Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations

Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations

Position Overview :
The Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations serves as Merrimack College’s primary fundraiser and liaison for local, regional, and national foundations and corporate partners. Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President of Research and Knowledge Enterprise, the Director leads the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of institutional funders to advance key campus priorities.

This role operates in close collaboration with executive leadership, the Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Marketing & CMO, Academic Deans, faculty researchers, the O’Brien Center for Career Development, and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs to translate institutional initiatives into competitive funding proposals.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Manage an active portfolio of 60 – 80 corporate and foundation prospects with the capacity to make commitments in the $25,000 to $1,000,000+ range.
• Develop and execute strategic cultivation and solicitation plans to secure $750,000 – $1,500,000+ annually in corporate and private foundation grants and corporate gifts.
• Conduct 40–60 meaningful interactions or site visits annually with foundation program officers, corporate foundation directors, and executive leadership.
• Author, edit, and submit persuasive Letters of Inquiry, highly tailored grant proposals, pitch decks, and formal stewardship reports.

Cross-Campus Collaboration & Academic Engagement (25%)

• Partner with Deans and faculty across Girard School of Business, School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering and Computational Sciences, School of Education and Social Policy, School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Graduate School of Counseling and Social Work.
• Collaborate with the O’Brien Center for Career Development to integrate corporate philanthropic support with student internships, co-ops, and executive sponsor ships.
• Work seamlessly with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs to delineate philanthropic grants from government sponsored agreements.

Executive Support & Operations (25%)

• Design and execute robust stewardship programs ensuring full compliance with grant terms, reporting schedules, and financial accountability.
• Prepare comprehensive briefing materials for the President, Senior Vice Presidents, Provost, and Academic Deans prior to funder visits.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution required.
• Minimum of 5+ years of progressive institutional fundraising, grant writing, or corporate sponsorship experience, preferably within higher education or a complex non-profit environment.
• Documented success in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and closing five- and six-figure ($50,000–$500,000+) grants and gifts from foundations and corporations.
• Superior narrative, proposal writing, and editing abilities with a proven capacity to translate complex academic concepts and research projects into clear, compelling funding proposals.
• Demonstrated experience utilizing fundraising CRMs (e.g., Salesforce, Slate) and research databases (e.g., Foundation Directory Online, Linked In Sales Navigator).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Higher Education, Communications, or a related field preferred.
• Direct experience working with academic Deans, faculty researchers, and university executive leadership within a higher education setting.
• Established network of philanthropic contacts and foundation program officers across Greater Boston and the broader New England region.
• Proactive self-starter capable of recognizing funding trends, identifying institutional needs, and matching…