The Assistant Director for Corporate Relations (CR) supports the University of Notre Dame’s priority academic objectives through faculty engagement, concept and proposal support (including project management), and strategic corporate relationship cultivation. As a key member of the central development team, you will collaborate with faculty, staff, and administrators across the University to identify, develop, and execute academic fundraising initiatives.
In this role, you will play a crucial supporting part in Development's interaction with the Academy and the Office of Notre Dame Research, maintaining the highest standards of professional ethics, integrity, and compliance with University policies and external regulations. Working alongside a dedicated team of CR professionals, you will translate and articulate complex faculty-led research, scholarship, and teaching into compelling opportunities for corporate support.
You will directly assist in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding local, regional, and national corporate partners. The incumbent will manage an entry- to mid-level portfolio of corporate and corporate foundation relationships. A successful candidate will proactively engage industry partners and internal stakeholders, ensuring rapid turnaround times and driving pipeline momentum.
Key Responsibilities
Faculty Engagement
- Work directly with faculty to surface, synthesize, articulate, and prioritize academic research and projects for philanthropic solicitation.
- Socialize corporate RFPs across academic departments, Centers, and Institutes to curate compelling proposal concepts.
- Convene and collaborate with faculty and CR leadership to design projects aligned with corporate interests.
- Streamline the RFP lifecycle – from intake to submission – and assess strategic fit for incoming opportunities.
- Serve as a trusted liaison bridging corporate interests with institutional priorities; attend relevant faculty presentations and campus department events.
Corporate Relations & Fundraising
- Manage a defined portfolio of corporate and corporate foundation prospects to achieve an individual annual goal through entry- and mid-level gifts and grants.
- Drive all phases of the development lifecycle: identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Design and execute tailored strategies to expand the prospect pool and build long-term corporate relationships.
- Align faculty research and university priorities with corporate capacity and philanthropic focus areas.
Research & Proposal Support
- Partner with prospect research analysts to build targeted corporate cultivation and solicitation plans.
- Develop and maintain a robust annual submission schedule for open Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Letters of Inquiry (LOIs), and full proposals.
- Plan and execute institutional campus visits and executive meetings, preparing concise, insight-driven strategy briefs for faculty and University leadership, and external stakeholders.
- Coordinate with the Office of Notre Dame Research on grant-related due diligence, submissions, reporting, and compliance.
Ideation & Portfolio Strategy
- Cultivate and refine ideas that turn into high-impact corporate giving opportunities aligned with President, Provost, and Dean priorities.
- Organize workshops, webinars, and information sessions to enhance internal gift- and grant-seeking capabilities across campus.
- Partner with CR leadership to execute strategic plans for assigned corporate accounts.
Essential Operations & Administration
- Maintain timely and complete records – including contact reports and proposal statuses – in the Development database.
- Ensure rapid, consistent follow-through on correspondence, meetings, travel, and proposal tracking.
- Collaborate effectively across campus with Notre Dame Research, Research and Sponsored Programs Accounting, and college representatives.
- Continuously refine workflows to enhance transparency, standardization, and team operational efficiency.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- 3-5 years of progressive experience in corporate relations, higher education fundraising, institutional advancement, grant writing, or business development/sales.
- Demonstrated track record managing project life cycles, drafting/coordinating complex proposals, and maintaining submission schedules.
- Experience managing entry- to mid-level donor or client portfolios with demonstrated progress toward quantitative targets or fundraising goals.
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills, including the ability to translate complex academic and scientific concepts into compelling narrative proposals for corporate executives.
- Experience working with a donor/constituent database, CRM (e.g., Salesforce, Advance), or project management software to track contact reports and pipeline metrics.
- Must be authorized to work in the United States without visa sponsorship.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced degree.
- Direct experience working within a major research university setting, specifically collaborating with faculty, deans, and research administration offices (e.g., Office of Research).
- Specific experience navigating corporate foundation guidelines, grant submissions, due diligence, and compliance.
- Experience planning and executing high-level corporate convenings, executive strategy briefs, and interdisciplinary workshops.
- Proven ability to act as an effective advisor across diverse groups, bridging the gap between corporate industry priorities and faculty-led research initiatives.
RESUME & COVER LETTER REQUIRED to be considered for this position. Please add in the attachments section of your application.
Salary: Up to $75,000, Commensurate with experience
This position is located in South Bend, Indiana.
The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age in employment. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and complies with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). We strongly encourage applications from candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity.