Corporate Engagement Specialist

The Corporate Engagement Specialist is an integral part of the Office of Corporate Engagement and Foundation Relations’ corporate engagement function, serving as the operational lead for relationship development and management of Brown’s top corporate prospects and partners. This role independently evaluates, plans, and executes operational strategies to foster high-value corporate partnerships for Brown University. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President (AVP), the Specialist analyzes industry trends, evaluates prospective corporate alignment, formulates partnership engagement frameworks, and serves as an institutional liaison across academic and administrative units. The role exercises discretion in managing corporate pipeline workflows, assessing partnership risks and opportunities, and recommending engagement strategies that directly impact University funding and strategic initiatives.

The Corporate Engagement Specialist will:

• Design and implement corporate engagement activities for Brown’s Office of Corporate Engagement and Foundation Relations, including a portfolio of 50+ corporate prospects and partners led by the Assistant Vice President and two Corporate Engagement Officers.

• Plan and execute cultivation, solicitation and stewardship activities for aligned corporate executives and University administrators, including the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, academic leadership, faculty, and staff.

• Contribute to the planning of meetings and site visits for corporate executives, taking into account the strategic goals for each company in order to develop plans for meaningful interactions that will drive strategic success.

• Develop custom reports and analyze data across multiple academic and administrative units to provide insight for strategy formulation.

  Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Minimum of 4 years of experience in a related field, such as development, a technical industry-related field, and/or corporate relations.

Job Competencies

• Excellent analytical, data management, and problem-solving skills.

• Strong interpersonal skills are necessary for building relationships with external constituents (executives, corporate representatives) and internal constituents (deans, faculty, staff). Highly collaborative in approach.

• Strong organizational and planning skills with the ability to initiate, collaborate, implement, monitor, evaluate, and advance funding proposals that support program activities and contribute to Advancement’s overall goals and objectives and the University’s fundraising enterprise.

• Superior interpersonal skills with proven ability to effectively interact and collaborate with varied constituencies in a professional manner, exhibiting excellent written and oral communication skills, team-building skills, and demonstrating tact, poise, and diplomacy while working with a wide variety of personalities.

• Ability to apply sound judgment and proven responsible decision-making skills; tact and discretion are required to handle highly confidential information from alumni, parents, students, families, donors, and prospects.

• Experienced and comfortable with both Windows applications, including Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, as well as Google, including Calendar, drive, docs, and Slides. Proficient with audio/visual and presentation platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams or WebEx, PowerPoint, etc.)

• Experience using a customer relationship management (CRM) system is preferred.

• Experience with database systems as well as writing/editing/proofreading skills.   

• Demonstrable interest in corporate relations in a higher education or research setting.

• Must be able and willing to work occasional evenings and weekends. 

The designated Position Work Location for each position determines the approved modality of work. Positions are classified based on the operational and business needs of the department and may be designated as on-site, hybrid, or remote.

Employees with a designated position work location as remote must reside and perform their work in a state where Brown University is registered to do business. Brown University is a registered employer in the following states: Rhode Island, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Washington, D.C.

Please note that to be considered for a staff position at Brown University, you must submit a separate application for each position you wish to be considered for. Applications are reviewed only for the specific position to which they are submitted and are not automatically considered for future openings.  

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

If you have any questions you may contact employment@brown.edu.

Brown University provides equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination, harassment and retaliation based upon a person’s race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law, in the administration of its policies, programs, and activities. The University recognizes and rewards individuals on the basis of qualifications and performance. The University maintains certain affirmative action programs in compliance with applicable law.