Corporate Relations and Partnerships Manager

ESSEC Business School; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

ESSEC Business School APAC is seeking a Corporate Relations & Partnerships Manager to advance partnership strategy across the Asia-Pacific region. You will build and manage relationships with corporate partners, alumni, and industry ecosystems to support campus initiatives and institutional growth.

Reporting to the Director of Strategic Development & Communications, you will coordinate cross-functional teams, monitor market intelligence, and ensure timely execution of engagement programs,

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in partnership development, stakeholder engagement, external relations, business development, or related fields.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, networking, and presentation skills with the ability to engage stakeholders at different levels including senior leaders.
• Experience using CRM or stakeholder relationship management systems to track engagements and support decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement ESSEC APAC's partnership and stakeholder engagement strategy.
• Maintain stakeholder map and partnership pipeline, coordinating with multiple departments.
• Identify, engage and cultivate relationships with prospective and existing institutional partners; facilitate introductions and handovers.
• Coordinate partnership initiatives across departments and campuses, ensuring alignment and follow-through.
• Align partnership activities with ESSEC's brand positioning and communications objectives.

Skills

Partnership development

Stakeholder engagement

External relations

Business development

Cross-cultural awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM systems

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Job description

Position Objective

Reporting to the Director of Strategic Development & Communications, the Corporate Relations & Partnerships Manager supports the development and implementation of ESSEC Asia-Pacific's partnership and stakeholder engagement strategy to advance campus and institutional objectives.

The role is responsible for developing and managing relationships with corporate and ecosystem partners, while facilitating collaboration across internal and external stakeholders. Working closely with the Director, the incumbent identifies partnership and engagement opportunities, supports strategic initiatives, addresses business needs, and helps strengthen ESSEC's institutional reputation, industry engagement, and regional presence.

Serving as a key liaison between external stakeholders and internal teams, the role ensures a coordinated and value-driven approach to partnership management, stakeholder engagement, and ecosystem development in support of the School's strategic priorities.

Responsibilities

1. Partnership Development

• Assist the Director in developing and implementing ESSEC APAC's partnership and stakeholder engagement strategy in support of the School's institutional priorities and growth objectives.
• Maintain an overarching stakeholder map and partnership pipeline, coordinating with Career Services, Executive Education, research chairs, and other departments where relevant.
• Identify, engage and cultivate relationships with prospective and existing institutional partners, ensuring effective relationship management and follow-through.
• Support employer engagement and other department-specific opportunities by identifying prospective corporate partners and facilitating introductions and coordinated handovers to the relevant teams for further development and delivery.
• Cultivate relationships with senior alumni and corporate leaders across the Asia-Pacific region to strengthen institutional networks, deepen stakeholder engagement and identify areas of mutual interest.

2.Stakeholder Relationship Management

• Coordinate and execute institutional partnership initiatives and external engagement activities across departments and campuses, ensuring alignment, effective implementation, and follow-through.
• Facilitate partner participation in School initiatives.
• Facilitate the development, administration, monitoring, and documentation of partnership agreements and collaboration frameworks, ensuring compliance with institutional requirements.

3. Market Intelligence & Insights

• Monitor developments across business, industry, policy, and higher education landscapes, and synthesize market intelligence to identify emerging opportunities, risks, and trends that inform strategic planning, program innovation, and institutional initiatives.
• Maintain stakeholder intelligence, partnership records, and engagement data through the School's CRM and stakeholder management systems.
• Develop reports, dashboards, and insights to support relationship management, institutional planning, performance tracking, and decision-making.

4. Communications & Coordination

• Align partnership activities with ESSEC's brand positioning, institutional priorities, and communications objectives.
• Develop partnership-related communications, stakeholder updates, and external engagement materials.
• Function as the campus-level liaison between corporate partners and internal teams to drive success for institutional and campus initiatives.
• Represent ESSEC at selected industry events, conferences, and networking platforms as required.

5. Other Responsibilities

• Support strategic projects, institutional initiatives, and events led by the Strategic Development & Communications Department.
• Undertake other duties as assigned.

This is a non-exhaustive list of duties and can evolve with time or as assigned by the Reporting Officer.

Position Requirements/ People Specifications

• Good understanding of partnership development and stakeholder engagement, with the ability to identify opportunities that support institutional objectives and mutually beneficial collaborations.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, networking, and presentation skills, with the ability to engage effectively with stakeholders at different levels, including senior leaders.
• Strong cross-cultural awareness and the ability to work effectively in international and multicultural environments.
• Strong project management and organizational capabilities, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver outcomes in a dynamic environment.
• Proactive, resourceful, collaborative, and self-motivated, with a growth mindset and the agility to adapt to changing priorities.
• Demonstrates professionalism, sound judgment, discretion, and a commitment to quality and service excellence.
• Ability to work independently while fostering effective collaboration across teams and functions.
• Willingness to travel locally and internationally when required.

Qualifications

• Degree holder with minimum 5 years of relevant experience in partnership development, stakeholder engagement, external relations, business development, or related fields.
• Good understanding of local, regional, and global business environments, with the ability to identify trends, opportunities, and developments relevant to the School and its stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience building and managing relationships with diverse stakeholders across corporate, academic, public sector, and ecosystem environments.
• Experience working across functions and managing multiple stakeholders to achieve shared objectives.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize information, generate insights, and translate recommendations into action.
• Experience using CRM or stakeholder relationship management systems to track engagements, generate insights, and support decision-making.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
• Experience in higher education, executive education, professional services, chambers of commerce, membership organizations, industry associations, or related sectors will be advantageous.
• Events management experience is a bonus.

Contacts

• Internal Stakeholders: Strategic Development & Communications, Corporate Relations, Career Services, Executive Education, Academic Affairs, Faculty, and Academic Directors across Groupe ESSEC.
• External Stakeholders: Corporate and industry partners, chambers of commerce, professional and industry associations, ESSEC alumni, and other ecosystem partners.

Working Environment and Pace

The incumbent needs to be a self-starter who can work independently while thriving in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. The role requires a collaborative team player who can engage effectively with diverse stakeholders across functions, organizations, and cultures. Success in this role requires adaptability, agility, sound judgment, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a high standard of professionalism and service excellence.

Terms of Employment

• Working days are from Mondays to Fridays.
• Working timings: 8am to 5pm or 9am to 6pm or 10am to 7pm.
• Occasionally, it may be necessary to work beyond the normal working hours due to the nature of work (eg events) and the level of responsibility