Job Description

Posting Number

req21840

Department

College of Information Science

Department Website Link

Location

Main Campus

Address

Tucson, AZ USA

Position Highlights

The position acts as a key advisor to the Dean, focusing on strategic decision making and developing new relationships with business, community, governmental, and corporate partners. Responsibilities include managing and guiding the development and implementation of strategic initiatives and ensuring alignment with the institution's broader goals.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs.

Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Partnerships and External Relations


Lead, develop, and execute the cultivation of strategic partnerships, managing external relationships in ways that are in line with the College's strategic plan, mission, and goals.


Lead in and engage new strategies for research and teaching program development (e.g., new programs with national labs, other governmental bodies, and businesses; building out new capstone ongoing projects or internship and employment pipelines; negotiate the use of corporate data sets for teaching and research purposes; coordinate grant proposals that work across faculty, students, and partners).


Garner support (i.e., financial and relational) for student projects, sponsorships, capstone experiences and data sets for instructional and research use.

Strategically manage negotiations, memoranda of understanding, and agreements with partners.


Develop a program for student support by engaging with alumni as well as communicating with students about opportunities that external partners provide.


Lead initiatives for college-level events related to strategic partnerships to enhance external visibility.


Produce and oversee funded memberships and meetings for the college advisory council (a board of appointed volunteers drawn from business, industry and governmental contexts).


Build strategy to maintain rapport with partners and to show value of partnership with the College of Information Science.


Conduct market research and feasibility studies to analyze the viability of alternative business development opportunities.


Collect, compile, verify, and analyze financial, competitive, sales, marketing, and other information about potential business partners; new markets, products and services; or other strategic business opportunities.


Develop, maintain, and provide strategic advice about College policies relative to partner engagement.

Communication and Management:

Develop, over time, a team (5-6 employees to include managers and supervisors) to form a partnerships office for the college and manage emerging issues tied to the development of that office.

Create and manage an annual budget for work relative to external partnerships.

Coordinate on- and off-campus visits or trips for the leadership team as needed.

Manage partner/sponsor satisfaction surveys when appropriate, including survey distribution, data analysis, and publication.

Prepare documents and materials (for example, reports, invitations, presentations, information packages) in coordination with the marketing and communications team for meetings and negotiations with potential business partners.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Comprehensive understanding of strategic partnership cultivation and external relations.
• Familiarity with academic research and teaching program development, including collaboration with national labs, governmental agencies, and businesses.
• Knowledge of project sponsorship, internship pipelines, and instructional resource acquisition.
• Expertise in contract negotiations, memoranda of understanding, and partnership agreements.
• Strong knowledge of event planning and engagement strategies for external visibility.
• Excellent relationship management and interpersonal skills to engage and maintain rapport with external partners, alumni, and advisory boards.
• Strong project management skills to oversee strategic initiatives, partnerships, and event planning.
• High-level negotiation and conflict resolution skills to manage agreements and contracts effectively.
• Analytical skills to collect, verify, and analyze financial, competitive, and market data.
• Ability to align external partnership strategies with the college’s mission, vision, and goals.
• Capacity to innovate and engage in new strategies for research and teaching program development.
• Adaptability in managing emerging issues and evolving responsibilities tied to partnership development.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
• Minimum of 7 years of related work experience, including 3 years of managerial experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in cultivating strategic partnerships with measurable outcomes, such as securing sponsorships, managing internship pipelines, or obtaining corporate data sets for academic use.
• Experience in leading research and teaching program development, including collaboration with national labs, government agencies, and businesses, as evidenced by the creation or enhancement of at least one program or initiative.
• Experience managing and negotiating contracts, memoranda of understanding, or partnership agreements, with a proven track record of successfully formalizing at least three significant agreements.
• Experience in market research and feasibility studies, with a history of providing actionable recommendations supported by data analysis for at least one strategic business development.
• Leadership experience in managing teams, with a record of successfully building and overseeing a team of at least five employees, including managers or supervisors.
• Budget management experience, including creating, maintaining, and overseeing budgets of at least $500,000 for programmatic or operational activities.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and relationship management, with a measurable impact on partner satisfaction, as shown by maintaining or increasing partnership retention rates over a two-year period.
• Experience in producing professional communications and materials, such as reports, presentations, or marketing collateral, for external partner meetings and negotiations, with at least three examples of successful deliverables.
• Experience in designing and analyzing surveys for partner or sponsor feedback, with a history of at least one project where survey data informed strategic improvements.

FLSA

Exempt

Full Time/Part Time

Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week

40

Job FTE

1.0

Work Calendar

Fiscal

Job Category

Organizational Administration

Benefits Eligible

Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay

$117,883 - $153,248

Compensation Type

salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Grade

13

Compensation Guidance

The Rate of Pay Field represents the University of Arizona’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, and internal equity.


The Grade Range Minimum, Midpoint, and Maximum Fields listed below represent a full range of career compensation growth over time in this position and grade. Each unit typically sets starting pay between minimum and midpoint upon hire. The university offers compensation growth opportunities within its career architecture. To learn more about compensation, please review our Applicant Compensation Guide and our Total Rewards Calculator.

Grade Range Minimum

$117883

Grade Range Midpoint

$153248

Grade Range Maximum

$188613

Career Stream and Level

M3

Job Family

Administrative Strategy

Job Function

Organizational Administration

Type of criminal background check required:

Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)

Number of Vacancies

1

Target Hire Date

Expected End Date

Contact Information for Candidates

Amy Gordon
haasa@arizona.edu

Open Date

2/4/2025

Open Until Filled

Yes

Documents Needed to Apply

Resume, Cover Letter, and One Additional Document

Special Instructions to Applicant

Please include the following with your application:

A resume
A cover letter
In the designated additional document slot, please provide a sample proposal for a new idea. The proposal can be on any topic.

Diversity Statement

At the University of Arizona, we value our inclusive climate because we know that diversity in experiences and perspectives is vital to advancing innovation, critical thinking, solving complex problems, and creating an inclusive academic community. As a Hispanic-serving institution, we translate these values into action by seeking individuals who have experience and expertise working with diverse students, colleagues, and constituencies. Because we seek a workforce with a wide range of perspectives and experiences, we provide equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information. As an Employer of National Service, we also welcome alumni of AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service programs and others who will help us advance our Inclusive Excellence initiative aimed at creating a university that values student, staff and faculty engagement in addressing issues of diversity and inclusiveness.

Notice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) for each of the University’s campuses. These reports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures.
Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at cleryact@arizona.edu.

Job Tags

Holiday work, Full time, Contract work, Part time, Work experience placement, Internship,

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