Associate Director of University Corporate and Foundation Relations

Position Summary

The Associate Director of University Corporate and Foundation Relations works to build key partnerships with corporations and foundations and secure funding in support for University initiatives, programs and faculty research, with an emphasis on building a corporate engagement program.

Reporting to the Executive Director of University Corporate and Foundation Relations, the Associate Director of University Corporate and Foundation Relations will primarily focus on expanding Columbia’s corporate-funded research and programs, while also being engaged in all phases of Foundation fundraising.

Responsibilities

Prospect Research and Solicitations

• Develops and maintains knowledge of University and program development priorities.
• Builds strong internal campus relationships with faculty, grant managers, central research offices, and Industry Relations team, while gaining a thorough understanding of university research policies.
• Monitors the corporate philanthropy landscape and advises on trends in corporate research funding.
• Conducts corporate and foundation prospect research, including identification, assessment and qualification, and prepares profiles, briefings, and other essential background information for faculty and staff.
• Develops and implements strategies for building the corporate donor pipeline by proactively identifying new corporate funding and partnership opportunities.
• Identifies opportunities for corporate engagement.
• Drafts proposals and other donor-facing materials for corporate and foundation donors and prospects.
• Partners with Columbia University faculty, guides them in creating competitive applications to open research RFPs, and supports them with administrative aspects of proposal development and submission.
• Maintains repository of documents data and statistics usually requested by Corporations and Foundations at proposal time.

Stewardship

• Leads the acknowledgment letters process for Corporate and Foundation gifts and grants for A&S Schools and Departments; helps ensure all grants and gifts are acknowledged timely.
• Manages the process of providing accurate and timely reports and other stewardship materials to corporate and foundation donors in partnership with faculty and their teams.
• Supports the development of comprehensive impact reports.

Communications and Digital Marketing

• Creates and distributes a monthly internal Corporate and Foundation funding opportunities newsletter.
• Develops and maintains funding opportunity databases.
• Maintains the Corporate and Foundation Relations webpages for faculty.
• Develops digital outreach/marketing materials for select initiatives and programs.
• Composes and manages newsletters for corporate prospects and donors.
• Manages the University Corporate and Foundation Relations LinkedIn page and promotes Columbia’s research, initiatives and programs through LinkedIn posts.
• Supports with planning and organizing of CFR meetings and conferences.

Data and Analytics

• Updates biographical details of institutional prospects as needed.
• Collects and analyzes Corporate and Foundation grantmaking data using Foundation Directory or similar sources.
• Maintains a database of key alumni contacts in Foundations and Corporations.
• Performs related duties and responsibilities as assigned/requested.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required. Minimum of three to five years of work experience in a foundation/corporate relations office of a research university or equivalent.
• Excellent understanding of the corporate and foundation landscape and commitment to developing this knowledge further.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent research skills and information synthesizing skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to handle confidential information with excellent judgment and discretion required.
• Ability to work both independently and as a member of a team.
• Ability to confidently liaise with faculty and staff and various University offices, as well as Corporate and Foundation staff.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks under deadline pressures in a high-volume office; excellent project management skills.
• Familiarity with digital marketing tools, digital publishing tools and digital spreadsheets and databases.
• Social media management experience.
• Expert knowledge of MS Office and Google applications.
• Knowledge of Fundraising databases.

Other Requirements

• Subject to business needs, the Office of Alumni and Development supports a hybrid work arrangement for this position. Options will be discussed during the interview process.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.