Director of Strategic Partnerships
Skidmore College

Job Info

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The Director of Strategic Partnerships will identify and solicit grant opportunities in support of the College's strategic priorities, including but not limited to financial aid support and student access, health, wellness, and residential life, sustainability, and creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Working with the Office of Advancement team, Dean of the Faculty (DOF)/Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA), faculty, and other administrators, they will lead the development of short-, medium-, and long-term strategies to obtain corporate and foundation grants to support institutional priorities and to enhance Skidmore's profile on the national stage.  Primarily by interacting with foundation program officers and corporate executives, the Director brings Skidmore to the attention of local, regional, and national funders working closely with the Assistant Vice President for Development and Strategy (AVPDS) and other campus partners.
 

Primary Job Duties:

• Maintain a portfolio of 30 - 40 corporations, foundations, and other philanthropic entities, including execution of appropriate strategies, as part of the donor engagement process for each prospect/donor in assigned portfolio. A minimum of 75 visits are required annually and must be thoroughly documented in the database.
• Develop and implement a corporate engagement program, which focuses on the following:
  • companies Skidmore does business with institutionally;
  • companies who recruit Skidmore students as interns and/or for full time employment;
  • companies with significant numbers of Skidmore alumni employees with an emphasis on developing a robust corporate affiliates program;
  • companies focused on sponsorship of Skidmore programs, including but not limited to the Career Development Center and Athletics. 
• Meet or achieve a goal of securing a minimum of $2 million⁺ annually in grant/gift commitments.
• Develops an annual institutional giving plan that includes measurable performance metrics and specific strategies for expanding both levels and sources of support.
• Participates in prospect management and prospect strategy meetings.
• Builds strong rapport with faculty and staff across the College to acquire a broad and deep understanding of the academic and research portfolio to identify strong matches with potential funders.
• Participates in active stewardship and ensures that required reporting on funded projects is completed on a timely basis.
• Drafts high-quality and timely proposals, grant requests, correspondence, impact/stewardship reports, and other documents to support best institutional giving practices.
• Builds strategic relationships with key internal partners, including but not limited to the DOF/VPAA Office, Student Academic Services, Career Development Center, Office of Student Diversity Programs, Office of Sponsored Research, Financial Services, Athletics, Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, Lucy Scribner Library, Office of Institutional Research, and the Schupf Family Idea Lab. 
• Plays a key role in developing strategies to strengthen relationships with current prospects/funders and identifies and builds productive relationships with new prospects/funders.
• Provides occasional support to individual faculty members on grant-related issues.
• Responsible for expert analysis of national higher education issues and for leading College leadership in discussions of those issues as they pertain to institutional support.
• Consults with and advises the AVPDS and DOF/VPAA on matters related to NY6 institutions (In addition to Skidmore, the NY6 includes Colgate, Hamilton, Hobart & William Smith, St. Lawrence, and Union).

Qualifications and Competencies:

• Strong leadership, management, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to write in a clear, compelling, and nuanced way about numerous academic subjects and issues as well as the College more generally.  Create compelling prose to suit purpose, recipient, and (if writing for another's signature) author of documents.
• Adhere strictly to multiple deadlines.  Develop and articulate complex, multi-layered understanding of Skidmore's mission, strategic priorities, and directions.
• Strengths in analysis, strategy, and problem-solving.
• Results-driven motivation, comfortable with production goals, accountability, independence, initiative, and teamwork.
• Professionalism in collaborating with diverse groups of internal and external stakeholders.

Education: Bachelor's degree required, Master's Degree preferredExperience: Minimum of seven years Institutional Giving/Corporate & Foundation Relations experience, or combination of fundraising, sales, and writing. Salary Range:  $100,000 - $120,000 commensurate with experience

Required documents needed to apply:

• On-line application
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• List of Three References

 

EEO STATEMENT

Skidmore College is committed to being an inclusive campus community and, as an Equal Opportunity Employer, does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, domestic violence victim status, familial status, dating violence, or stalking, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

Employment at Skidmore College is contingent upon an acceptable background check result.

CREATIVE THOUGHT MATTERS.

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