource allocation.
Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of engagement activities, opportunities, and pipeline status within CRM systems.
Support the development of select funding proposals, grant materials, donor communications, and industry engagement-related collateral as part of broader engagement strategies.
Ensure funding and donor-facing materials align with ACS and Foundation priorities.
Coordinate updates and content enhancements for the ACS Foundation website to support donor engagement, fundraising initiatives, and organizational messaging.
Support the development, writing, and coordination of annual fundraising appeals and related communications directed to ACS Fellows and other audiences.
Provide strategic and administrative support to fundraising volunteers and leadership groups, including members of the ACS Board of Regents, ACS Foundation Board of Directors, etc.