University Corporate Relations Officer, Office of Research & Creative Scholarship

Employer & Corporate Partnerships (Primary Focus)

Identify, cultivate, and manage relationships with employers and corporate partners aligned with the university’s workforce, research, and innovation strengths.
Develop employer partnership opportunities including corporate training, upskilling, customized programs, and other demand-driven engagements.
Serve as a central point of coordination for employer partnerships, working collaboratively with colleges, centers, and existing relationship owners.

Research Partnerships & Commercialization

Engage corporate partners around applied research, sponsored research, and commercialization opportunities.
Collaborate with faculty, research centers, and technology transfer to translate corporate needs into viable research and innovation engagements.
Support early-stage corporate interest development that may lead to sponsored projects, licensing, or longer-term strategic partnerships.

Graduate Recruiting, Internships & Talent Pathways

Work with career services, graduate programs, and academic units to connect employers with graduate recruiting, internships, and experiential learning opportunities.
Help align employer talent needs with relevant programs and research strengths.

Relationship Management & Coordination

Serve as the primary relationship owner for new corporate engagements, while coordinating with internal stakeholders where prior relationships exist.
Navigate and align internal university resources to present a coherent, responsive interface to corporate partners.
Maintain visibility into active partnerships to support continuity, growth, and institutional learning.

Strategy, Pipeline Development & Early Wins

Build and manage a national corporate engagement pipeline with targeted regional focus where appropriate.
Prioritize early partnership outcomes that demonstrate value, feasibility, and potential for scalable revenue.
Track engagement activity, partnership outcomes, and emerging opportunities to inform strategy and leadership decision-making.

Success Indicators (Initial Phase)

• Growth in qualified employer and corporate partnership pipeline
• Execution of early partnership engagements (e.g., pilot training programs, research conversations, recruiting partnerships)
• Clear internal alignment and coordination around new corporate relationships
• Demonstrated pathways toward scalable, repeatable partnership models

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of senior level corporate executive experience in business development and/or talent management roles
• Demonstrated ability to launch new initiatives or drive significant growth in nascent programs
• Prominent track record of building and managing senior-level external relationships and partnerships
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate within complex, decentralized organizations
• Ability to translate organizational capabilities into externally relevant value propositions

Preferred Attributes

• Familiarity with research universities and R1 environments
• Experience working across workforce development, applied research, or employer-driven programs
• Strategic, entrepreneurial mindset with comfort operating in early-stage partnership development