Associate Director, Corporate Partnerships

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), with more than 58,000 members residing in 141 countries, is the first and largest organization in the world dedicated to advances in all areas of high-quality, innovative cancer research.  Its mission is to prevent and cure all cancers.  The programs and activities of the AACR foster the exchange of new knowledge among scientists and physicians in cancer research as well as in related sciences.  The AACR publishes ten peer-reviewed scientific journals and an award-winning magazine for cancer patients and their loved ones; convenes topical scientific conferences and an annual meeting that draws more than 22,500 participants; offers educational workshops that train young investigators in a variety of scientific and clinical areas; funds research fellowships, career development awards, and research grants for both senior and junior investigators; raises public awareness of the progress in the biology, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer; engages actively in advocacy for increased federal research funding and other national policies that accelerate progress against cancer; and interacts with regulatory agencies to support regulatory science and policy.

The AACR Foundation seeks a strategic, experienced, results-driven individual with a proven history of successful relationship and project management to join the Corporate Alliances team as the Associate Director of Corporate Partnerships. The individual in the role will be tasked with creating and managing a robust portfolio of new and significant corporate partnerships outside the pharmaceutical industry (non-pharma), as well as pioneering and developing a programmatic approach to non-pharma corporate partnerships to foster long-term support of the AACR Foundation. Competitive candidates will have demonstrated experience leveraging their professional network and capitalizing on their knowledge of relevant corporate social responsibility initiatives to prospect and procure effective partnerships for the AACR Foundation. Candidates will also have experience building strategy for both short- and long-term corporate development.

• Conceptualizes, plans, implements, and continually develops a corporate (non-pharma) partnership program in support of the AACR Foundations’ fundraising efforts
• Prospects, procures, and maintains a portfolio of accounts, overseeing all aspects of its management with minimal to no direction, to develop long-standing partnerships and solicit gifts of five figures and above
• Leverages development experience, professional relationships, and knowledge of the AACR within the larger philanthropic landscape to attract and secure partnerships with non-pharma corporations to build a pipeline of support for the AACR Foundation
• Builds and maintains relationships with leaders among current and prospective corporate (non-pharma) donors; regularly attends networking and other events to identify viable prospects for the AACR Foundation
• Collaborates with Foundation staff to identify opportunities for corporate sponsorship activations throughout the Foundation’s various programs
• Supports Board member involvement and engagement of other staff/volunteers in corporate (non-pharma) prospect identification, development, and gift solicitation
• Develops compelling written proposals, including sponsorship/marketing presentations and other collateral, to effectively and enthusiastically communicate the AACR’s mission
• Engages in stewardship to develop strong relationships through regular communications, benefits administration, grant reporting, and other activities
• Maintains accurate donor records to ensure meeting of deadlines, sponsorship activations, and other contractual obligations
• Maintains current knowledge of industry and corporate sponsorship trends
• Supports AACR leadership in their prospect development work, including cultivation and solicitation strategies, proposals, briefing reports and other necessary materials
• Support, develop and execute other projects and/or programs as assigned by the Director of Corporate Alliances or the Chief Philanthropic Officer

• Bachelor’s degree minimum (or equivalent professional experience)
• 5+ years of experience of demonstrated success in corporate philanthropy, consistently closing and managing 5-6+ figure gifts.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously, remain detail-oriented in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment, and demonstrate outstanding personal initiative
• Knowledge of the non-pharma corporate sector; experience with and understanding of current trends and processes in philanthropy, cause marketing, and corporate social responsibility
• High level of interpersonal and professional skills with demonstrated proficiency in relationship management including the ability to interact effectively with internal and external constituents, scientists and physicians, foundation staff, members of the Foundation Board of Trustees, and decision-making corporate contacts
• Superior written and verbal communications skills, including the ability to build strong written proposals. Ability to understand and interpret scientific information and communicate clearly and effectively with a lay audience is a plus
• Understanding of the current and historical initiatives of the AACR as they may pertain to/meaningfully align with the goals of non-pharma corporations
• Ability to travel to meet with prospects and donors; ability to work weekend and evening hours as needed, including at donor and stewardship events
• Experience with donor or membership database management system
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office- Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• A passion for AACR’s mission to prevent and cure cancer

Core Competencies – Our successful employees meet the following criteria:

• Highly organized with proven ability to meet deadlines and budgets
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, including experience with proposal development and presentation
• Positive and professional demeanor with excellent interpersonal, administrative, and managerial skills
• Experience building strategy for short- and long-term fundraising growth
• Ability to handle and prioritize multiple tasks while maintaining attention to details