Head of Strategic Partnerships jobs

About NUS School of Business

Job Description

The appointed individual will lead the Strategic Relations Office, taking charge of building, managing, and strengthening the School’s relationships with key external institutional stakeholders. The role focuses on leveraging these partnerships to support and advance the School’s strategic objectives.

Key Duties and Responsibilities of the Head of Strategic Relations:

• Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships, both locally and internationally, to position the School as a preferred partner for industry, government, and academic institutions
• Collaborate with the Deanery to design and implement initiatives that drive the School’s growth and long-term success
• Engage effectively with diverse stakeholders to sustain existing partnerships, establish new regional and global collaborations, and unlock opportunities aligned with strategic priorities while enhancing the School’s global reputation and resources
• Work cross-functionally to secure internal alignment and support for strategic initiatives
• Champion the adoption and effective use of the School’s CRM system, ensuring it supports the overall relationship management strategy and becomes integral to internal processes
• Foster a culture of professionalism, excellence, and accountability within the team
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, while motivating and retaining top talent
• Set clear goals, key performance indicators, engagement strategies, and timelines; establish systems and processes to monitor progress and evaluate outcomes
• Support the School’s Management Advisory Board and strengthen meaningful board engagement
• Oversee accreditation processes and manage Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) agreements

Qualifications

• At least 15 years of professional experience, with a proven track record in managing relationships across diverse stakeholders and geographies. The candidate should demonstrate the ability to build cohesive, high-performing teams and effectively guide them in both internal stakeholder engagement and external partnership development.
• A visionary, analytical, and resourceful thinker who is both creative and commercially astute, with a strong ability to identify opportunities and address complex challenges
• Strong executive presence, along with excellent communication and pitching skills, to inspire confidence and build meaningful relationships with the NUS Business School community, its stakeholders, and external partners
• Strategic mindset with the ability to synthesize information, connect insights, exercise sound judgment, and navigate challenges in a fast-paced, dynamic, and ambiguous environment
• Skilled at understanding the motivations and incentives of individuals and institutions, and leveraging this insight to create mutually beneficial outcomes
• Well-informed on current affairs, as well as business and industry ecosystems
• Proven ability to align and mobilize teams across functions and locations, each with differing KPIs, toward shared goals
• Highly proficient in CRM systems, with demonstrated success in using them to generate insights, facilitate collaboration, and drive coordinated organizational action
• Resilient, adaptable, and capable of performing effectively under pressure
• Relevant experience in external relations, corporate engagement, business development, and partnership or alliance management
• A strong global professional network; prior experience within institutions of higher learning will be an added advantage
• Willingness and ability to travel for business, both regionally and internationally, to build and sustain strategic partnerships