EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/BUSINESS & COMMUNITY OUTREACH
| The Executive Director of Business and Community Outreach is responsible for ensuring the strategic development and effective operational delivery of collaborative academic, corporate, and community partnerships in support of the mission and objectives of the Innovation and Online (I/O) enterprise at Central Michigan University. The individual will lead the identification, development, and formalization of industry and community partnerships that provide value-added solutions for workforce development and alternative pathways for postsecondary education. Working in close concert with constituents and stakeholders, the Executive Director will leverage and expand an existing portfolio of online academic programs and noncredit professional learning experiences, for purposes of increasing enrollments and forging reciprocal relationships that further learning in creative and entrepreneurial ways for post-traditional students. Primary duties include oversight of partner sourcing, cultivation and negotiation of partner agreements, managing execution of custom programs, recruitment strategies for online academic degree programs, and generating sources of revenue through value-adding solutions for partners. | |
| Required Qualifications | Bachelor’s degree in business administration, sales/marketing, or a related field. Three years of progressively advanced experience in business development, sales, or client management. Proven ability to build relationships and effectively communicate to foster credibility with and ability to influence constituent relationships. Demonstrated Comfortability leading a team through rapidly changing circumstances, priorities, and goals. Demonstrated ability to engage and skillfully influence a diverse clientele across a variety of industries. Ability to set and achieve goals with measurable outcomes. Demonstrated ability to project professionalism and a polished business acumen. Proven knowledge and success as a leader, including supervising teams to create an atmosphere of collaboration, trust, and accountability. Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Ability to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation. |
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| Preferred Qualifications | Graduate degree in higher education leadership, business administration, or a related field. Experience working in a higher education or non-profit business development setting. Familiarity with development and execution of MOUs, including negotiation of terms. Demonstrated skillset in conceptual and strategic thinking capabilities to develop impactful business strategies. Advanced proficiency in client management software or multi-faceted systems/pr |
| Duties & Responsibilities | Provides administrative leadership and management of the Business and Community Outreach unit including supervision and coaching of team members assigned to geographic locations throughout Michigan. Provides strategy and direction in the cultivation and development of external partnerships that expand the University’s reach and educational impact through transfer pathways, corporate/industry development, military/veteran, and community engagement initiatives. Leads the team tasked with cultivating and overseeing partnerships with PK-12 districts and community colleges to drive growth in online enrollments. Develops strategies for the promotion of online academic programs to recruit students and grow enrollments. Works collaboratively with internal and external constituents towards increasing enrollments in CMU’s noncredit (micro-credentials, digital badges, professional development) and alternative (stackable degrees, certification-to-credit, dual enrollment) programming. Leverages faculty/staff expertise, alumni, and external networks for purposes of generating new partnerships, identifying industry learning needs, and ensuring needs of clients are fulfilled. Provides consultation and recommendations for customized solutions that include both credit and noncredit academic programming as identified by the client. Serves as the administrative lead in providing guidance and supervision to regional team in the cultivation, negotiation, and execution of partner MOUs/MOAs. Ensures that direction and development of partnerships closely align with evolving market demands/forecasts. Serves as an active member of the IO leadership team in the development and implementation of a strategic plan and supports efforts to align goals with broader University goals; designs strategy with measurable outcomes and operational targets for internal and external use. Works across a highly cross-functional team to ensure partnerships and terms thereof are fully supported and promoted in ways that align with recruitment and retention goals that underpin educational access to underserved and underrepresented student populations. Serves as a steward and fiduciary agent for the University, demonstrating a commitment to ethical and thoughtful utilization of resources. Performs other duties as assigned. |
| Supervision Exercised | Supervisors are expected to support the Leadership Standards of Central Michigan University and foster a culture that inspires excellence. The Leadership Standards define how we lead and treat others in our teams. As leaders, it is our responsibility to seek input from our teams to continuously improve leadership abilities and demonstration of the standards. Additionally, it is our responsibility to encourage and support the growth and development of those whom we lead. At CMU, we encourage employees to grow both personally and professionally, and thus advance CMU’s culture of excellence. |
| Message to Applicants | Central Michigan University is dedicated to fostering a broadly diverse and inclusive campus that respects all social identities, experiences, and perspectives. In an effort to further this initiative, we are especially interested in candidates who will advance and promote an inclusive and supportive environment for every member of our university community. You must submit an on-line application in order to be considered as an applicant for this position. Cover letters may be addressed to the Hiring Committee. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit recommendation letters. Supervisors are expected to support the Leadership Standards of Central Michigan University and foster a culture that inspires excellence. Please review the Leadership Standards before applying for this position. |
| Employee Group | Professional & Administrative -Salary |
| Staff Pay Level | |
| Pay Range | $100,000 - $125,000 per year |
| Division | Academic Affairs |
| Department | Innovation & Online |
| Position Status | Regular |
| Position End Date | |
| Employment Status | Full-Time |
| FTE | 1.00 |
| Position Type | 12 month |
| Weekly Work Schedule | Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. / weekends and evenings as needed |
| Location | Mount Pleasant, MI |
| About the Department | |
| About CMU | Central Michigan University has a more than 125-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and in their personal and professional lives. We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, master’s, specialist and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence. CMU leads the nation in leadership development programming through our Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute, and we are proud to be among only 5% of U.S. universities in the top two Carnegie research classifications. Our faculty work with graduate and undergraduate students in areas such as Great Lakes research, medical innovation, engineering technology and more. Central is home to 17 men’s and women’s Division 1 sports including football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, wrestling and more. Our student-athletes achieve great success in competition and in the classroom, capturing Mid-American Conference championships and maintaining an average cumulative GPA of 3.17. CMU is located in Mount Pleasant, a community that blends the best of small-town living with big-city amenities. It’s part of the culturally varied and vibrant Great Lakes Bay Region that also includes Saginaw, Bay City, Midland and the state’s largest Native American community, centered on the Saginaw Chippewa Isabella Reservation in Mount Pleasant. Area residents enjoy the mix of outdoor activities, cultural events, shopping and dining options, and family attractions. Other major Michigan destinations and attractions — Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Traverse City, wineries, beaches, golf and ski resorts, and many more — are within easy reach of the city’s central location in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. CMU employees enjoy access to a nationally recognized wellness program along with health care and benefits that exceed regional, state and national norms. |
| CMU Leadership Standards | Central Michigan University is a place where we value students and work for their success, where we act as family, and where employees are engaged, appreciated and have extraordinary opportunities to make a difference. We intentionally maintain and strengthen the hallmark CMU culture that sets us apart from our peers by expecting CMU leaders and employees to model the following Leadership Standards and develop them within their teams. Please review the Leadership Standards before applying for this position. |
| EEO Statement |
CMU, an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively strives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity within its community. CMU does not discriminate against persons based on age, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religion, sex, sex‐based stereotypes, sexual orientation, transgender status, veteran status, or weight (see https://www.cmich.edu/offices-departments/OCRIE).
If you wish to see “EEO is the Law” posters, please click here.
CMU does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, including admission and employment, and is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 not to discriminate in such a matter.
Inquiries about the application of Title IX can be made to CMU’s Title IX Coordinator, the US Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary, or both.
CMU’s Title IX Coordinator can be reached at:
Phone: 989-774-3253 Office: 103 E. Preston St. Bovee University Center, suite 306 Mount Pleasant, MI 48858 Email: titleix@cmich.edu |
| Posting Ends | |
| Open Until Filled | Yes |
Supplemental Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
- * How did you first learn of this job opportunity? Please list the specific advertising source or indicate if it was word of mouth.
(Open Ended Question)
- * Are you currently an internal employee of CMU according to the university's definition?
- Yes
- No
- * If yes, to which employee group do you belong? (If not applicable, select "Not Applicable").
- Not Applicable
- Dispatcher
- Medical Faculty
- Office Professional
- P&A, SO or Faculty
- Police
- Public Broadcasting
- Sergeant
- Service Maintenance
- Supervisory/Technical
- * Do you have at least a bachelor's degree in business administration, sales/marketing, or a related field?
- Yes
- No
- * Do you have at least three years of progressively advanced experience in business development, sales, or client management?
- Yes
- No
- * Supervisors are expected to support the Leadership Standards of Central Michigan University and foster a culture that inspires excellence. Please review the Leadership Standards before applying for this position and click “Yes” if you understand and support the culture that is important to CMU.
- Yes
- No
Optional & Required Documents
Required Documents
- Cover Letter
- Resume/Curriculum Vitae
- Recommendation Letters
- List of References
