Assistant Director for Corporate and Employer Engagement- Cornell Duffield Engineering Office of External Collaboration and Innovation

Cornell University • City of Ithaca, NY

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Building on our 150-plus-year legacy as one of the nation’s preeminent engineering colleges, the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering is a purpose-driven, inclusive community committed to developing the knowledge, capabilities, and people needed to forge a better future. Comprising more than 10 schools and departments, we are rooted in Ithaca, New York, with a growing presence in New York City and a global network of alumni and collaborators. Guided by our core values, our faculty and staff regularly engage across disciplines and intentionally bring together a range of perspectives as they lead and support ambitious efforts to tackle societal challenges, develop the next generation of leaders, and make a meaningful difference in the world.
The Cornell Duffield Engineering Office of External Collaboration and Innovation empowers students to explore and pursue meaningful career paths by connecting them with real-world opportunities in industry, research, entrepreneurship, and public impact. Through a broad network of employer, alumni, and campus partnerships, we support inclusive and strategic talent development pipelines. Corporate and employer engagement is a cornerstone of our work—we collaborate closely with colleagues across Cornell to help industry partners identify, recruit, and invest in the exceptional talent and research collaboration opportunities within Cornell Duffield Engineering.
Corporate Engagement within the Office of External Collaboration and Innovation serves as a vital bridge between Cornell Duffield Engineering and industry, cultivating strategic partnerships that include collaborative research, sponsored projects, experiential learning, recruitment and innovation sponsorships. Through proactive outreach, account management, alignment with faculty, advancement, and student programs, the corporate engagement team ensures companies have meaningful and sustained access to Cornell’s intellectual capital, research and talent.
The Assistant Director for Corporate and Employer Engagement plays a key role in advancing Cornell Duffield Engineering’s external engagement strategy by supporting and expanding relationships with corporate partners. Reporting to the Senior Associate Director for Corporate and Employer Engagement within the Office of External Collaboration and Innovation, the Assistant Director helps align industry partnerships with the college’s research, education, and talent development priorities.
This position focuses on identifying and cultivating opportunities for faculty collaboration across a range of engagement models, including research sponsorships, recruitment pipelines, innovation partnerships, and co-curricular programming. The Assistant Director coordinates closely with faculty, alumni affairs and development, and university partners to ensure a streamlined and inclusive experience for external stakeholders.
As a member of a dynamic and cross-functional team, the Assistant Director contributes to relationship management, proposal development, corporate outreach, and tracking of engagement metrics. This role supports the operational and strategic needs of the corporate engagement function and helps ensure that companies experience the full breadth of opportunities to invest in and partner with Cornell Duffield Engineering.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of experience or equivalent experience in business development, corporate outreach, public relations, or similar area.
• Strong group facilitation, organization, and project management skills.
• Prior experience in proactively developing corporate/university partnerships highly desirable. Ability to understand and communicate technical, scientific, and educational activities essential.
• Proven effective written and verbal communication skills, including the proven ability to conceive, develop, and write proposals that result in action.
• Must be team-oriented, self-directed, and able to effectively manage priorities and projects.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree preferred. Experience in development, fundraising, public affairs, and/or marketing extremely helpful.

Responsibilities

• Assisting in developing and implementing strategies to engage corporate partners with Cornell Duffield Engineering.
• Coordinating and support meetings between faculty and external corporate contacts.
• Researching and track corporate trends, interests, and opportunities aligned with faculty strengths.
• Maintaining CRM records and prepare background materials, briefings, and presentations for partner meetings.
• Supporting cross-functional partnerships across research, innovation, and career functions.
• Collaborating with university units including University Foundation Relations and Corporate Philanthropy in Alumni Affairs and Development, Vice Provost for Research, Vice President for Innovation and External Engagement Strategy, and University Career Development.
• Helping manage events, campus visits, and communications that showcase engagement opportunities.

Benefits

• Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, sustainability, and diversity initiatives.
• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands.
• Our leave provisions include three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays.
• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level