Director of Corporate Engagement

Posting Details

This position is designated as Exempt from the Human Resources Act (EHRA).

Posting Details

Benefits of Working at UNCW

At the University of North Carolina Wilmington, we are driven by a clear purpose: to empower student success, advance innovation, and strengthen the communities we serve. Guided by our strategic vision and commitment to excellence, UNCW offers a dynamic and collaborative environment where employees can make meaningful contributions while growing their careers.

Located in coastal North Carolina, UNCW combines the energy of a thriving academic community with the natural beauty of nearby beaches and outdoor spaces. Here, professional opportunity is balanced with an exceptional quality of life-creating a workplace where you can thrive both personally and professionally.

As a member of the Seahawk community, you'll benefit from a culture that values well-being, lifelong learning, and connection. UNCW offers a competitive and flexible benefits package designed to support your health, financial well-being, and professional growth. From comprehensive health coverage and retirement options to generous paid leave, tuition opportunities within the UNC System, learning and development opportunities, and wellness programs, UNCW is committed to helping you thrive both at work and in your personal life.

Hiring Range Determined based on qualifications and/or experience. Working Title Director of Corporate Engagement External Link to Posting https://jobs.uncw.edu/postings/40770 Vacancy Number E1612 Position Number 1182 Location of Workplace Main UNCW Campus Home Department University Advancement - 50000 Division University Advancement - 50 Division Brief Summary of Work for this Position

The Director of Corporate Engagement is the university's only dedicated corporate engagement professional and serves as a member of the Major Gifts team within the Division for University Advancement. Reporting to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Major Gifts, this position leads campus-wide efforts to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate prospects that result in significant philanthropic investments and strengthen scholarly efforts across all academic disciplines.

Key Responsibilities:

• Partner with the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Major Gifts and Major Gift Development Officers to develop and execute strategies for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of corporate prospects.
• Lead the university's corporate philanthropic strategy in support of the UNCW Strategic Plan goal of expanding corporate engagement and partnerships.
• Serve as the primary liaison for corporate fundraising efforts across the university, providing focused leadership for corporate engagement initiatives.
• Collaborate with university leadership, academic units, and strategic partners, including the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Career Center, Research and Innovation, and other campus offices.
• Expand the corporate donor pipeline through proactive discovery, cultivation, and solicitation of new corporate prospects.
• Manage a portfolio of corporate funding prospects at the local, regional/state, and national levels.
• Build and sustain complex, high-quality relationships with corporate partners that result in significant philanthropic support for the university.
• Work collaboratively with faculty, academic administrators, and advancement colleagues to align university priorities with corporate philanthropic interests.
• Lead the development of corporate funding proposals and letters of inquiry, including writing, reviewing, and editing narratives, budgets, and supporting materials.
• Maintain proposal, reporting, and solicitation timelines to ensure timely and effective corporate engagement activities.
• Advance corporate philanthropy as a strategic growth area for the university through innovative partnership development and relationship management.

This position is ideal for a relationship-driven fundraising professional with experience in major gift development, corporate partnerships, and strategic stakeholder engagement.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Bachelor's degree with a minimum of five years of demonstrated successful experience in the design, implementation, and execution of successful fundraising programs, including proposal and grant writing, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Master's degree
• Experience in a higher education environment
• An understanding of the nature of corporate and foundation philanthropy as it relates to higher education and the ability to communicate the critical role of corporate and foundation support in ensuring the success of the research, teaching, scholarship and outreach mission of the university.
• Superior written and verbal communication and interpersonal and creative problem-solving skills and the ability to initiate and collaborate with others, at all levels.
• Ability to work interdependently and independently in a collaborative environment.
• Possess a passion for service excellence, integrity, a positive outlook, a strong work ethic, be self-motivated and committed to high performance and dedication to the value of higher education.
• Track record of public and private development efforts including mastery of the basic principles and techniques of successful fundraising as they pertain to identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual, group, corporate and foundation prospects, preferably in the non-profit or higher educational sector.

Required Certifications or Licensures Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

The Division for University Advancement responds to the needs of a variety of external and internal constituents in achieving its primary goals to:

• Increase private financial support for prioritized university programs and activities, and
• Improve external relations for the university through effective board management and donor stewardship.

The division strives to raise funds, as outlined by the chancellor's vision statement, from the private sector to further the university mission of pursuing the resources that will enable our faculty and students to excel and become intensely regionally engaged. In doing so, the division plans strategically to facilitate the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of all constituencies, and seeks to positively promote the university. The division's fundraising efforts are enhanced by effective partnerships with all components of the campus community as well as external audiences including alumni, parents, corporations, foundations, legislators, volunteer board members and friends.

Development programs include major gifts, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, annual giving, UNCW constituent liaison and special projects. Prospect Management and Research, Advancement Services, and External and Donor Relations are support services for the fundraising activities of the division.

College/School Information University Information

The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state's coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking.

A public institution with nearly 18,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to-BSN program, an Executive M.B.A. program structured for working professionals, and the nation's only bachelor's degree program focused on coastal engineering.

The university's efforts to advance research and scholarly activities have earned UNCW the elevated designation of "Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity" institution (R2 University) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

UNCW has been part of the University of North Carolina System since 1969.

EEO Statement

UNCW does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of his or her race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents - except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs.

Eligibility for Employment

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. UNC Wilmington participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Number of Openings Single Incumbent Special Notes to Applicants

PLEASE NOTE: This posting will close at 11:59PM (Eastern time) on the posted closing date. To receive full consideration, please be sure you have fully completed the entire application, including the 'Work History' section before you apply for this position. Applications must be submitted through the online application system to be considered.

Months Per Year 12 Months FTE 1.0 FTE (40 hours per week) Type of Position Permanent Anticipated Ending Date if Time-Limited Positions Job Posting Date 09/10/2026 Posting Close Date 09/20/2026

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Optional Documents

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• • How did you learn of this opportunity with UNCW? (2026)

• UNCW Website

• UNCW LinkedIn Page

• UNCW X Account (formerly Twitter)

• UNCW Employee Referral

• UNCW Instagram Account (UNCW_jobs)

• UNCW Job Alert

• Chronical of Higher Education

• Glassdoor

• Higher Ed Jobs

• Indeed

• Inside Higher Ed

• North Carolina Job Network

• Craigslist

• Career Events/Job Fairs

• Billboards/Marquee

• Other

• • If you selected "Other" to the question above, please explain how you found out about this opportunity. Enter N/A if not applicable.

(Open Ended Question)