Corporate Relations Director - Higher Ed. jobs in Oklahoma

VISION:  Transform the university through the power of generosity.

MISSION:  Unite donor passions with university priorities to elevate the impact of Oklahoma State University.

PRIMARY PURPOSE:  The OSU Foundation seeks a leader who can apply creative thinking to drive growth with a proven track record of strategic partnerships and corporate/business development. A balanced strategic thinker with exceptional execution skills; the ability to build trust with internal and external stakeholders; and ability to drive results in a fast pace of a dynamic start-up environment. The Senior Director of Corporate Engagement is a strategic result-oriented leader focused on driving corporate engagement to elevate the Innovation Foundation. The Innovation Foundation at Oklahoma State University focuses on maximizing the impact of OSU’s excellence in Energy, Aerospace & Advanced Mobility, and One Health by translating innovative applied research into products and services, facilitating strong partnerships with aligned industry and regional partners, and investing in the development of emerging companies - all for the benefit of society. Home of OSU’s dynamic transdisciplinary institutes and Cowboy Enterprises, the Senior Director of Corporate Engagement will lead the fundraising efforts for The Innovation Foundation and ensure cross-collaboration and effective corporate engagement with the OSU Foundation and partners.

KEY AREAS OF FOCUS:

Curate and lead The Innovation Foundation’s corporate engagement strategy, support the comprehensive OSU corporate engagement strategy, and secure private and public support for the benefit of The Innovation Foundation at OSU-

• Oversee complex and large-scale corporate relationships and fundraising efforts in concert with the Executive Director of the Innovation Foundation to benefit the The Innovation Foundation’s objectives and the University generally.
• Work in concert with OSU Foundation’s CFR Team and Innovation Foundation Leadership to create a corporate engagement strategy tailored for The Innovation Foundation’s priorities yet inclusive of the comprehensive corporate engagement strategy for the OSU system. 
• Develop quarterly and annual goals and objectives aligned with the Executive Director of The Innovation Foundation vision and objectives.
• Proactively communicate results to The Innovation Foundation Leadership and it’s Corporate Board of Directors, as requested.
• Manage internal stakeholders to drive alignment with urgency and ability. Develop and manage unit fundraising budget in coordination with The Innovation Foundation Director of Finance.

Major Gift Fundraising efforts to benefit The Innovation Foundation-

• Create and execute a corporate engagement fundraising plan, focusing on opportunity mapping of primary target priorities that are synergistic with The Innovation Foundation’s primary focus; develop and guide engagement with corporations.
• Responsible for identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects with an emphasis on prospects capable of giving in the $100,000 range.
• Facilitate relationships between potential and current corporate partners on behalf of The Innovation Foundation.
• Maintain an active schedule of contacts, solicitations, and stewardship activities for a body of key corporations in an effort to maximize the greatest awareness and understanding of the mission of The Innovation Foundation
• Establish annual goals that will drive the right action steps for advancing relationships with corporate partners that have strategic alignment with The Innovation Foundation and the OSU system.
• Report and track fundraising progress using contact reports, prospect management and other communication tools to ensure efficient and effective communication.

Corporate Engagement and Stewardship-

• Leverage resources and expertise of various departments throughout the OSU Foundation (e.g., donor relations, unit-based development teams, prospect research, etc.) for developing corporate engagement strategy with campus partners to inform the comprehensive engagement strategy.
• Develop and execute stewardship plans for specific assigned prospects.
• Remain active with professional associations and media issues specific to best practices for managing corporate partnerships in higher education.

Other duties as assigned.

JOB COMPETENCIES AND EXPERIENCE:

Education & Certifications-

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Master’s degree preferred.

Experience-

• 15 years of relevant experience with senior roles in strategy, partnerships, and corporate / business development in growth organizations. Preference for experience in the life sciences, energy and/or advanced mobility sectors.
• Experience / comfort with science and technology through educational background or prior experience.
• Track-record of exceptional creativity, sourcing, structuring, successfully closing and maintaining innovative partnerships to meet business needs.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience managing corporate engagement, programs, and budgets.
• Experience in navigating complex business environments and managing various stakeholder interests and priorities.
• Demonstrated experience planning and successfully completing fundraising initiatives.

Organizational Competencies-

• Effective Communication: Able to present effectively to large groups of individuals; is clear, articulate, and direct in sharing and providing feedback; develops communication plans to ensure effective transparency and involvement throughout the organization; able to present complex issues appropriately for a target audience; maintains communication with all staff and stakeholders.
• Execution & Initiative: Has a ‘builder’ mindset.  Drives a high performance culture, having the ability to differentiate performance and demonstrate managerial courage; maintains focus on organizational priorities and sets challenging performance goals for units; invests personal energy and time in building buy-in among key influencers in advance of critical decisions; seeks to ensure that strategic initiatives are effectively executed and communicated to relevant audiences within the organization; encourages an environment in which results surpass activity and teamwork surpasses results; able to remain focused on only mission-related initiatives.
• Teamwork/Interpersonal Skills: Builds cohesive teams of people across OSUF based on strong personal trust and relationships; motivates the organization to increase employee engagement levels; constantly assesses and builds team morale; seeks out relationships with experts as a means of obtaining information about best practices and skills vital to departmental and organizational success; maximizes personal networks in different parts of the organization, campus & community partners, and effectively uses contacts to achieve unit results.
• Problem Solving/Judgment: Oversees the development of guidelines, principles, and approaches; appropriately applies risk management practices, including the escalation of risk issues, and recognizes and undertakes opportunities for others to learn from inevitable mistakes, and incorporates experience in future decisions; able to anticipate problems/challenges and required strategy for a situation; makes connections among previously unrelated ideas and looks beyond the first right answer.
• Adaptability/Flexibility:  Plays an active role in implementing change; encourages others to challenge the status quo; able to quickly adapt and lead during changing circumstances; foresees potential breakdown in the establishment/development of change and proactively recommends modifications to maintain standards of deliverables; anticipates specific reasons underlying resistance to change and proactively implements approaches to address potential concerns; remains active, visible and engaged throughout all stages of change management
• Courage & Conviction: Takes responsibility for departmental outcomes regardless of success and learns from all results; creates a departmental environment where failure is seen as an opportunity for learning.
• Donor Centered: Uses donor and university feedback to improve service and feed into the business planning; builds performance-based business relationships by identifying and meeting donor needs rather than simply relying on social or affiliated relationships.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Must use a computer terminal and view a computer screen for extended periods of time.  Must talk in person or by phone (frequently and sometimes for extended periods) to people on campus and across the country.  Must constantly use visual acuity to check printed and designed materials of various types.  Must be able to navigate within the OSU Foundation and the Innovation Foundation. Typical office working conditions. Ability to travel regionally and nationally.