Senior Associate Director, Corporate

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 113,865 - 165,105; Full time

Job summary

Northeastern University invites applications for a Senior Associate Director, Corporate & Foundation Relations in Boston. You will manage a portfolio of foundations and corporate prospects, partnering with academic colleagues to secure major gifts and support interdisciplinary initiatives across the university.

The role emphasizes strategic outreach, proposal development, and stewardship, with cross‑campus collaboration through the Global Campus Network and One Northeastern frameworks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5–7 years of frontline fundraising experience or equivalent.
• Expertise in raising funds for higher education.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Ability to communicate and interface with corporate/foundation representatives and university stakeholders.
• Ability to think and plan strategically.
• Self-motivation and team‑oriented mindset.
• Strong follow-up and responsiveness.
• Master's or professional degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of 100 foundations and targeted corporate prospects.
• Advance Northeastern's agenda by securing foundation and corporate support through direct funding, gifts‑in‑kind, or other agreements.
• Develop cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Focus on supporting biomedical sciences across the university and global campus network.
• Develop and implement funder site and campus visits; coordinate with major gift officers.
• Draft proposals, letters of inquiry, and stewardship reports.
• Collaborate with advancement teams to track activities and generate reports.

Skills

Fundraising

Relationship building

Proposal writing

Strategic thinking

Communication

Teamwork

Self-motivation

Follow-up

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Job description

Senior Associate Director, Corporate & Foundation Relations

About the Opportunity

This position is Boston based and is a part of the One Northeastern network. The Senior Associate Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations manages a portfolio of 100 prospects and, when necessary, partners with One Northeastern colleagues in athletics, gift planning, family philanthropy, leadership giving, annual giving, and alumni relations to develop and support interdisciplinary gift opportunities within the regional structure. The Senior Associate Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations will build, manage, and engage a portfolio of high‑capacity prospects in concert with One Northeastern fundraising colleagues to secure major gifts in support of Northeastern's mission.

The role of the Senior Associate Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations, is to be a link between the university and the corporate and foundation community—establishing and retaining relationships for the university at multiple levels. The Senior Associate Director achieves this by developing, implementing, and coordinating outreach, communications, and solicitation strategies for the university in select areas.

The primary mission of this role is obtaining financial and other support for the university. The activities required to pursue this goal include building bridges and relationships between the university and targeted corporate and foundation funders; working with faculty and research administration to develop and submit proposals for funding; developing strategies to advance the university's mission by leveraging funding opportunities; and stewarding existing grants while also providing faculty with funder‑related guidance.

The Senior Associate Director works closely with colleges and programs within the Global Campus Network, with guidance from the Director, on corporate and foundation outreach. The projects identified for potential funding may include college‑ or campus‑specific programs, as well as interdisciplinary initiatives. This position requires a balance between strategic, long‑term relationship management and the ability to derive ongoing benefit to the university. The role serves as a single point of contact for strategic relationship planning and coordination and interfaces with faculty, university partners, and corporate and foundation representatives through various communication channels.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

Raise Corporate and Foundation Support

• Manage a pool of 100 local and national foundations and targeted corporate and foundation prospects
• Advance the One Northeastern agenda by gaining foundation and corporate support of university initiatives through direct funding, gifts‑in‑kind, or other agreements
• Develop and execute cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies
• Focus on supporting work in the biomedical sciences across the university and global campus network

Strategy Development and Moves Management – One Northeastern

• Develop strategies to engage key foundation and corporate partners to encourage greater involvement with the university
• Work externally with foundation program officers and corporate researchers and executives
• Establish and maintain enhanced communication with partners
• Develop, coordinate, and implement funder site and campus visits
• Serve as a regional corporate and foundation relations strategic liaison to major and leadership gift officers
• Partner to increase involvement of alumni and current parents in corporate leadership roles to increase corporate support and individual giving

Proposal Writing

• Meet with deans, faculty members, and stakeholders to gather information for proposals
• Develop detailed and targeted proposals
• Draft letters of inquiry, stewardship reports, and related documents

Teamwork and Tracking

• Collaborate with the corporate and foundation team and Advancement team to coordinate activities and develop best practices
• Streamline processes and improve overall fundraising capacity
• Track cultivation and fundraising activities through existing databases and systems
• Generate reports on activities to share with colleagues and senior management

Minimum Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree
• 5‑7 years of front‑line fundraising experience or equivalent
• Expertise in raising funds for higher education
• Excellent writing skills
• Ability to communicate and interface effectively with corporate and foundation representatives and university stakeholders
• Ability to think and plan strategically
• Self‑motivation
• Strong interest in being a member of a highly interactive and mutually supportive team
• Customer‑oriented training and focus
• High follow‑up and responsiveness

Preferred

• Master's degree or other professional degree

Required Documents

• Resume

Position Type

Advancement

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.

Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit‑eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement—as well as commuting & transportation. For more information, visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type

113S

Expected Hiring Range

$113,865.00 - $165,105.00

To Apply

To apply, visit https://northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/careers/job/Boston-MA-Main-Campus/Senior-Associate-Director--Corporate---Foundation-Relations_R140816