Director of Strategic Partnerships in Palo Alto, California at Palo Alto University

About Palo Alto University (PAU)

Palo Alto University is a private, nonprofit university dedicated to advancing human understanding through innovative education, groundbreaking research, and impactful practice in behavioral science.

Founded in 1975 and located in the heart of Silicon Valley, PAU offers graduate and undergraduate programs in psychology, counseling, social work, and behavioral science, including the PAU-Stanford PsyD Consortium with Stanford Medicine. Grounded in human dignity, PAU's scholars, clinicians, educators, and learners share a single conviction: that understanding how people think, feel, behave, relate, heal, and make meaning is among the most essential work of our time.

The university enrolls over 1,200 students, has a network of more than 4,200 alumni, and employs over 150 faculty and staff united by a mission-driven commitment to advancing human understanding. PAU enters its sixth decade at a defining moment: a new president, a new provost, a bold new vision and strategic plan, and an urgent opportunity to shape how behavioral science responds to the challenges of an increasingly changing world. You will join a mission-driven community with the ambition to make a measurable impact on the human condition.

The Role

Reporting to the Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and University Relations, the Director of Strategic Partnerships is PAU's primary external relationship builder and business development leader. This role centers on revenue-generating organizational partnerships and Silicon Valley relationship development.

The Director identifies, cultivates, structures, and closes partnerships with corporations, technology companies, healthcare systems, startups, government agencies, employers, and community organizations that create mutual value and advance PAU's mission and institutional sustainability. Community relations, policy engagement, and advocacy support the larger external relations and revenue strategy and are complementary responsibilities within that framework.

The Director works in direct partnership with the President on high-priority external relationships, Silicon Valley ecosystem engagement, government and policy positioning, and the institutional partnerships that advance PAU's mission and reputation.

Responsibilities

Revenue-Generating Partnership Development

• Identify, cultivate, structure, and close revenue-generating organizational partnerships with corporations, technology companies, healthcare systems, startups, and other institutions that create mutual value and support PAU's long-term sustainability and growth.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive partnership development strategy aligned with PAU's 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, with clear annual targets for new partnerships, partnership revenue, and non-tuition revenue diversification.

• Build and manage a robust partnership pipeline, tracking prospects from initial identification through cultivation, negotiation, and agreement, using CRM tools to maintain visibility and accountability across the full partnership development cycle.

• Lead contracts, fee-for-service opportunities, workforce and training relationships, partnership-based RFPs, and organizational collaborations as the partnerships function's primary revenue instruments.

• Partner with the VP of SPUR and the President to identify the highest-priority partnership opportunities in the Silicon Valley ecosystem and develop targeted cultivation strategies for each.

Silicon Valley Ecosystem and Technology Partnerships

• Establish and deepen PAU's presence and reputation within the Silicon Valley technology, startup, and innovation ecosystem, positioning the university as the behavioral science partner of choice for companies navigating the human dimensions of technological change.

• Build relationships with technology companies, AI developers, venture-backed startups, and innovation hubs around PAU's distinctive expertise in human cognition, behavior, mental health, organizational psychology, and the ethical dimensions of emerging technology.

• Develop partnership structures that translate corporate interest in behavioral science into sponsored research, workforce development programs, employee well-being initiatives, corporate training engagements, and other revenue-generating collaborations.

• Represent PAU at Silicon Valley technology conferences, innovation forums, startup ecosystem events, and corporate leadership gatherings, building institutional visibility and cultivating relationships that generate partnership opportunities.

Workforce Development and Employer Partnerships

• Build and manage employer partnerships that generate revenue through customized training programs, continuing education offerings, and organizational consulting engagements.

• Develop workforce development relationships with employers in healthcare, technology, education, government, and the social sector that advance PAU's mission and create sustainable revenue streams.

• Collaborate with the Director of Alumni Relations to ensure employer relationships align with alumni engagement strategies, maximizing the value of each organizational relationship across partnership and advancement functions.

• Partner with academic programs and the Director of Student Experience to integrate employer partnership opportunities into the student experience, creating pathways from academic training to professional practice.

Government Partnerships and Funded Initiatives

• Identify and pursue revenue-generating relationships with local, state, and federal government agencies through contracts, grants, and funded initiatives that support institutional sustainability and advance PAU's behavioral science mission.

• Develop and maintain relationships with government program officers, agency leadership, and elected officials whose portfolios intersect with behavioral health, mental health workforce development, education policy, and human services.

• Monitor federal and state funding landscapes for contract and partnership opportunities aligned with PAU's research, training, and service capabilities, and coordinate with Academic Affairs and the Director of Development on opportunities that combine grants, contracts, research, or partnerships. The VP jointly determines the primary lead for any such opportunity based on the funding mechanism and substantive owner.

• Ensure all government partnerships are pursued and managed in alignment with applicable regulations and in coordination with PAU's legal, finance, and compliance functions.

Silicon Valley Convenings and Thought Leadership Events

• Initiate and lead the development of PAU's Silicon Valley convening strategy, identifying forum, summit, conference, showcase, panel, and public talk opportunities that position PAU as a thought leader at the intersection of behavioral science, technology, mental health, and human understanding.

• Partner with the VP of SPUR and the President to design a calendar of annual convenings that build institutional visibility, deepen corporate and community relationships, and create cultivation opportunities for prospective partners, donors, and friends of the university.

• Serve as the strategic and relationship owner for each convening, identifying the right external audiences, speakers, sponsors, and partner organizations, and ensuring every event advances a specific partnership development or cultivation objective.

• Work with the Events and Operations Specialist to hand off convening logistics, production, and communications once the strategic framework, audience, and purpose of each event are established.

Community and Policy Engagement

• Build and steward community partnerships with nonprofits, community organizations, and civic institutions aligned with PAU's mission and supporting the broader external relations and revenue strategy.

• Develop relationships with membership organizations, higher education coalitions, policy bodies, and advocacy networks that advance PAU's voice in higher education and behavioral health policy and strengthen its credibility as an external partner.

• Represent PAU at state and national policy forums, legislative briefings, and advocacy convenings where PAU's behavioral science expertise can inform and shape public policy on mental health, workforce development, and human-centered technology.

• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments at the state and federal level that affect PAU's programs, students, and mission, and ensure institutional leadership is informed and positioned to respond.

Partnership Portfolio Coordination and Development Boundary

• Maintain visibility across all incoming partnership inquiries across the university, ensuring opportunities are identified, coordinated, and directed to the division best positioned to advance them. Strategic Partnerships coordinates and stewards relationships across the full portfolio without serving as a required routing point for every inquiry.

• When an organization presents both partnership and philanthropic potential, the VP designates one relationship lead, and Strategic Partnerships and Development coordinate the approach to serve the relationship without duplication.

• Strategic Partnerships leads contracts, fee-for-service opportunities, workforce and training relationships, partnership-based RFPs, and organizational collaborations. Development leads philanthropic and charitable grant opportunities. Assign government and institutional opportunities that combine grants, contracts, research, or partnerships to a primary lead jointly with the VP, based on the funding mechanism and substantive owner.

• Maintain a comprehensive partnership database that maps PAU's external organizational relationships, enabling institutional leadership to identify further opportunities for collaboration, revenue, and impact.

• Coordinate with academic programs, the Center for Translational Research, Clinical Training, and other university functions to ensure partnership opportunities align with institutional capacity, academic standards, and mission priorities.

Presidential Partnership and Advancement Support

• Work directly with the President on high-priority external relationships, Silicon Valley ecosystem engagement, government and policy positioning, and institutional partnerships that advance PAU's mission and reputation.

• Operationalize the President's external leadership into sustained institutional relationships, ensuring every presidential engagement with a potential partner is followed by coordinated cultivation, structured opportunity development, and appropriate relationship stewardship.

• Prepare the President and VP of SPUR for external meetings, convenings, and speaking engagements with briefing materials, relationship context, and strategic talking points that maximize the impact of every presidential touchpoint with the external community.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree required; master's degree preferred in business, public policy, higher education, behavioral science, or a related field.

• Five or more years of progressive experience in business development, partnership development, external relations, or strategic partnerships, with demonstrated success closing revenue-generating agreements.

• Demonstrated ability to identify, cultivate, and close organizational partnerships with corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, or research institutions.

• Strong understanding of the Silicon Valley technology, startup, and innovation ecosystem and the ability to represent PAU credibly within it.

• Experience developing and managing complex, multi-stakeholder relationships across sectors including technology, healthcare, government, and the social sector.

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to represent PAU with authority, warmth, and mission clarity to diverse external audiences.

• Demonstrated commitment to equity, mission-driven work, and the behavioral science field PAU serves.

• Willingness and ability to travel regularly for partnership development, Silicon Valley convenings, and external engagement.

Preferred

• Background in startup and technology ecosystems, venture capital networks, business development, or corporate innovation programs.

• Active presence in Silicon Valley professional networks, innovation communities, or civic leadership organizations.

• Experience in higher education external relations, university-industry partnerships, or academic technology transfer.

• Familiarity with behavioral health, mental health, or psychology sectors and their intersection with technology, workforce development, and public policy.

• Experience with government contracting, funded partnerships, or federal and state agency engagement.

• Experience using CRM platforms for partnership pipeline management and relationship tracking.

Qualities

• Entrepreneurial and relationship-driven, with the discipline to manage a complex portfolio of partnerships, opportunities, and commitments simultaneously.

• Collaborative across SPUR, Academic Affairs, Innovation, and the President's office without losing strategic focus or institutional coherence.

• Comfortable engaging technology executives, government officials, nonprofit leaders, and community members with equal credibility and authenticity.

• Genuine curiosity about behavioral science, human understanding, and the role PAU plays in addressing the most consequential human challenges of our time.

• Results-oriented, with an unwavering commitment to building partnerships that create real value for PAU, its partners, and the communities both serve.

Work Hours and Location

This is a full-time hybrid position requiring residency in the San Francisco Bay Area. The role requires regular external engagement across Silicon Valley and the broader Bay Area, including attendance at corporate events, government meetings, community convenings, and professional forums. Occasional travel beyond the Bay Area is expected for national conferences, government engagements, and strategic partnership development. Frequent evening and weekend availability is required for community events, cultivation gatherings, and partnership-related engagements.

Equal Opportunity and Accommodations

Palo Alto University is an equal opportunity employer firmly committed to non-discrimination in its hiring and employment practices. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, marital status, citizenship status, military service status, sexual orientation, medical condition, disability, or any other status protected by law.

As provided by law, PAU will offer reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities who are otherwise qualified to perform the essential functions of the position without undue hardship to the university.

PAU is committed to building a high-quality work environment that attracts and welcomes employees from a wide range of backgrounds. In your application or cover letter, please share how your background and experience have prepared you to work at a high level with colleagues from a variety of different backgrounds.