AVP Corporate Affairs and Business Development

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is seeking an accomplished and highly collaborative Associate Vice President of Corporate Relations to lead and strengthen the University’s engagement with key corporations and industry partners through strategic partnerships, university-wide coordination, and business development efforts.

Reporting to the Vice President of External Affairs and Strategic Initiatives, the Associate Vice President will develop and coordinate enterprise-level corporate relationships that advance the University’s strategic priorities, institutional visibility, academic programs, research initiatives, and executive engagement.

The Associate Vice President will work across Embry-Riddle’s campuses and administrative areas to ensure corporate relationships are coordinated, purposeful, and responsive to institutional priorities. In partnership with Career Services, Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, academic leaders, research teams, and other key stakeholders, this position will connect corporate partners with the appropriate areas of the University and support a unified approach to engagement.

The position’s primary focus will be cultivating executive relationships, developing long-term industry partnerships, and identifying opportunities that advance Embry-Riddle’s broader strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and lead a University-wide corporate-relations strategy aligned with Embry-Riddle’s institutional priorities.
• Build, strengthen, and manage relationships with senior executives and decision-makers at priority corporations and industry organizations.
• Engage in business development activities pertaining to Embry-Riddle’s Research Park and other corporate interests benefitting the University.
• Serve as a strategic connector between corporate partners and the appropriate University leaders, colleges, research teams, programs, and administrative areas.
• Manage and regularly update the University’s corporate balanced scorecard, working with internal relationship managers to establish engagement priorities, monitor progress, and identify new opportunities.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for The Boeing Company and coordinate University-wide engagement activities, including the planning and execution of Boeing Week.
• Collaborate with Career Services to connect strategic corporate relationships with appropriate employer-engagement opportunities while supporting a coordinated University approach.
• Partner with Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement when corporate relationships may present opportunities for philanthropic support, sponsorship, foundation engagement, or other forms of institutional investment.
• Work with academic and research leaders to identify opportunities for strategic partnerships, applied research, executive engagement, sponsored initiatives, and other mutually beneficial collaborations.
• Chair the University’s External Affairs Workgroup and promote coordinated communication and relationship management across campuses and departments.
• Oversee corporate-relations reporting across the University and support the accurate and consistent maintenance of relationship and engagement information in Salesforce.
• Develop executive briefings, background and informational content and materials, engagement strategies, and follow-up plans for the President, Vice President of External Affairs and Strategic Initiatives, and other senior University leaders.
• Plan and support executive participation at major aviation, aerospace, and industry events, including the Space Symposium, Paris Air Show, and Farnborough International Airshow.
• Coordinate leadership schedules, meetings, briefing materials, informational packets and marketing materials, and follow-up activities associated with trade shows, conferences, corporate visits, business development activities, and external engagements.
• Plan and coordinate visits from corporate executives and distinguished industry leaders in collaboration with the appropriate University stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities to increase meaningful corporate engagement both on campus and in external industry settings.
• Coordinate and manage institutional sponsorship requests involving external organizations, maintain accurate records, and secure required approvals.
• Supervise and provide strategic direction to the Corporate Relations Specialist.
• Manage an annual operating expense budget of approximately $150,000.
• Perform other duties and support strategic initiatives as assigned.

For over 100 years, Embry-Riddle has been the world's leading aviation and aerospace university, educating more than 30,000 students across residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona, as well as through a global network of Worldwide locations and online programs. With more than 165,000 alumni around the world, our impact reaches every corner of the aerospace, aviation, defense and technology industries. 

Today, our faculty, researchers and professional staff are advancing innovation across aviation, space, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, autonomous systems and next-generation engineering. Working alongside industry leaders, government agencies and innovators, they are solving real-world challenges and shaping the technologies that will define tomorrow. 

Whether you are an educator, researcher, administrator, technologist or industry professional, your work at Embry-Riddle will contribute to something bigger than a job. Join a community driven by discovery, purpose and excellence—and help shape the future of aerospace. 

• Generous Time Off: Enjoy up to 18 days of paid leave in your first year, including 3 days granted upon hire and 15 days accrued throughout the year. You'll also receive 9+ paid holidays, including the day after Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day. 
• Tuition Coverage: Get 100% tuition coverage for yourself for one undergraduate and one graduate degree, and discounted rates for your spouse and dependent children up to age 26. 
• Retirement Contributions: ERAU contributes 6% of your base salary to your retirement plan and offers a 4% matching contribution – with no vesting period. 
• Personal Leave: Relax with 15 days of personal leave for non-exempt employees or 18 days for exempt full-time employees in your first year.  

To submit your application for this opportunity, please visit the Embry-Riddle Career Site and search for AVP, Corporate Affairs and Business Development. Please attach all relevant materials to your application when you apply online. Complete submissions include: 

• Cover letter 
• Resume 
• Contact information for at least three professional references, including a current or former supervisor (please note that references may be contacted as part of the interview/screening process) 

This position operates primarily in a professional office environment and requires moderate travel. Occasional evening or weekend work may be necessary to support executive engagements, corporate visits, conferences, trade shows, and University events.