LOCATION
Worcester
DEPARTMENT NAME
University Advancement - Fundraising
DIVISION NAME
Worcester Polytechnic Institute - WPI
JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY
The Executive Director, Corporate Partnerships is a senior fundraising leader responsible for building and executing WPI's corporate philanthropy program within University Advancement. Reporting to the AVP of University Advancement, this role manages a portfolio of high-value corporate prospects and partners, develops structured corporate engagement programs, and drives the growth of philanthropic revenue through sustained, strategic relationships with companies that are already invested in WPI, and those that should be.
Working closely with university leadership, faculty, advancement colleagues, and external stakeholders, the Executive Director will lead efforts to secure significant philanthropic support, ensuring alignment with the institution's strategic plan and fundraising objectives.
The ideal candidate has 10+ years of corporate engagement or advancement experience, a proven track record closing significant industry partnerships and philanthropic gifts, and the confidence to engage peer-to-peer with senior corporate executives. They are an experienced program builder who can take a clear strategy and execute it with discipline, managing a fast-moving portfolio, building structured engagement programs from the ground up, and working closely with university leadership to close transformational corporate gifts.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Fundraising & Relationship Development
- Manage a portfolio of high-priority corporate prospects and partners, conducting regular substantive visits and maintaining a disciplined pipeline of qualified accounts with formal philanthropic asks tracked.
- Lead cultivation and solicitation of anchor corporate partners at major gift levels, including named fund and center opportunities, working with Development Communications on proposals and gift agreements.
- Engage peer-to-peer with senior corporate executives, serving as the primary relationship manager for WPI's corporate partners and representing the university at industry events and corporate cultivation activities.
Strategic Leadership & Planning
- Design and launch structured corporate partnership programs that give companies a meaningful, coordinated way to invest in WPI, building from early-stage concept to a scalable, tiered engagement model with clear value propositions at each level.
- Build and manage a pipeline of named center and major corporate gift opportunities, coordinating with academic and senior university leadership to position each prospect and move conversations toward commitment.
- Translate strategy into disciplined daily execution, managing account plans, moves management, and portfolio reviews against clear revenue goals in close partnership with the AVP.
- Oversee WPI's corporate student project program, managing company sponsorships for applied student research projects and ensuring the program serves as an effective entry point for companies into a broader philanthropic relationship with the university.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
- Coordinate across Advancement, the Office of Sponsored Research, Graduate Studies, and research leadership to ensure every corporate relationship has a unified WPI presence and a clear philanthropic pathway, avoiding duplicated outreach and maximizing corporate revenue influenced.
- Partner with individual gift officers on accounts that span both corporate and individual giving, coordinating strategy, sharing Salesforce records, and ensuring no partner receives conflicting outreach from different parts of Advancement.
- Engage the broader university, including faculty, Deans, and department heads, in corporate partnership development, ensuring academic priorities are connected to corporate partner interests and that WPI presents as a coordinated institution to every partner.
Team Leadership & Operations
- Lead and mentor the corporate partnerships team, including the Director of Corporate Outreach and Associate Director of Corporate Relations, providing strategic direction, portfolio accountability, and a team culture that makes Corporate Partnerships a center of excellence within Advancement.
- Oversee Salesforce discipline across the corporate portfolio, ensuring accounts are fully profiled, pipeline stages are current, and intelligence on corporate engagement across the university is captured and used to inform strategy.
- Manage subscriptions to key prospecting tools and guide the proactive identification of new philanthropic corporate opportunities.
- Performs all other duties and responsibilities as assigned or directed by the supervisor.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
- 10+ years of experience in corporate engagement, industry partnerships, or advancement, with a strong background in corporate relations and philanthropic fundraising within higher education or a complex institution.
- Demonstrated network of senior corporate contacts and fluency in how corporate decision-making structures, budget cycles, tax incentives, and CSR programs operate, with the ability to navigate them to close philanthropic partnerships.
- Proven track record closing $500K–$2M+ industry partnerships or philanthropic gifts; experience building or launching a structured corporate engagement program is a strong plus.
- Strong executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to represent WPI compellingly to senior corporate leaders and to work effectively with Deans, faculty, and university leadership.
- Demonstrated ability to work across complex institutional environments, engaging faculty, academic leaders, and multiple internal offices in a coordinated corporate partnership strategy.
- Familiarity with the STEM corporate landscape, including defense and aerospace, robotics and automation, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and financial technology sectors, which are the priority sectors in WPI's corporate strategy.
- Proficiency with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and prospect research tools.
- Experience in a research university or complex higher education environment, with an understanding of how corporate partners engage across research, talent, and philanthropy simultaneously.
- Strategic thinker with excellent organizational and project management skills.
- Energetic, entrepreneurial, and results-oriented approach to leadership.
- Ability to navigate and manage complex internal and external relationships with diplomacy and professionalism.
Salary Grade 12: $127,500 – $ $162,000 per year (depending on experience)
Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity; generally, new hires can expect pay between the minimum and midpoint of the range.
Compensation at WPI
FLSA STATUS
United States of America (Exempt)
WPI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability. It seeks individuals from all backgrounds and experiences who will contribute to a culture of creativity, collaboration, inclusion, problem solving, innovation, high performance, and change making. It is committed to maintaining a campus environment free of harassment and discrimination.
