Description

External Retirement Plan TRS or ORP Employment Type Employee Benefits Eligibility Benefits Eligible Full/Part time Full Time Work Schedule Additional Schedule Information
8:00am-5:00pm; Must be willing and able to work evenings and weekends, as necessary.
Advertised Salary Commensurate qualifications and experience Posting Date 12/04/2025 Open until filled Yes Closing Date Proposed Starting Date 02/01/2026 Special Instructions to Applicants

• This position is structured as a permanent position within the Division of Development & Alumni Relations. We are unable to sponsor a work visa for this position.

Location of Vacancy Athens Area EEO Policy Statement
The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).
USG Core Values Statement
The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning, as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Position Information

Classification Title Corp & Foundation Rel Pro III FLSA Exempt FTE 1.00 Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent and 5 years of professional experience
Preferred Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education and 7 years of experience in philanthropy, research & development, sales, business development, or economic development.
• A graduate degree from an accredited institution of higher education and more than 5 years of experience in philanthropy, research & development, sales, business development, or economic development.
• Understanding of higher education's mission and how that mission intersects with economic development activity.
• Understanding of regional, national, and global industry trends and their implications for university research and education.

Position Summary
The Director of Business Engagement is a member of the Office of Business Engagement team and plays a key role in achieving the university's goal to foster new, significant, long-term partnerships with industry. The role of director will focus on building strategic, long-term university relationships with prospective and emerging industry partners.

The Director works externally with representatives from companies to identify meaningful opportunities at UGA for corporate investment, support, and collaboration, while maintaining strong internal relationships with university faculty, staff, and administrators who carry out UGA's mission. The Director also acts as an initial point of contact for companies seeking to establish a partnership with UGA and actively and continually scans the business community to identify new leads for corporate partnership, collaboration, and investment.

The Director reports directly to a Senior Director for Business Engagement. This role is full-time, Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm, in-office, with some nights, weekends, and overnight travel required for special events and visits to company partners.

The mission of Business Engagement is to make it easy for industry partners to access the talent, expertise, and resources of the University. The Office pursues three goals aligned with that mission:

1. Providing high-touch, tailored support to UGA's strategic corporate partners
2. Building new connections between UGA and industry
3. Fostering a well-coordinated, professional ecosystem for industry engagement

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies

• Understanding of fundraising principles and practices.
• Understanding of business development strategies and tactics.
• Ability to identify new leads and opportunities for business development and/or partnership.
• Ability to establish and steward productive relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to conceive, organize, and manage complex projects and programs.
• Ability to communicate effectively (in written and oral form) and respectfully with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to translate complex ideas and information into common language.
• Ability to navigate complex academic and corporate organizations to accomplish goals.
• Ability to create, organize, compare, and interpret data to drive business insights and decisions.
• Experience using software programs to accomplish job responsibilities, including Microsoft Office Suite, customer relationship management software, databases, website management and research tools, and social media applications.
• Experience presenting information to small and large groups of stakeholders.
• Experience successfully pitching ideas or products to customers, clients, managers, or other stakeholders.
• Experience managing multiple relationships or accounts to foster business development or drive organizational goals.
• Experience identifying new leads and opportunities for business development or organizational partnership.
• Experience setting, operationalizing, and executing short- and long-term goals for organizational growth.
• Experience setting and meeting individual-level performance metrics.
• Experience operating effectively with teams who have various professional and academic experiences.

Additional Division Expectations:

• Through open, honest, and respectful communication, all staff, supervisors, and colleagues of the Division of Development & Alumni Relations are expected to interact with fairness, compassion, and decency. All employees will be held accountable for meeting the expectation of promoting a stable, productive, and healthy work environment.
• Adherence to CASE standards and commonly accepted industry standards relating to fundraising reporting are expected of all fundraisers. All fundraisers will be held accountable for meeting this expectation.

Physical Demands

• Work in a standard office environment
• Travel in and out of state
• Work nights and weekends necessary
• Work using electronic mail, telephone, face-to-face discussions, paper form correspondence
• Communicate effectively in writing, speaking, and listening
• Organize and establish priorities; Remember detail; multi-task
• Lift and/or move up to 25 pounds
• Walk, stand, stoop, lift, kneel, climb

Is driving a responsibility of this position? Yes Is this a Position of Trust? Yes Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources? No Does this position require a P-Card? No Is having a P-Card an essential function of this position? No Does this position have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care? No Does this position have Security Access (e.g., public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications) Yes Credit and P-Card policy
Be advised a credit check will be required for all positions with financial responsibilities. For additional information about the credit check criteria, visit the UGA Credit Background Check website.
Background Investigation Policy
Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including, a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with high-risk responsibilities, if applicable. Please visit the UGA Background Check website.

Duties/Responsibilities

Duties/Responsibilities
Relationship Management and Business Development

• Identify and qualify new industry prospect leads for the University, with a priority focus on businesses and industries in the state of Georgia.
• Manage a growing portfolio of major industry prospects with the goal of building long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships that generate philanthropic support, research sponsorship, and student engagement. Steward industry partners who support the university.
• Develop a broad understanding of UGA's philanthropic areas for support, areas of research expertise, instructional programs, and student activities that have potential connectivity to industry. With that understanding, the director will identify, research, and cultivate new corporate prospects, working to match University need with overarching business objectives to create new mutually beneficial relationships.
• Assist and advise faculty, administrators, and unit development directors on industry-related projects and programs by making company introductions and assisting where needed on funding proposals, business contracts, research agreements, philanthropic solicitations, and stewardship reports.
• Plan and attend meetings on campus and off-site with corporate representatives to build and maintain university-industry partnerships.
• Create annual prospect engagement plans that drive mission-focused, tangible results and take steps towards meeting the Director of Business Engagement annual metrics.
• Document all work-related interactions with industry and faculty in the customer relationship management (CRM) system. Maintain clear, concise, and proper documentation via quantitative and qualitative data input.

Percentage of time 75 Duties/Responsibilities
Campus Collaboration

• Collaborate with university colleagues on projects and programs that involve industry partners that fall within your prospect portfolio.
• Consult with industry-funded faculty on project management practices, relevant university processes and policies, and industry expectations and priorities.
• Meet regularly with campus counterparts to brainstorm and collaborate on new areas of priority within various schools, colleges, and units.
• Liaise with cross campus partners on behalf of the OBE to identify new leads for industry partnership as well as opportunities for cultivation and stewardship of existing industry partners.

Percentage of time 20 Duties/Responsibilities
Other

• Participate in and support staff meetings, division meetings, and office events and activities.
• Represent UGA and grow relationships in the business community by attending association networking functions, obtaining membership to relevant business associations, etc.

Percentage of time 5

Contact Information

Recruitment Contact

Contact Details
For questions concerning this position or recruitment progression, please refer to the Recruitment Contact listed below.
Recruitment Contact Name Development & Alumni Relations' Office of Talent Management Recruitment Contact Email dartalent@uga.edu Recruitment Contact Phone

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

1. * How did you hear about this job opportunity in the Division of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR)?
   • Chronicle of Higher Education
   • DAR Careers Page
   • Handshake
   • Insight Into Academia
   • Inside Higher Ed
   • LinkedIn
   • UGAJobs (UGA's job board)
   • Other (Please provide name of source)

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

1. Resume/CV
2. Cover Letter

Optional Documents