Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships

Position Overview

Ajman University is seeking an Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships to lead and elevate its academic brand across key institutional stakeholders. This role will play a pivotal part in enhancing the University’s reputation for educational quality, research excellence, and impactful student and alumni achievements. The Executive Director will also develop and implement a strategy and approach to strengthening current partnerships, establishing new collaborations, and advancing relationships with major ranking bodies such as QS and THE.

Key Responsibilities

Collaborate with the Director of Strategic Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment to highlight partnership successes, enhance the University’s profile, and promote its brand across academic and industry platforms.

Lead efforts to establish, build and maintain relationships with academic and industry partners. Create strategic approach to participating in local, regional, and global events.

Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to establish and enhance strategic partnerships with major donors, corporations, and foundations, ensuring alignment with the University’s academic and strategic goals.

Develop initiatives that effectively communicate Ajman University’s academic strengths and research capabilities to partners, enhancing visibility and reputation in international higher education.

Serve as the primary contact, from communication perspectives, with global ranking organizations (e.g., QS, THE) to strengthen relationships and align communications with ranking performance metrics.

Collaborate strategically with the Director of Advancement and Alumni Affairs to maximize fundraising potential and align efforts with the University’s key initiatives, such as scholarships, research, and capital projects.

Align communication efforts with fundraising goals, such as creating content for donor outreach, and philanthropic events, while ensuring alignment with the University’s strategic objectives.

Oversee segmented stewardship plans tailored for corporate partners, foundations, and individual donors, ensuring long-term engagement and support.

Coordinate with the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs to develop communication materials that highlight the impact of donor contributions and recognize philanthropic support, including reports and newsletters, as part of the university’s broader communication plan.

Provide thought leadership by identifying emerging trends and benchmarking against global best practices to position the University as a leader in strategic partnerships.

Support the positioning of the Chancellor as a global thought leader in higher education regionally and globally.

Work closely with faculty, deans, and directors to identify and package partnership opportunities that align with academic and industry needs.

Establish and track performance metrics to evaluate the impact of partnership initiatives and prepare regular reports for the Chancellor.

Qualifications

Master’s degree in communications, business, marketing, education, or a related field plus 10 years of experience or a bachelor’s degree plus 12 years of experience.

Significant expertise and proven success in corporate (B2B) communications, strategic partnerships, and branding, ideally within higher education or a research institution. Proven track record of managing relationships with international ranking organizations such as QS and THE.

Key Skills

Expert-level writer, speaker, presenter, and communicator.

Innovative, creative, collaborative, proactive, self-motivated.

Strong partnership-building skills and growth mindset.

Thrives in multicultural environments.

Culturally sensitive approach and inclusive values.

Comfortable with significant travel and long hours.

Working Relationships & Subordinates:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.