Senior Director, Corporate Partnerships and Strategic Events

The Senior Director, Corporate Partnerships and Strategic Events leads strategy for securing charitable gifts, partnerships, earned revenue, and sponsorships from corporations, while managing a comprehensive portfolio of events that engage a broad array of internal and external constituents.   The Senior Director will be a high-producing frontline fundraiser and sales professional who manages a small team of corporate engagement professionals for revenue generation, increased college visibility, and in-kind gifts that relieve the budget. In addition to their duties to retain a majority of prior-year donors, the Senior Director will identify and advance strategy to secure new funders annually.  This critical role reports to the Vice President of Alumni Affairs and Development, regularly interacts with and supports the Office of the President, serves as a member of the department’s Senior Development Team (SDT), and engages across a broad array of internal and external constituents.

This position supports, through actions and conduct, The Cooper Union mission and vision, and helps to build and maintain a productive departmental culture and performance outcomes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Discover, cultivate, engage, solicit, and steward corporate funder, sponsor, and rental clients with the capacity to award leadership ($2,500+), major ($50,000+), and principal ($500,000) gifts and rental fees, exceeding $1 million in new commitments annually. In general, eight to ten new gifts, sponsorships, or rental clients are expected each year. Fundraising and sales to achieve this metric should be performed independently or in direct partnership with College faculty, staff, or administration.
• Oversee or personally produce pitch decks and proposals, strategy documents, and budgets that align with grantor expectations and drive successful solicitations and stewardship, in collaboration with the Business Office, principal investigators/program leads, and senior leadership.
• Design and deliver exceptional events that support the mission and vision of The Cooper Union.
• Identify and advance funders capable of committing multi-year principal gift-level grants of $2.5 million or greater.
• Ensure compliance with financial reporting and corporate client regulations.
• Mentor staff in corporate client relations, event and meeting design, budget discipline, and funder engagement.
• Demonstrate excellent skill in persuasion through written and spoken communication skills.
• Other duties as assigned.

SKILLS/REQUIREMENTS

• 7-plus years of marketing sales, revenue generating events, or fundraising experience
• 3 years of experience as a fundraising, events, or marketing sales manager
• Experience in securing major ($50,000+) grant commitments from corporations, galas, or major conferences, with an annual yield of at least $1,000,000.
• Exceptional time management and organizational skills with sharp attention to detail.
• Excellent persuasive writing, proofreading, and editing skills.
• Fluency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook.
• Comfort in database research activities (Tessitura, Slate, Raiser’s Edge, Tableau, etc.)
• Propriety, thoughtfulness, and discretion.
• Understanding of fundraising and relationship management in a higher education context.
• Appreciation for The Cooper Union mission and ethos.

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree required.

Master’s degree preferred.