Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations

About this role

Job Description Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Development, the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) is responsible for developing, managing and advancing philanthropic relationships with corporations, corporate foundations, private foundations and family foundations in support of Stevens Institute of Technology’s institutional priorities.   The Director will identify, cultivate, solicit and steward CFR prospects and partners, with a focus on securing philanthropic support for research, student success, workforce development, sustainability, innovation, scholarships, experiential learning and faculty excellence.   The Director serves as a strategic relationship manager, proposal strategist and institutional connector, working closely with faculty, academic leaders, Advancement colleagues, the Office of Sponsored Research Administration, Donor Relations and Stewardship, Finance and other campus partners. This role requires strong independent judgment, comfort operating in ambiguity and the ability to assess which opportunities Stevens should pursue, refine, defer or decline based on funder fit, institutional priorities, faculty or program readiness, timing, capacity and likelihood of success.   CFR Fundraising • Identify, cultivate, solicit and steward CFR prospects and partners. • Develop and manage a portfolio of CFR relationships aligned with Stevens’ institutional priorities. • Build awareness of Stevens among funders and create engagement strategies that increase philanthropic support. • Position Stevens for proposals, renewals, invitations and expanded partnerships.

  Relationship Management and Strategic Engagement • Serve as relationship manager for assigned CFR prospects. • Build relationships with foundation staff, corporate foundation representatives, corporate social responsibility leaders and other external decision-makers. • Identify engagement pathways through faculty, academic leaders, alumni, trustees, industry contacts and institutional connections. • Prepare faculty, academic leaders and university leadership for funder meetings, site visits and engagement opportunities.

  Opportunity Assessment and Pipeline Development • Identify funding opportunities through prospecting tools, funder research, referrals, networks, faculty leads, sponsored research referrals and existing relationships. • Evaluate opportunities for funder fit, strategic alignment, faculty or program capacity, timing, award potential and likelihood of success. • Determine whether opportunities should be pursued, refined, deferred or declined. • Maintain an active CFR pipeline and document strategies, actions and outcomes in institutional systems.

  Proposal Strategy and Development • Lead or coordinate development of letters of inquiry, proposals, concept papers, executive summaries, reports and related materials. • Translate complex research, faculty or programmatic concepts into clear, compelling language for CFR audiences. • Ensure proposals align with funder priorities, Stevens’ strategy and philanthropic best practices. • Manage proposal timelines, required attachments, internal reviews and submissions in partnership with faculty, program staff, academic leadership, Finance, sponsored research administration, Donor Relations and Stewardship, external writers and Advancement leadership.

  Faculty and Academic Partner Engagement • Partner with faculty, deans, department chairs and research leaders to identify fundable projects and match expertise with appropriate funding opportunities. • Support faculty and program leaders in understanding funder expectations, proposal requirements and the philanthropic funding landscape. • Coach faculty and program leaders on funder-facing communications, concept framing and proposal strategy. • Support faculty reputation-building opportunities, awards, fellowships and nominations in collaboration with academic and research leadership.

  Stewardship, Compliance and Portfolio Management • Partner with Donor Relations and Stewardship to ensure major CFR funders receive timely, meaningful and strategic stewardship. • Align stewardship and impact reporting with future renewal or expansion opportunities. • Coordinate with Advancement Operations on gift booking, fund creation and required documentation. • Partner with sponsored research administration to assess philanthropic research opportunities and determine appropriate routing, accounting and reporting. • Maintain accurate and timely documentation in Raiser’s Edge NXT, SharePoint, PaperSave and other institutional systems. • Use dashboards, reports and portfolio tools to manage priorities, deadlines and activity.

  Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree required. • 7-10 years of relevant experience in fundraising, foundation relations, corporate philanthropy, nonprofit development, higher education advancement, corporate social responsibility, grantmaking, strategic partnerships or a related field. • Demonstrated ability to build and manage external relationships. • Strong ability to assess funding opportunities and determine strategic fit. • Excellent writing, editing and communication skills. • Experience developing proposals, letters of inquiry, concept papers, reports or funder communications. • Strong project management and organizational skills. • Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines and stakeholder engagement independently. • Strong judgment, discretion and professionalism. • Ability to work collaboratively with faculty, academic leaders, funders and internal partners. • Proficiency with CRM or donor database systems; experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT preferred.

  Preferred Qualifications • Experience with CFR fundraising. • Experience working with foundations, corporate foundations, corporate social responsibility teams or grantmaking organizations. • Experience in higher education, research institutions, STEM organizations, healthcare, museums, foundations

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