Business Development Manager , SkyDeck

About Berkeley

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

As a world‑leading institution, Berkeley is known for its academic and research excellence, public mission, diverse student body, and commitment to equity and social justice. Since our founding in 1868, we have driven innovation, creating global intellectual, economic and social value. We are looking for applicants who reflect California’s diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity‑focused community that views education as a matter of social justice.

Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, Principles of Community, and Strategic Plan. At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups (staff organizations). Our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential.

We actively support this by providing all of our full‑time staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. Find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley.

Berkeley Sky Deck is one of the top tech accelerators in the U.S. and part of UC Berkeley. Sky Deck is home to 280+ startups a year and is a joint venture of UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering, the Haas School of Business, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. Sky Deck’s mission is to serve as the leading hub for entrepreneurship globally.

Sky Deck’s Business Development team focuses on partnerships with third‑parties that include corporations, service providers, government, other universities, and more. Business development is a key revenue driver for Sky Deck as well as provides our startup founders with resources, benefits and connections with partners as well as increases Sky Deck’s global reputation. Reporting to the Head of Business Developments, this position will primarily focus on securing, implementing, and managing annual partnerships from our resource partners who offer goods and services to Sky Deck’s founders.

This position will perform the full cycle of partnership development from identifying potential partnerships to full implementation of agreed upon terms as well as ongoing support and management. Additionally, this position may entail supporting other partnership activities, such as annual corporate partnerships and international partnerships.

The First Review Date for this job is: 02/13/2026.

Relationship management with third‑parties to act as first point of contact.

• This includes extensive and ongoing communication, such as proactive and reactive support, in‑person and virtual meetings, emails/Slack messages, and more.
• Additionally, you will be expected to organize and attend strategic events, including an on‑site Resource Fair, networking happy hours, and more.

Management (end‑to‑end) of sponsorship activity for key engagements, such as Demo Day & Resource Fair.

• This includes bringing in donations from sponsors, managing communications and invitations for events, organizing logistics, and in‑person being the leader on the day‑of events.

Market analyses to determine growth opportunities, competitive landscape, and more.

• This includes researching market trends to identify how Berkeley Sky Deck can grow and evolve, and it may also include understanding partnership offerings from potential third‑parties via independent research and personal outreach.

Relationship management with startups to drive adoption of partners’ services.

• This includes helping connect Sky Deck’s startups with Sky Deck’s partners to understand and adopt the products/services offered by the third‑parties.
• This may include organizing/hosting webinars, answering emails, managing virtual resources, and more.

Maintain dashboards and databases to track…