Strategic Foundation Partnerships Director

CASE; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

UMBC in Baltimore seeks a Director of Foundation Engagement to lead strategy, expansion, and high-touch management of the foundation partnerships portfolio. Reporting to the Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Engagement, this role drives multi-million-dollar philanthropic investments.

You will guide cultivation, LOIs, budgets, site visits, and renewals while mentoring staff and advising deans and faculty across the university.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business administration, public administration, communications, English, marketing, higher education administration, research administration, or a related field.
• Five years of progressive, successful fund development experience in foundation relations, grant development, sponsored programs, partnership development, or a closely related field.
• Experience managing relationships with foundation funders, program officers, or other external funding partners.
• Experience developing and coordinating LOIs, proposals, and grant applications, including the preparation of budgets and other required submission materials.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent grant deadlines and coordinating contributions from faculty, principal investigators, campus leaders, finance staff, and other stakeholders.
• Outstanding skill in synthesizing complex academic, scientific, or social-impact research into clear, compelling philanthropic value propositions.
• Supervisory or lead-worker experience with responsibility for assigning work, setting priorities, and reviewing quality and timeliness.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and implement portfolio strategy for foundation funders and high-value prospects.
• Serve as primary contact for funders, guiding relationship lifecycles from outreach to renewals.
• Oversee grant research, writing, submission, budgets, and reporting for complex projects.
• Direct supervision of the Assistant Director of Foundation Relations and manage team performance.
• Coordinate foundation tracking, calendars, and reporting accuracy across stakeholders.
• Vet opportunities and assign engagement as determined.

Skills

Foundation fundraising

Grant proposals

Grant lifecycle

Staff supervision

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

Salesforce

Ellucian Advance

Blackbaud

Grants-management software

Job description

UMBC in Baltimore seeks a Director of Foundation Engagement to lead strategy, expansion, and high-touch management of the foundation partnerships portfolio. Reporting to the Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Engagement, this role drives multi-million-dollar philanthropic investments.

You will guide cultivation, LOIs, budgets, site visits, and renewals while mentoring staff and advising deans and faculty across the university.