Director of Corporate Philanthropy

Reporting to the Executive Director, Corporate Philanthropy, the Director is responsible for driving engagement, philanthropic giving, grants, sponsor ships, research partnerships, and strengthening other holistic opportunities with external corporations on behalf of Syracuse University. This position develops and implements a strategic plan for mapping university programs to the relevant needs of corporate partners in their assigned portfolio. Building upon a strong existing base of funders and the identification of prospects – the Director discovers, cultivates, solicits, and stewards current and new corporate donors to meet and exceed the department’s annual goals.

The position requires collaborative relationship‑building with university and corporate stakeholders to strengthen existing relationships, as well as proactive growth, increasing the number of corporate donors and growing the annual revenue of Syracuse University. The Director is responsible for becoming a subject‑matter expert on university programs, as well as an expert in their companies’ ongoing business needs and corporate social responsibility focuses to identify and propose engagement and funding opportunities that are mutually beneficial to the university and the company.

Travel Requirements:
Minimum 15% to cultivate, steward, solicit corporations and donors.

The Division of Advancement & External Affairs expresses a shared mission that is collaborative, trusted, respectful, future-focused and is aligned with the overall University. All current and new employees embrace and demonstrate dedication to promoting shared values in an inclusive work culture to propel the future of advancement operations in their everyday work.

• Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7-10 years of corporate partnerships, fundraising, corporate social impact, partnership marketing, business development or related fields.
• Proven track record of securing major gifts, sponsor ships, and grants resulting in 6- figure funding, preferably in a university setting.
• Exceptional relationship‑building and interpersonal skills.
• A valid Driver’s License is required.

• Strong strategic thinking and problem‑solving abilities.
• Excellent presentation and written and verbal communication skills.
• A creative, solutions‑oriented approach to building mutually beneficial partnerships.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable to effectively collaborate across multiple departments.
• Excellent attention to detail and follow through as demonstrated through effective project management experience.
• Outgoing and personable, willing to engage and form new business relationships.

• Identify, cultivate, and steward new and existing corporate support that aligns with Syracuse University priorities through proactive outreach, consistent update and analysis of the inventory of relevant university programs, as well as in‑depth analysis of the company’s strategies, results, and prospectus to identify opportunities for engagement and funding. Maintain and further proficient knowledge of university, as well as school/college/unit, priorities and programs.
• Initiate and manage solicitations to corporations for philanthropy, research, and complex inter‑institutional and cross disciplinary initiatives. Collaborate with the divisional partners and schools/colleges/units to create compelling proposals and presentations that communicate the impact and value of partnering with the organization. Achieve annual fundraising targets and contribute to the long‑term financial sustainability of the organization.
• Discover, cultivate, solicit, and steward a dynamic portfolio of 50 key corporate prospects and secure…