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Assistant Director of Corporate Relations The Grainger College of Engineering in Chicago University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign *Position located in Chicago, IL*

The Grainger College of Engineering in Chicago seeks applicants for an Assistant Director of Corporate Relations position. This position will build connections and partnerships with Chicago companies and organizations that are key to developing research, education and outreach programs in Chicago for Grainger Engineering. The Assistant Director of Corporate Relations will be responsible for researching and identifying prospective corporate partnerships and partnerships with foundations, business and community-centered organizations, and external colleges and universities beneficial to the mission of the GCOE. This position is located in Chicago, IL.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Prospecting: Research companies and work independently to identify corporate and other engagement opportunities. Evaluate potential leads and identify the most appropriate opportunities to pursue with prospective partners. Grow the breadth of engagements between Grainger Engineering and Chicago-based companies, foundations, and organizations. Coordinate with the GCOE corporate relations staff.
• Account Management and retention: Maintain and nurture a portfolio of corporate partnerships and partnerships with Chicago foundations, community-centered organizations and educational organizations. Develop and steward strategic relationships between the Grainger College of Engineering and partners, focusing on increasing the quality, depth, and engagement of these connections. Expand the availability of student internships, student and educational engagement, research funding and other forms of engagement. Build and maintain a formal fees-based Grainger Engineering Corporate partner organization in Chicago. Contribute to the growth and quality of Grainger programs in Chicago. Coordinate with the GCOE corporate relations staff.
• Database management and marketing: Maintain a customer relationship management database (Salesforce), and work with marketing and communications team to develop sophisticated ongoing campaigns for awareness and sales for existing and new programs.
• Liaise with the Discovery Partners Institute to develop partnerships to build Chicago connections and programs to assist Grainger Engineering faculty, staff and programs.
• Serve as the Chicago contact for engineering faculty and administrators interested in exploring/initiating relationships with Chicago corporations and organizations.
• Other duties as assigned; may require some travel including to the Urbana Campus, and work outside of the standard workday may be required, including evenings and occasional weekends.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business or related field
• 3years experience in corporate relations, marketing, student career services/affairs, corporate recruiting or a related area

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or relevant MS degree
• Related experience within an academic setting.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to travel, including to Urbana campus.
• Ability to work outside the typical hours of the standard work day, including evenings and occasional weekends.
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills, demonstrated outstanding oral and written communication skills, proven organization skills and ability to multi-task.
• Ability to converse effectively and interact with both internal and external constituents at multiple levels.
• Experience with customer relationship management systems, ideally Salesforce, LinkedIn and similar tools.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and support faculty and staff.
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision and take initiative as needed.
• Previous corporate/vendor/customer relations, university, or related experience.
• Proven ability to lead groups of diverse stakeholders as well as work well with others across departments and across campus.
• Superb attention to detail.
• Marketing communications skills.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the closing date. Applicants may be interviewed before the closing date; however, no hiring decision will be made until after that date. The minimum salary is $75,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. 

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (CST) on December 7, 2023. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Please upload your cover letter, resume, and names/contact information for three references. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact Sarah Ozier at slozier2@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu.

Requisition ID: 1021023

Job Category: Administrative

Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu