Director of Strategic Partnerships-Office of Communications & Marketing-UTK

The Office of Communications and Marketing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, seeks applications and nominations for the position of Director, Strategic Partnerships. The Director, Strategic Partnerships is responsible for expanding and elevating the university’s brand mission and goals through key partnerships with external clients and serves as an integral member of the Office of Communications and Marketing’s leadership team.

 

UT is the state’s flagship research university, a campus of choice for outstanding undergraduates, and a premier graduate institution. As a land-grant university, the institution fulfills its access mission through a commitment to excellence in learning, scholarship, and engagement.

 

The Office of Communications and Marketing is dedicated to advancing the university’s reputation. Staff members support the institution’s mission and goals, promote its successes and achievements, inform and engage its stakeholders, and ensure the integrity of its brand. We craft audience-focused communications based on data, best-practices, and emerging trends.

 

The division comprises several cross-functional teams, employing more than 50 full-time professionals with expertise in design, development, video production, content strategy, feature writing, editing, marketing, media relations, internal communication, and special events.

 

• Partner Relations: Develop brand-forward integration solutions that deliver value to our university students and staff. Coordinate with other areas of campus to plan and secure inventory across marketing activations, events and initiatives. Keep stakeholders informed of affinity partnership relationship status, problems, concerns and potential areas for growth. Oversee day-to-day partner management, ensuring the execution of contractual obligations and curating executive summary reports.
• Program Development: Lead the development of the first cross-campus brand partnership solution for the university that grows both brand reputation and revenue while aligning with the university’s vision and goals. Develop and publish partnership branding governance and guidelines in alignment with The University of Tennessee processes. Serve as a resource for the university community on the topics of brand-forward partnerships.
• New Partner Development: Identify target gaps and potential partners, leveraging research across peer institutions and internal campus stakeholders.
• Serve as a member of the leadership team for the Associate Vice Chancellor of Brand Partnerships, providing counsel and sharing information across organizational boundaries and with administrators, faculty and staff campus-wide.

Qualifications

Required: Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of eight years of relevant experience. Experience building and maintaining strong relationships with industry partners and key internal stakeholders.

 

Preferred: Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of ten years of relevant experience and a comprehensive understanding of strategic partnership cultivation.

 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to be a self-starter
• Ability to produce prosperous partnerships fruitful at elevating our university’s brand, reach, and revenue. 
• Skill for cultivating and maintaining relationships with university faculty and external clients. 
• Ability to have a collaborative mindset combined with a deep understanding of brand marketing and 
• Ability to represent the office and university in a professional manner to all constituents, including partners on and off campus. 
• Ability to maintain an in-depth knowledge of university priorities, including a broad understanding of institutional strengths and marketing goals. 
• Ability to have a collaborative mindset
• Deep knowledge of brand marketing and business development

 

Salary

The hiring range for this position is MR15. Salary is dependent on qualifications and experience.

 

Benefits

The university offers a highly competitive benefits package that includes health insurance and retirement plans through the State of Tennessee, generous annual and sick leave accruals, longevity pay, tuition waivers and discounts, discounted athletics tickets, and more.

 

Application Process

A review of all applications will begin immediately and continue until