Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations

Position Category: Staff (Exempt)
FLSA: Exempt
FTE: 1
Location: Thousand Oaks

University Background:
The mission of California Lutheran University is to educate leaders for a global society who are strong in character and judgment, confident in their identity and vocation, and committed to service and justice. Founded in 1959 in beautiful Ventura County, the university has an enrollment of about 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students who come from across the nation and around the world from a diversity of backgrounds, cultures and faiths. As a federally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution, Cal Lutheran is looking for candidates with a dedication to and success in working in diverse communities. The university is committed to an inclusive learning and work environment that values individual differences and respects each persons dignity.

Basic Function:
Reporting to the Executive Director of the Office of Sponsored Research & Projects, the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations targets corporate and foundation entities to raise funds for strategic initiatives, university research, capital projects, and/or projects being led by university departments, faculty, or project directors. The Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations will create a comprehensive strategy that focuses on identifying programs and research projects amenable to external funders while cultivating, soliciting, and securing corporate and foundation funding. The incumbent will also have responsibility for writing grant proposal narratives and reports. The Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations will interact, collaborate, coordinate with front line fundraising professionals within the University Advancement division. The Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations will coordinate grant development activities to include interpretation of grant guidelines, budget development, proposal preparation, grant application completion, and coordination of required approvals for submission.

Representative Duties:Pre-award and Proposal Development:
Regularly outreaches to corporate, private, and family foundations in order to cultivate relationships and learn of funding priorities. Interprets sponsor guidelines and shares findings with interested parties on campus. E
Routinely partners with development and fundraising colleagues within the University Advancement division. E
Guide faculty/staff with understanding funders guidelines and priorities, guiding the writing process, assisting with budget creation, compiling attachments, and ensuring timely and accurate submission. E
Makes use of specialized knowledge to serve as grant writer for grant applications prioritized by University Advancement, which includes meeting with faculty/staff, researching the background to justify the need, understanding and complying with the funders requirements and Cal Lutherans policies, writing the narrative, working with staff/faculty to create budget, compiling all attachments, and submitting the proposal. E
Initiates correspondence with program officers at grant-making agencies. E
Conduct quality control on grants submissions. E
Obtain internal approvals for all grant submissions. E
Represent Cal Lutheran at corporate and foundation events in collaboration with University Advancements Development unit.

Award and Post-award Phases:
Partners with the Business Office and Advancement Services for award set-up according to the unique attributes of each project. E
Ensures institutional and project director compliance with sponsor regulations and university standards. E
Monitors fiscal practices and expenditures of funded proposals. E
Provides guidance to project directors/principal investigators with issues related to project deliverables, award acceptance, budget negotiation and revision, and works to resolve problems related to project implementation. E
Assists project directors/principal investigators in preparing interim and final financial and narrative reports to sponsors, including writing reports as assigned. E
Assures that all internal and external project close-out requirements are met. E Manage effort certification for relevant grants. E

General Grant Management:
Make use of existing systems for the maintenance of records, including Raisers Edge. E
Maintains current knowledge of university policies, and that of grant-making agencies. E
Works to increase visibility of grant-funded programs at California Lutheran University. E
Collaborate on recognition activities to acknowledge grant holders. E
Continue upgrading knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to keep abreast of philanthropic trends, particularly related to corporate and foundation relations and higher education funding, and compliance. E
Perform other related duties as assigned. E=Essential Duties

Knowledge Of:
University mission, goals, objectives, and policies and procedures.
Trends in the realms of corporate social responsibility, private foundations, and family philanthropy.
The landscape of corporate and foundation charitable giving in southern California.
Knowledge of best practices for securing and maintaining grant funding.
Strong writing skills.
Strong analytic and data management skills.
Strong organizational and time management skills.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Excellent problem-solving skills and judgment.
Team-based collaborative approach.
Confidentiality, use of discretion in communications, reporting lines, and policy/procedure.
Proficiency in use of Raisers Edge, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and related programs.
Grant-seeking databases.
Basic website maintenance.
Knowledge of and commitment to practices that would improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in a higher education setting, and in the realm of grantsmanship.

Ability To:
Utilize funding frameworks for corporations and foundations with a demonstrated ability to conceptualize and implement appropriate, individualized strategies for the cultivation and solicitation of prospects.
Develop and submit grant applications to other types of sponsors, including municipal, state or federal entities.
Create liaisons with Development staff in the University Advancement division, academic and administrative leadership, and faculty to develop effective cultivation and solicitation strategies.
Establish/maintain effective relationships with other campus stakeholders and people in a variety of roles in a higher education setting.
Troubleshoot conflicts in ways that preserve professional relationships.
Manage multiple, complex activities simultaneously.
Independently and proactively learn new content and techniques as needed.
Ensure timeliness and proactively anticipate and manage all timeline requirements.
Maintain integrity in all areas of responsibility.
Maintain open, welcoming, and responsive communications in all interactions.
Be both an effective team member and team leader.

Minimum Qualifications:
Any combination equivalent to: a Bachelors degree and a minimum of four years of progressive corporate and foundation fundraising experience in a higher education setting or similar experience in a nonprofit or related environment working with corporate and foundation funders; Experience in pre-award and/or post-award sponsored programs administration and/or grant writing.

Preferred Qualifications:
Masters degree.Five years of professional experience in grants development at a foundation, university, or other-non-profit organization.
Evidence of having secured more than five seven-figure grants from either California-based or national foundations and/or corporate philanthropies in a higher education setting in the past three years.Knowledge of Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200).Familiarity with post-award monitoring and compliance practices.

Licenses and Other Requirements:
Requires occasional work during after-hours (evening and weekends) as warranted to meet grant deadlines and to attend corporate and foundation events.

Physical Abilities:
Detect to understand appropriate written correspondence; operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer; communicate to exchange information in person, in writing, on the telephone and by email; stationary position for extended periods of time; move or transport light objects; position self to store and/or retrieve files

Working Environment:
Busy office environmentSubject to frequent interruptions

Hiring Range $85,000 - $105,000
Posting Number: Staff002852022
Open Date: 08/03/2023
Close Date: 9/17/2023

To apply, visit https://careers.callutheran.edu/postings/11263

California Lutheran University is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment for all persons, regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by applicable law. No person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any program, activity or facility of the University on the basis of these factors in a manner consistent with applicable federal and state laws, regulations, ordinances, orders and rules, and Universitys policies, procedures, and processes.

Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process can be provided to individuals with qualifying disabilities. Please contact the Human Resources Department for further information or to request an accommodation.

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