Corporate Relations Director

Corporate Relations Director

Full Time Exempt

About The Tech

The Tech Interactive is a family-friendly science and technology center in the heart of downtown San Jose. Our hands-on activities, experimental labs and design challenge experiences empower people to innovate with creativity, curiosity and compassion. The Tech is a world leader in the creation of immersive STEAM education resources to develop the next generation of problem-solvers locally, nationally and globally. We believe that everyone is born an innovator who can change the world for the better.

 Our success is dependent on building teams that include people from different backgrounds and experiences who challenge each other’s assumptions with fresh perspectives. To that end, we look for a diverse pool of applicants including but not limited to those from historically marginalized groups — women, people with disabilities, people of color, people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or nonconforming, veterans, and people from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Position Summary

The Corporate Relations Director at The Tech Interactive serves the organization’s mission of inspiring the innovator in everyone through relationships with corporations.  The development team raises funds to support internal and external educational priorities, general operating, and exhibits through a proactive process of identifying, initiating, and managing relationships with corporations.  

The Corporate Relations Director at The Tech will craft and lead a strategic plan focused on building and sustaining mutually beneficial relationships with corporations for supporting the mission of The Tech.  This position acts as a community face of The Tech, actively networking at community events and building partnerships with key corporate leaders. The Corporate Relations Director engages and works with various partners within the organization, board members and volunteers. The Corporate Relations Director builds and cultivates meaningful relationships with high level executives from companies who will come together to financially support The Tech while reaching out to others to do the same.  The Corporate Relations Director is considered an outside sales director, and prospector for new business.

Key Responsibilities:

The Corporate Relations Director will:

• Serve as the primary corporate relations officer for a portfolio of top companies. Manage this portfolio through all phases of the relationship cycle, including identification of opportunities, discovery meetings with executives, strategy development, cultivation meetings, proposal preparation, closing and stewarding gifs.

• Understand a corporation’s capacity for support, existing corporate relationships with The Tech, and alignment of The Tech and corporate priorities. Work closely with corporate staff/leadership, The Tech’s Board of Directors, and The Tech’s staff/leadership to develop projects to bring to corporations. Identify and develop relationships with new and existing corporations. Initiate face to face visits with corporate personnel at their location and at the museum; coordinate and prepare briefings for these visits for appropriate Tech staff and volunteers, representatives, including the president, VP of education, exhibits, etc. Debrief and follow-up after such visits. 

• Work independently as well as in partnership with the Sr. Corporate Relations Director and other staff to compose, edit, and/or coordinate written materials, including proposals and budgets. Ensure that appropriate stewardship is conducted in connection with awards and participate directly in the stewardship process as appropriate. 

• Consult with and educate volunteers/staff in corporate fundraising.   Coach and assist leadership, volunteers and staff directly in implementing strategies along with proposal writing and preparation. Help staff identify potential corporate support for projects that are high priority initiatives.  Be the Tech’s expert on corporate fundraising for general operating, programs, exhibits and other capital projects. 

• Collaborate with the development team to meet the Tech’s overall corporate relations needs. 

Qualifications:

• 5 years of relevant experience in corporate fundraising with demonstrated success in achieving fundraising goals.

• Prior experience developing and implementing successful strategies.

• Ability to inspire passion for the mission of The Tech Interactive.

• Demonstrated ability to initiate and carry out successful meetings with C-level executives within Silicon Valley companies.

• Ability to network in the community through attendance at community events i.e.: Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Chamber, San Jose Business Journal, etc.

• Always looking for opportunities for corporate partnerships.

• Prior experience engaging board members and volunteers and executive staff in order to achieve fundraising goals.

• Prior experience writing successful grant proposals.

• Experience with managing committees to achieve fundraising goals.

• A proactive approach to relationship building, including the ability to initiate conversations with high level corporate executives 

• Strong personal initiative and self-motivation skills with a good dose of humility.

• Ability to thrive in a complex and dynamic environment, and to manage competing priorities.

• Exceptional communication skills (verbal and written).

• A strong sense of sales including prospecting, persistence, and building pipelines

• A positive, ‘can do’ attitude, and ability to engage people with the organization

• Active listening skills, looking for ways to make connections between a corporation’s priorities and The Tech’s priorities

• Problem solver, able to push through obstacles, and look for creative ways to overcome challenges

• Excellent judgment and tact, especially with working with board members and corporate executives.

• Strong organizational, strategic, analytical, and project management skills.

• Flexible availability with the ability to attend meetings and functions outside normal business hours.

The Tech will provide an equal opportunity in recruitment and employment to all individuals and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, legally protected medical condition, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information,  or any other basis protected by applicable law.