Associate Director, Strategic Partnership Management

University of Utah

The Associate Director of Strategic Partnership Management at University Marketing & Communications ( UMC ) directs the development and management of the University of Utah’s external and internal marketing partnerships, serving as the primary point of connection between the main academic campus and the institution’s largest brand stakeholders. Reporting to the Senior Director of Brand Strategy, this position builds the relationships, agreements, and shared processes that allows the university to present a coherent and connected brand and to plan marketing work together rather than in parallel.

This role serves as the key liaison between the institution and key partnerships like the winter sport governing bodies, Utah Athletics, Crimson Brand Partners, and key campus partners. The Associate Director builds relationships with colleges, auxiliary units, and administrative offices whose marketing efforts intersect with enterprise brand strategy. Working collaboratively with brand strategy, creative, digital, web, social media, and project management colleagues, this position ensures partner needs are understood, commitments are documented, and joint initiatives are delivered as promised.

This is a relationship and alignment role. Success is measured by the strength and durability of partner relationships, the consistency of the University’s brand across partner organizations, and the quality and reliability of joint marketing work. The ideal candidate is a strategic, diplomatic leader who builds trust quickly, brings structure to complex multi-party work, and has the political sophistication to align competing priorities across a large, decentralized institution while protecting a nationally recognized brand.

Learn more about the great benefits of working for University of Utah: benefits.utah.edu

Responsibilities

• Campus Partner Relationship Management

• Build and sustain working relationships with colleges, auxiliary units, and administrative offices whose marketing activity intersects with enterprise brand strategy.

• Establish clear intake processes, service expectations, and escalation paths so campus partners have a consistent and predictable point of entry to UMC .

• Convene recurring planning and review forums with partner organizations to surface conflicts early, resolve competing priorities, and keep joint work on track.

• Represent the interests of the academic campus in partner planning discussions and carry partner constraints and objectives back to UMC leadership.

• Anticipate friction between units and intervene before it affects partner relationships, the University’s brand, audiences, or shared timelines.

• Affiliated Entity Coordination

• Coordinate brand and marketing activity with Crimson Brand Partners across branding, licensing and sponsorship, ticketing, venue events, and digital media, ensuring alignment with University brand standards and institutional priorities.

• Maintain a shared understanding of roles, decision rights, and approval paths between UMC , Athletics, and affiliated commercial entities.

• Review proposed partner and commercial initiatives for brand fit, audience impact, and reputational risk, and advise leadership on concerns before commitments are made.

• Coordinate with Trademark Licensing, the Office of General Counsel, and other University offices on questions of brand usage, policy, and compliance.

• Track commitments made by and to affiliated entities and follow through to ensure both sides meet them.

• Joint Initiative Planning and Execution

• Identify and validate opportunities for joint marketing initiatives that serve both partner objectives and enterprise brand priorities.

• Develop organizational plans that translate partner needs into scoped, resourced marketing work with defined owners, timelines, and deliverables.

• Drive execution of collaborative campaigns and co-branded programs across paid, owned, and earned channels.

• Direct cross-functional teams through delivery and hold partners and internal teams to agreed scope and schedules.

• Lead post-initiative reviews and apply findings to strengthen the next round of joint work.

• Agreements and Shared Resource Arrangements

• Oversee the development and negotiation of memoranda of understanding, service agreements, and brand usage terms that govern partner relationships.

• Develop the resourcing and cost-share arrangements behind joint initiatives, including internal chargeback, shared investment, and in-kind contributions of staff time and creative capacity.

• Ensure agreements are mutually beneficial, clearly scoped, and sustainable given UMC’s capacity, and that they hold up under institutional review.

• Partner with the Office of General Counsel, Purchasing, and Risk Management as required by University policy.

• Maintain the agreement lifecycle for the partner portfolio, tracking obligations, review dates, and renewals.

• Internal Stakeholder Alignment

• Work collaboratively with brand strategy, creative, web development, social media, digital marketing, project management, and photo and video teams to secure the capacity and expertise each partnership requires.

• Brief University leadership on relationship status, risks, and decisions requiring executive attention.

• Develop and maintain the documentation, playbooks, and templates that make partnership practices repeatable across UMC and campus partners.

• Team Leadership and Management

• Manage the activities of first- and second-level managers and supervisors, and hold accountability for the performance of their teams.

• Hire, develop, evaluate, and retain staff, including performance appraisals, pay reviews, corrective action, and separation decisions.

• Set goals, priorities, and workload allocation across the partnership management function.

• Develop the unit’s annual plan and budget and manage resources against approved targets.

• Build a collaborative, service-oriented culture and invest in staff growth and succession planning.

• Measurement and Reporting

• Define what success looks like for the partner portfolio, including partner satisfaction, service reliability, brand consistency, and the reach and engagement of joint initiatives.

• Direct the tracking and analysis of partnership performance and prepare reports and recommendations for University leadership and partner organizations.

• Use performance and relationship data to inform which partnerships warrant deeper investment, restructuring, or a change in approach.

• Maintain accurate records of partner activity, agreements, and outcomes.

• Brand Stewardship

• Ensure partner marketing activity adheres to University brand standards, visual identity, messaging, and trademark policy.

• Advise partners and campus units on appropriate use of University marks and brand assets.

• Identify and escalate reputational risk associated with partner activity and recommend mitigation.

• Protect and strengthen the University’s brand reputation as its affiliated and commercial relationships expand.

• Minimum Qualifications

• EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT : 1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience (Example: bachelor’s degree = 4 years of directly related work experience).

• Associate Director, Strategic Partnership Management: Requires a bachelor’s (or equivalency) + 10 years or a master’s (or equivalency) + 8 years of directly related work experience.

• Preferences

• Experience in higher education, academic medicine, collegiate athletics, or another large, decentralized enterprise with multiple brand stakeholders.

• Experience serving as a liaison between a central marketing function and semi-autonomous units, affiliated entities, or external rights holders.

• Working knowledge of trademark licensing, brand governance, and current collegiate athletics considerations, including name, image, and likeness