Director - Strategic Partnerships (Medical/Pharma)

About the role

The Director will make Carolina the best university partner for the medical and pharmaceutical industry. They will own the vertical end to end, working shoulder-to-shoulder with other Directors of Strategic Partnerships, individual academic units, and Partnership Success Managers.

Key responsibilities include identifying the right organizations, opening the door, discovering the partner's real needs, matching them to Carolina's capabilities, and closing institutional-scale agreements. After signing, the Director remains the executive relationship anchor for renewal and expansion while Partnership Success Managers drive activation and delivery.

Carolina has significant assets to be the century's best university partner, including $200M in active industry research, 674 corporate partners, 929 active agreements across 97 departments, 200+ IP-based startups generating $8 billion in annual economic impact, and an alumni network of 330,000 strong (with 180+ verified Director-and-above leaders inside Fortune 1000 firms).

Responsibilities

• Identify and engage with key industry leaders
• Map partner needs to Carolina's research capabilities and resources
• Develop and execute strategic partnerships
• Manage and renew institutional-scale agreements
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure successful partnership execution

Requirements

• Master’s or Bachelor’s degree and 0-2 years’ experience; or will accept a combination of related education and experience in substitution.
• Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of specific industry experience; or a Master’s degree and 5 years of specific industry experience.
• Deep, current industry experience and contacts in the vertical relevant to this position.
• AI as a teammate. Use frontier AI tools every day to research, draft, analyze, and move faster.
• A strong desire for self-directed, autonomous work.
• A track record of building trusted relationships with senior leaders across business, government, and academia, and translating complex needs into creative, executable solutions.
• Excellent written, verbal, and executive-level communication skills.
• The ability to collaborate across a matrixed institution with the other Directors of Strategic Partnerships, deans, faculty, development, legal counsel, and Partnership Success Managers and to build relationships with individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds.
• A creative, strategic, results-oriented work style and a genuine commitment to public service and Carolina’s mission.

Qualifications

• Master’s or Bachelor’s degree and 0-2 years’ experience; or will accept a combination of related education and experience in substitution.
• Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of specific industry experience; or a Master’s degree and 5 years of specific industry experience.
• Specific industry experience means direct, hands-on experience within, or selling into, the industry vertical relevant to this position.
• Deep, current industry experience and contacts in the vertical you bring an active, personal network of senior leaders you can reach directly, not a list you would need to build.
• AI as a teammate. You already use frontier AI tools every day to research, draft, analyze, and move faster, and you can show specifically how you do it.
• A strong desire for self-directed, autonomous work. You set your own pace, operate on 'more forgiveness than permission,' and deliver high-quality outcomes without close supervision.
• A track record of building trusted relationships with senior leaders across business, government, and academia, and translating complex needs into creative, executable solutions.
• Excellent written, verbal, and executive-level communication skills. Smart brevity, and the credibility to represent Carolina in front of a C-suite.
• The ability to collaborate across a matrixed institution with the other Directors of Strategic Partnerships, deans, faculty, development, legal counsel, and Partnership Success Managers and to build relationships with individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds.
• A creative, strategic, results-oriented work style and a genuine commitment to public service and Carolina’s mission.

Skills

• Deep industry knowledge and contacts
• Strong relationship-building and negotiation skills
• Ability to leverage AI tools effectively
• Self-directed and autonomous work style
• Effective communication and presentation skills
• Collaborative and inclusive approach
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities

Benefits

Not specified.

Pay

Dependent on experience and qualifications.

Schedule

Full-Time Permanent.

Contact Information

For more information, please visit: https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/321840

To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter, and references via the provided link.