Director of Strategic Partnerships
Palo Alto UniversityDirector of Strategic Partnerships
Department |
Strategic Partnerships & University Relations (SPUR) |
Reports to |
Vice President for Strategic Partnerships & University Relations |
Employment Status |
Full-Time Exempt Staff |
Salary Range |
$120,000 - $160,000 |
Location |
San Francisco Bay Area, hybrid with significant in-person and external engagement across Silicon Valley and the broader Bay Area |
About Palo Alto University
Palo Alto University (PAU) is a private, nonprofit university dedicated to advancing human understanding through innovative education, groundbreaking research, and impactful practice in behavioral science. Founded in 1975 in the heart of Silicon Valley, PAU offers graduate and undergraduate programs in psychology, counseling, social work, and behavioral science, including the PAU-Stanford PsyD Consortium with Stanford Medicine. PAU serves more than 1,200 students, has a network of more than 4,200 alumni, and employs more than 150 faculty and staff. The university is entering its sixth decade with a new vision and strategic plan, creating a meaningful opportunity to help shape how behavioral science responds to the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
The Opportunity
The Director of Strategic Partnerships is PAU's primary external relationship builder and business development leader. Reporting to the Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and University Relations, this role identifies, cultivates, structures, and closes revenue-generating partnerships with corporations, technology companies, healthcare systems, startups, government agencies, employers, and community organizations. The Director will help expand PAU's presence in Silicon Valley, diversify non-tuition revenue, and translate the university's behavioral science expertise into mutually valuable external partnerships. The role also works directly with the President on high-priority external relationships, policy positioning, and institutional partnerships.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and execute a comprehensive partnership strategy aligned with PAU's 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, with clear annual goals for new partnerships, revenue, and non-tuition revenue diversification.
- Identify, cultivate, negotiate, and close revenue-generating partnerships, including contracts, fee-for-service opportunities, workforce and training relationships, partnership-based RFPs, and organizational collaborations.
- Build and manage a robust partnership pipeline, using CRM tools to track prospects from identification through cultivation, negotiation, agreement, and stewardship.
- Expand PAU's presence within the Silicon Valley technology, startup, and innovation ecosystem, developing relationships around behavioral science, cognition, mental health, organizational psychology, and human-centered technology.
- Translate corporate and organizational interest into sponsored research, workforce development, employee well-being, training, consulting, and other revenue-generating collaborations.
- Develop employer and workforce partnerships across technology, healthcare, education, government, and the social sector, coordinating with academic and student-facing teams where appropriate.
- Pursue government contracts, grants, and funded initiatives in coordination with university leaders, and maintain relationships with agencies, program officers, policy leaders, and elected officials whose portfolios intersect with PAU's mission.
- Initiate and lead PAU's Silicon Valley convening strategy, defining the purpose, audiences, sponsors, speakers, and partnership objectives for forums, summits, panels, and thought leadership events.
- Maintain a coordinated portfolio of external organizational relationships and work across SPUR, Academic Affairs, Innovation, and other university functions to ensure partnerships are mission-aligned, feasible, and well stewarded.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree; a master's degree in business, public policy, higher education, behavioral science, or a related field is preferred.
- Five or more years of progressive experience in business development, partnership development, external relations, or strategic partnerships, with demonstrated success closing revenue-generating agreements.
- Demonstrated ability to identify, cultivate, structure, and close organizational partnerships with corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, research institutions, or comparable partners.
- Strong understanding of the Silicon Valley technology, startup, and innovation ecosystem and the ability to represent PAU credibly within it.
- Experience developing and managing complex, multi-stakeholder relationships across sectors such as technology, healthcare, government, education, or the social sector.
- Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and executive communication skills, with the ability to engage senior leaders and diverse external audiences with authority, warmth, and mission clarity.
- Willingness and ability to travel regularly for partnership development, external engagement, and convenings.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in higher education external relations, university-industry partnerships, academic technology transfer, or mission-driven organizations.
- Familiarity with behavioral health, mental health, psychology, workforce development, or the intersection of technology and human behavior.
- Experience with government contracting, funded partnerships, federal or state agency engagement, or partnership-based RFPs.
- Background in startup ecosystems, venture capital networks, corporate innovation programs, or Silicon Valley professional networks.
- Experience using CRM platforms for partnership pipeline management and relationship tracking.
Work Location and Schedule
This is a full-time Bay Area-based role with a hybrid work structure and significant external engagement across Silicon Valley and the broader Bay Area. Regular attendance at corporate events, government meetings, community convenings, and professional forums is expected. Occasional travel beyond the Bay Area, as well as frequent evening and weekend availability for external engagements, is required.
Equal Opportunity and Accommodations
Palo Alto University is an equal opportunity employer firmly committed to non-discrimination in its hiring and employment practices. In compliance with applicable federal and state laws, employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, marital status, citizenship status, military service status, sexual orientation, medical condition, disability, or any other status protected by law. PAU provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities as required by law.
Application
PAU values colleagues who can work at a high level with people from a wide range of backgrounds. In your application or cover letter, please share how your background and experience have prepared you to contribute to an inclusive, mission-driven university community.