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Director of Development, Corporate Relations

University of California - Irvine
medical insurance
United States, California, Irvine
Feb 26, 2026
Who We Are

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide.

To learn more about UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

In 1965, the University of California, Irvine was founded with a mission to catalyze the community and enhance lives through rigorous academics, cutting-edge research, and dedicated public service. A top public university, UCI has become internationally recognized for improving lives through research and discovery, fostering excellence in scholarship and teaching, and engaging and enriching the community. Today, UCI continues to inspire change and pioneer new ideas with the support of its generous partners, alumni and friends.

Through the combined efforts of the University Advancement & Alumni relations team, the university is able to share its amazing achievements, build lasting relationships and generate support for important campus programs and initiatives. University Advancement seeks to strengthen contributions in research, education, and service; accelerate the university's place among globally preeminent research universities; and bring together passions, skills, and creativity to further improve people's lives.


Your Role on the Team

Under the general direction of the Executive Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, the Director of Corporate Relations (DCR) supports Central Advancement's corporate relations strategy and programming. In collaboration with the Schools and Units, they will develop institution-level strategies for corporate prospects and facilitate interaction with corporations, including corporate foundations, seeking information or partnerships with UCI, building relationships to discover corporate interests and then helping corporations navigate the UC Irvine campus. The position will act as a point of contact between industry, Schools, UCI faculty, and UCI administrative offices. The DCR will help identify, develop and strategically build relationships with regional, national, and international corporations, introducing them to the schools and units that match their interests. In the first two years, metrics will be based on new relationships and introductions to schools; fundraising goals with shared credit and in collaboration with schools and units starting in year 3 would be $500K and ramping up to $1M by year 5.

This position will support the vision of strategically engaging industry to substantially improve UCI's ability to retain and attract the best faculty and students, drive new investment into the university to fund our mission, and place the university as a center of economic growth in Orange County and the State of California.


What It Takes to be Successful

Required:

  • Advanced knowledge of all aspects of corporate and foundation fundraising concepts, principles, procedures, and techniques.
  • Advanced written, oral and interpersonal communication skills, including political acumen, to establish and maintain good working relationships throughout the organization and with outside constituencies. Ability to make persuasive and compelling presentations of goals and objectives for a location in order to secure gifts.
  • Advanced organizational, analytical and critical thinking skills, including skill in creative and effective decision-making and problem identification / avoidance / resolution, and strong project management skills.
  • Very strong skills in maintaining confidentiality.
  • Ability to prepare complex and detailed proposals and related materials.
  • Ability to work independently and as a team member with both school and institutional goals in mind. Ability to be flexible in working independently as well as collaboratively with Advancement and faculty and staff to achieve defined goals. Use initiative to organize and follow through with complex tasks to meet deadlines.
  • Highly organized and able to handle multiple projects.
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Salesforce or a comparable donor/prospect database system.
  • Clarity of focus while juggling complex projects and/or deadlines. Ability to meet demanding work schedule expectations. Creative thinking and the ability to articulate and implement programmatic visions.
  • Resourcefulness in finding appropriate solutions to problems and initiative in presenting alternatives and implementing solutions to ensure effective change. Ability to anticipate problems and take necessary action to eliminate or mitigate potential negative effects.
  • Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training
  • Three to five years' successful professional development and/or fundraising-related experience, preferably in higher education, OR, any equivalent combinations of education and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skill and abilities have been achieved.
  • Experience in writing and editing of development materials in a style that is clear, accurate, action-oriented and compelling.
  • Demonstrated expertise in developing and carrying out project management and strategic plans
  • Experience assisting in development and analysis of project budgets for inclusion in proposals.

Preferred:

  • Advanced working knowledge of all aspects of the location, including current issues of concern for both the campus and / or throughout higher education / healthcare generally. Advanced working knowledge of the location, its vision, mission, goals, objectives, achievements and infrastructure.
  • Advanced knowledge of applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, etc.
  • Knowledge of issues that interest foundations through news coverage and/or academic background.
  • Broad knowledge of the principles and practices of foundation fundraising at a major research university.
  • Demonstrated understanding of academic, research and education functions and operating principles of a major research university.
  • Experience in Corporate & Foundation Relations
  • Experience translating complex material and to synthesize information from disparate sources into clear, compelling, prose. Specifically, ability to understand academic and scientific text and be able to communicate it successfully to a layperson

Special Conditions:

  • May work long hours to meet fundraising commitments
  • Local, regional, and national travel
  • May be required to drive in order to perform the routine or essential job responsibilities for the position

Total Rewards

In addition to the salary range listed below, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at UCI even more rewarding. These benefits may include medical insurance, sick and vacation time, retirement savings plans, and access to a number of discounts and perks. Please utilize the links listed here to learn more about our compensation practices and benefits.

The expected pay range for this recruitment is $108,100- $120,000 (Annual).

Conditions of Employment:

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) seeks to provide a safe and healthy environment for the entire UCI community. As part of this commitment, all applicants who accept an offer of employment must comply with the following conditions of employment:

  • Background Check and Live Scan
  • Employment Misconduct*
  • Legal Right to work in the United States
  • Vaccination Policies
  • Smoking and Tobacco Policy
  • Drug Free Environment

*Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

The following additional conditions may apply, some of which are dependent upon business unit or job specific requirements.

  • California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act
  • E-Verify
  • Pre-Placement Health Evaluation

Details of each policy may be reviewed by visiting the following page - https://hr.uci.edu/new-hire/conditions-of-employment.php

Closing Statement:

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.

We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce along with honoring unique experiences, perspectives, and identities. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.

UCI provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities upon request. For more information, please contact Human Resources at (949) 824-0500 or eec@uci.edu.


Consideration for Work Authorization Sponsorship

Must be able to provide proof of work authorization
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