Director of Corporate Engagement and Relations - Discovery Partners Institute

Director of Corporate Engagement and Relations

Discovery Partners Institute
The Grainger College of Engineering
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

This position is located in Chicago, IL, and requires on-site presence for a minimum of three days per week.

The Discovery Partners Institute in The Grainger College of Engineering seeks applicants for a Director of Corporate Engagement and Relations. The Director of Corporate Engagement and Relations builds connections and partnerships with companies and organizations that are key to developing research, education and outreach programs in Chicago for the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI). The individual in this role will develop and lead corporate relations strategy for DPI including helping to set program direction based on industry feedback, connect faculty research with industry needs, and goal setting for financial impact. They will also lead a team that identifies prospective corporate partnerships and partnerships with foundations, business and community-centered organizations, and external colleges and universities beneficial to the mission of Discovery Partners Institute and The Grainger College of Engineering (GCOE). 

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

Strategic Planning for Corporate Engagement:
Develop and execute an AI and computing corporate engagement strategic plan for GCOE in Chicagoland by collaborating with external stakeholders and GCOE faculty and leadership.
Engage with industry regarding challenges and/or opportunities in AI and computing research, technology application, and work force education to provide insight into programming strategy and prospecting strategy.
Act as the catalyst to accelerate the translation of the University of Illinois research to industry and its application requirements.  Identify follow-on research opportunities based on furthering industry’s capabilities.
Maintain close coordination with campus activities to ensure strategic alignment.

Prospecting and Business Development:
Develop critical partnerships across the private and public sectors, academia, and national labs that result in building research and educational pipelines.
Engage with the national ecosystem of trade associations and nonprofit organizations to promote GCOE collaborations in AI and computing.
Evaluate potential leads and identify the most appropriate opportunities to pursue with prospective partners.
Serve as the DPI contact for engineering faculty and administrators interested in exploring/initiating relationships with corporations and organizations.

Account Management and Retention:
Supervise the corporate relations team, including developing staffing plans, establishing workflows, and overseeing team operations and performance.
Cultivate and manage strategic partnerships with Chicagoland corporate, community, and educational organizations to strengthen relationship depth, quality, and engagement.
Build and track a pipeline of engagement that contributes to the growth and quality of DPI programs in Chicago including expanding the availability of student internships, student and educational engagement, research funding, and other forms of engagement.
Set, measure, and deliver against income goals for corporate relations funding.
Coordinate with the Campus and GCOE corporate relations staff on complex business accounts.

Database management and marketing:
Maintain a customer relationship management database (Salesforce) and develop internal workflows and best practices around contact management.
Delegate, train and manage staff on Salesforce workflows and best practices.
Work with marketing and communications team to develop sophisticated ongoing campaigns for awareness and sales for existing and new programs.

Other duties as assigned; may require some travel, including to the Urbana Campus; work outside of the standard workday may be required, including evenings and occasional weekends.

Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, electrical or computer engineering, or related field.
Seven (7) or more years of experience developing and maintaining strategies for corporate engagement.
Experience developing and executing successful campaigns which resulted in increased revenue streams.
Experience collaborating with private/public sector entities throughout Chicago, its surrounding area, and the state of Illinois.
Experience leading staff and managing operations.

Preferred Qualifications:
Experience working with various entities such as industry, government/policymakers, academia, and non-profits.
Advanced degree such as an MS/terminal degree in computer science, e