10+ years of experience in consulting, strategic partnerships, customer success, higher education administration, or related advisory roles.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex, enterprise-level relationships and drive measurable outcomes in matrixed or academic organizations.
Experience working with senior executives on strategy, transformation, or innovation initiatives.
Experience collaborating with faculty, researchers, or academic leadership, or navigating university-based environments and stakeholder models.
Ability to synthesize complex ideas into clear, actionable insights for executive audiences while maintaining academic rigor.
Strong interest in digital transformation, data, and AI.
Additional Qualifications and Skills:
MBA or equivalent experience.
Background in consulting, enterprise customer success, or higher education partnerships.
Experience working within or alongside universities, research institutes, or executive education programs.
Experience defining success metrics and leading data-informed client or partner engagements.
Familiarity with academic research processes, publication norms, and faculty engagement models.
Demonstrated experience leading, coaching, and developing staff, with a commitment to fostering high-performing and collaborative teams.
Standard Hours/Schedule: 40 hours per week
Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education
Benefits
Remote work options
Additional Information
Job Summary:
The Director of Corporate Alliances plays a central role in advancing the mission of the HBS AI Institute by serving as the primary relationship lead for a portfolio of corporate and organizational partners. This role is responsible for ensuring that partner organizations derive meaningful, sustained value from their engagement with the Institute, while also informing and enriching the Institute's research agenda through close collaboration with faculty and practice.
Operating within a leading academic environment, the Director, reporting to Principal Director, Alliances at HBSAI, works at the intersection of academia and industry, partnering closely with faculty, researchers, and administrative teams to translate cutting-edge research into actionable insights. The Director serves as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, facilitating high-impact engagements that reflect the rigor, independence, and mission of a university-based research institute. The role combines elements of strategic partnership development, academic engagement, and program delivery, with a focus on long-term relationship stewardship, intellectual exchange, and measurable impact.
Job-Specific Responsibilities:
Manage a portfolio of strategic partner organizations, serving as the primary point of contact and steward of the overall relationship.
Develop and execute engagement plans that align partner priorities with HBS AI Institute research, faculty expertise, and programming.
Ensure a high-quality partner experience across the full lifecycle, including onboarding, ongoing engagement, and long-term value realization.
Translate faculty research into clear, relevant insights for practitioners, supporting partners in applying these insights to organizational challenges.
Convene and facilitate interactions between partners and faculty, including briefings, workshops, and collaborative research opportunities.
Navigate university structures and processes to effectively coordinate across stakeholders, including faculty, research centers, and administrative units.
Lead regular partner reviews to assess engagement, share insights, and identify opportunities for deeper collaboration.
Monitor partner engagement and feedback to inform continuous improvement and ensure alignment with Institute goals.
Serve as a conduit between partner organizations and the Institute, elevating practice-based insights to help shape research priorities and initiatives.
Contribute to the development of new partnership opportunities through a thoughtful, relationship-driven approach.
Collaborate with colleagues across HBS, including Executive Education and HBS Online, to deliver integrated learning and engagement experiences.
Support the evolution of the Institute's partner engagement model, including defining best practices and success metrics.
Lead, coach, and develop a team of 1-3 staff members, fostering a collaborative, high-performing environment that supports strategic corporate partnership goals.
Build trust and collaboration by being present on-site and engaging directly with colleagues and various constituents.
Other duties as assigned.
Harvarduniversity · Boston, MA