Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations - UVA Health

The University of Virginia seeks a dynamic and strategic Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations to support UVA Health, a new leadership position within the expanding Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) team. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for CFR in partnership with the Associate Vice President for UVA Health Development, this role will lead cross-functional corporate and foundation engagement efforts focused on diversifying the biomedical research enterprise funding, strategy, and execution, and workforce initiatives across the UVA Health ecosystem.

Position Summary

The Senior Director will serve as a senior liaison between UVA Health and both corporate and foundation partners, to advance the University’s mission by building strategic partnerships that result in philanthropic support, business development opportunities, sponsored research, and talent development pipelines. This position offers the opportunity to shape a new CFR strategy in one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as a senior strategic liaison between UVA Health (including UVA Health Children’s, UVA Community Health, the Manning Institute for Biotechnology, and others) and philanthropic partners, including in the healthcare, life sciences, pharma, and biotech sectors.
  
• Lead efforts to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects in support of UVA Health's institutional and school-level priorities.
  
• Develop and manage a robust portfolio of corporations, foundations, and healthcare industry partners, focusing on those with giving and partnership potential of $100,000 to $1,000,000+.
  
• Translate faculty research, clinical innovation, and institutional assets into compelling opportunities for external partnership and investment.
  
• Coordinate across schools, centers, and units within UVA Health to align outreach, avoid duplication, and maximize strategic opportunities.
  
• Design and implement strategies for securing corporate and foundation support for clinical trials, translational research, facilities, equipment, and workforce development.
  
• Partner with advancement colleagues, tech transfer, research administration, and innovation teams to advance complex, multi-stakeholder collaborations.
  
• Develop and execute stewardship strategies to maintain and grow corporate partnerships, including recognition, reporting, and co-branded opportunities.
  
• Communicate complex clinical, academic, and research initiatives into accessible value propositions tailored to corporate audiences.
  
• Represent UVA Health and the University in corporate engagement meetings, conferences, and industry forums.
  
• Provide education to advancement colleagues and key stakeholders to understand and identify opportunities for corporate and foundation partnerships.
  
• Provide strategic consultation to the Assistant Vice President for CFR regarding the growth of these efforts and expansion of the team, with the potential for supervisory responsibility.
  

The ideal candidate will have proven experience in corporate and foundation relations within a complex healthcare environment, strong leadership and mentorship skills, excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, and the ability to work collaboratively across teams and departments.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree.
  
• Experience: eight years of fundraising experience, including several years in corporate and/or foundation relations.
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Education: An advanced degree in business, public health, biomedical sciences, or related field is preferred.
  
• Experience: 10 years’ experience in corporate fundraising, business development, or partnership management, ideally within a healthcare, academic medicine, or life sciences setting.
  
• Demonstrated success managing external partnerships and cultivating complex, multi-stakeholder relationships.
  
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to translate technical and academic content for diverse audiences.
  
• Collaborative and entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to navigate a large, decentralized academic and clinical institution.
  
• Experience working with faculty, clinicians, senior administrators, and external executives preferred.
  
• Familiarity with higher education advancement, corporate philanthropy, and/or industry-sponsored research is a plus.
  

About UVA and UVA Health

The University of Virginia, founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, is a top-ranked public institution known for its dedication to research, education, and public service. UVA Health includes a nationally recognized academic health system committed to excellence in patient care, research, and education. This role represents an exciting opportunity to shape UVA Health’s corporate partnership strategy and accelerate its mission to improve health and well-being.

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does require traveling some distance to attend meetings and programs. The successful candidate must be able to travel frequently and be available for occasional evening and weekend work.

Salary Range (optional)

• The anticipated hiring range is $140,000-$160,000, commensurate with education and experience.
  

Position Type & Work Location

• This is an exempt-level, benefited position. Learn more about UVA benefits .
  
• This is a restricted position, which is dependent on project need, availability of funding, and performance
  
• External Affairs at UVA, which includes the advancement function, offers a flexible and hybrid workplace. All team members must have access to and maintain a secure home office environment with high-speed internet service and be able to work collaboratively with others using a variety of technologies and tools. Depending on the type of position and work performed, or as deemed by the manager, some positions may be required to work intermittently in our shared office space located in Charlottesville, Virginia.
  
• This hybrid position can be worked remotely, although frequent in-person work in our office building, on UVA Grounds, or at event venues is required. The ideal candidate will live within driving distance of Charlottesville, Virginia.
  

About UVA and the Community

To learn more about UVA and in the Charlottesville area, visit UVA Life and Embark CVA .

Application Timeline

Application review will begin after DATE .

Additional Requirements

• Background checks will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment
• This position will not consider candidates who require immigration sponsorship now or in the future.

How to Apply

Please apply online , by searching for requisition number R0075103 . Complete an application with the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. You can submit multiple documents into this one field or combine them into one PDF. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.

Internal applicants: Apply through your Workday profile by searching “Find Jobs.”

Reference Check Process

Reference checks will be completed by UVA’s third-party partner, SkillSurvey, during the final phase of the interview. Five references will be requested, with at least three responses required.

Contact

• For questions about the position, please contact April Sibiski, nbu2ag@virginia.edu .

• For questions about the application process, please contact Jon Freeman, jf2sw@virginia.edu .

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Click here to read more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.