Partnerships Coordinator, Accreditation & Partnerships

JOB SUMMARY  

The Partnerships Coordinator will support the Executive Director of Accreditation & Partnerships by proactively managing and coordinating critical academic partnership tasks and projects. This role is responsible for assisting with the entire partnership lifecycle, under the leadership of the Executive Director. This includes helping Southeastern University establish, maintain, and grow mission-aligned, value-driving partnerships with a variety of organizational and institutional entities. The coordinator will support activities from the initial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through partner onboarding, ongoing operations management, performance evaluation, strategic growth initiatives, and eventual sunsetting of agreements. This position requires strong project management abilities, exceptional organizational skills, excellent communication capabilities, and the capacity to help nurture and sustain partnerships through intentional, proactive, and informed engagement.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS 

Reports to: Executive Director, Accreditation & Partnerships

Supervisory Responsibility: N/A

Indirect Supervisory Responsibility: N/A

ESSENTIAL DUTIES - May include, but is not limited to the following: 

Partnership Lifecycle Coordination:

• Assist in drafting, reviewing, and tracking MOUs, partnership agreements, and related documentation.
• Coordinate the onboarding process for new partners, ensuring all necessary information is exchanged, systems are prepared, and initial meetings are scheduled.
• Proactively support the day-to-day operational management of active partnerships, including scheduling regular check-ins, preparing agendas and minutes, and facilitatin communication between partners and relevant SEU departments.
• Help gather data and information for the evaluation of partnership effectiveness and alignment with university goals, contributing to reports for the Executive Director.
• Assist in identifying and pursuing opportunities for the growth and expansion of existing partnerships, as directed.
• Support the administrative processes involved in the sunsetting of partnerships, ensuring all obligations are met and documentation is finalized.

Project and Task Management:

• Provide project management support for key partnership initiatives, including developing project timelines, tracking deliverables, and monitoring progress against goals.
• Organize and maintain a comprehensive repository of all partnership-related documents, contacts, correspondence, and historical data.
• Prepare regular status updates, summaries, and presentations on partnership activities for the Executive Director and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate logistics for partnership-related meetings, events, and site visits.
• Anticipate needs and proactively offer solutions and support for upcoming partnership activities and potential challenges.

Communication and Relationship Support:

• Serve as a primary point of contact for routine inquiries and operational communication with external partners and internal university stakeholders.
• Assist in cultivating and maintaining positive, collaborative relationships with all partners through timely, professional, and informed communication.
• Support the Executive Director in preparing briefing materials, presentations, and background information for strategic partner meetings and engagements.

Process Improvement and Support:

• Assist in monitoring partnership activities to ensure alignment with university policies, procedures, and strategic objectives, under the guidance of the Executive Director.
• Contribute to the development, documentation, and refinement of internal processes and best practices for partnership management to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Gather and organize information to support compliance requirements related to academic partnerships.

ADDITIONAL/NON-ESSENTIAL DUTIES 

All remaining duties are considered "nonessential" within the context of the ADA, which means that the function could be reassigned to another employee in order to allow a disabled individual to hold the position.  Alternatively, the manager could try to provide a reasonable accommodation so that the disabled individual could perform the function.

 LOCATION 

Remote (working from home/off-site)  

EDUCATION   

Required Education:

Bachelor's in Business Administration, Communications, Project Management, or a related field, OR an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience

Preferred Education:

Master's in Business Administration, Communications, Project Management, or a related field,

LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS

N/A

EXPERIENCE 

Required:

• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in a coordination, project support, administrative support, or partnership-focused role. 

• Demonstrated experience with project coordination, managing multiple tasks, and supporting relationship management is essential.

Preferred:

Experience in a higher education, non-profit, or similar organizational setting is highly desirable.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Required:

• Organize and Report Data: Effectively gather, organize, analyze, and present data and information in a clear, concise manner to support decision-making and reporting. 
• Communicate Efficiently: Demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor communication to diverse audiences and foster positive interactions. 
• Collaborative Team Member: Work effectively and collaboratively with colleagues across various departments and with external partners, contributing to a positive and productive team environment.
• Institutional Awareness & Adaptability: Demonstrate an understanding of the diverse nature of academic and organizational partners (e.g., K-12, corporate, non-profit, other higher education institutions) and the ability to adapt communication and support strategies to their distinct cultures, operational needs, and objectives.
• Proficiency with Software Systems: Demonstrate proficiency in using project management software (e.g., Asana, Trello, Monday.com), CRM systems, and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) or Google Workspace to manage tasks, data, and communication. 
• Problem-Solving Support: Assist in identifying potential issues or challenges in partnership activities and contribute to the development of practical solutions.
• Attention to Detail & Organization: Exhibit a high level of accuracy and attention to detail in all aspects of work, with strong organizational and time-management skills to handle multiple priorities.
• Understanding of Higher Education Environment: Possess a foundational understanding of higher education structures, processes, and the nature of academic partnerships.
  Project Coordination Skills: Proven ability to coordinate projects, manage timelines, and ensure tasks are completed efficiently.

 Preferred:

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

All employees are responsible for maintaining an environment that is free from discrimination, intimidation, harassment, including sexual harassment. 

• This position is considered non-essential  for the purposes of Emergency Response.

Physical Requirements: 

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position for 50% of the time.
• Ability to move about the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.
• The ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Travel:

10%

Schedule:

Monday through Friday, 8:30 - 4:30

TRAINING

All new hires and employees transferring into a new position will have a 90-day probationary period within which to learn the functions of the job and to be evaluated. Following the probationary period, the employee can transition to regular status, have the probationary period extended in order to receive more training, or employment can be terminated. Required compliance training is as follows:

Standard academic partnership training, project management training

SAFETY 

• SEU promotes a safe working environment. Employees are responsible for completing assigned tasks safely and efficiently, and supervisors are responsible for creating and maintaining a safe work environment. 
• Employees must report any unsafe work conditions or practices, as well as any near-miss incidents, to their supervisor and Risk Management. 
• Work-related injuries must be immediately reported to Security and Human Resources. When life or limb are at risk, please dial 911. Supervisors and employees should ensure that injury/accident reports are submitted to the Office of Human Resources within 24 hours of the incident. 
• Emergency Employees report for or must remain at work in emergency situations.  Dismissal or closure announcements do not apply to this position, unless instructed otherwise by your direct supervisor or a member of the Leadership Team.  

SCREENING

All full-time positions at SEU are deemed security-sensitive and require background checks. Employees required to drive their own personal vehicle, a rental car or an SEU vehicle in performance of their duties must pass an MVR records check and meet the requirements of the University’s insurance carrier in order to meet the requirements of the position.

DISCLAIMER

SEU is an at-will employer.  This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change. The employer retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

SEU is committed to providing a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. All forms of discrimination against or harassment of a person because of his or her identification within a protected category are strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. This prohibition applies equally to conduct by and against employees, vendors, visitors, and students.

Southeastern University is committed to equal opportunity in employment and education and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors. The equal opportunity policy will apply in University programs and activities, and all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, and other compensation, termination and all other terms, conditions and privileges of employment. All employees of Southeastern University, by continued employment, agree to abide by the policies contained in the Employee Handbook and in the SEU Mission, Vision, Statement of Faith and Community Covenant.