"Assistant Vice President for Innovation and External Partnerships"

Alabama State University, Academic Affairs invites application for the Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Innovation and External Partnerships position. The Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Innovation and External Partnerships provides strategic support and leadership to advance Alabama State University's innovation agenda, strengthen external engagement, and expand the University's network of public, private, corporate, and community partners. The AVP supports cross-campus collaboration, helps drive initiatives that enhance academic innovation and experiential learning, and cultivates partnerships that support research, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and regional economic growth.

The AVP works closely with the Provost and senior leadership to represent the University in external engagements and coordinate multi-stakeholder initiatives that elevate ASU's visibility, competitiveness, and impact.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist in leading university-wide innovation initiatives, including academic innovation, digital transformation, experiential learning, and applied research.
• Support colleges and academic units in developing and implementing innovative programs, curricula, and academic enhancement strategies.
• Promote a culture of creativity, continuous improvement, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Help drive initiatives that strengthen ASU's competitiveness in emerging fields such as STEM, cybersecurity, data science, entrepreneurship, and workforce innovation.
• Build, support, and maintain strategic partnerships with corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, foundations, community groups, and K-12 systems.
• Identify and develop opportunities that support faculty research, student success initiatives, internships, cooperative education, and experiential learning.
• Represent ASU at external meetings, conferences, economic development forums, and community engagement events.
• Assist in developing partnership pipelines that create new collaborations, sponsored projects, training programs, and revenue-generating initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Provost, Deans, and Academic Affairs leadership to advance academic excellence through innovative strategies, program enhancements, and external partnerships.
• Support efforts to expand ASU's research footprint through partnership-driven applied research and innovation activities.
• Help identify funding opportunities from corporate partners, foundations, federal agencies, and philanthropic organizations.
• Strengthen faculty and student engagement with external partners in alignment with institutional priorities and accreditation standards.
• Assist in managing major institutional projects related to innovation, partnership development, and academic enhancement.
• Support the implementation of partnership agreements, MOUs, collaborative projects, and funded initiatives.
• Collect, analyze, and report data related to partnership effectiveness and innovation outcomes.
• Coordinate cross-departmental teams to advance strategic priorities in innovation and external engagement
• Provide leadership and supervision to staff assigned to innovation initiatives and partnership activities.
• Assist in developing and managing budgets associated with innovation programs and partnership initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with University policies, state regulations, and partnership agreements.
• Prepare reports, briefing documents, proposals, and presentations for senior leadership and external stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

Master's degree from an accredited institution (doctoral degree preferred), experience in higher education administration, research administration, innovation, economic development, or corporate/community partnerships; demonstrated ability to develop or support successful external partnerships; strong communication and relationship-building skills, and must be able to collaborate with diverse internal and external stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience helping secure external funding or corporate sponsorships.
• Experience working with government agencies, corporate partners, foundations, or community organizations.
• Knowledge of innovation ecosystems, academic program development, and workforce initiatives.
• Experience in strategic planning, project management, and cross-functional collaboration.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong strategic and analytical thinking skills.
• Ability to foster innovation across academic and administrative units.
• Strong understanding of higher education operations and partnership development.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage and support multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Commitment to the mission, values, and vision of Alabama State University