Assistant Director of Industry Engagements

Position Overview

The Assistant Director of Industry Engagements will serve as the primary driver of MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium (MGAIC) industry growth, external partnerships, and revenue generation strategy in support of MGAIC’s mission and in coordination with MIT’s broader corporate engagement ecosystem. This role sets strategy and executes plans to develop mutually beneficial relationships between MIT and corporate partners to generate significant revenue through memberships, sponsorships, research collaborations, and strategic partnerships.  This role works collaboratively with Institute partners (e.g., ILP, OSATT and RD).

This role reports to the two Faculty Co-Directors, with a dotted-line relationship to the provost.  This position functions as a strategic peer to the Senior Program Manager: where the Senior PM owns operations and program execution, the Assistant Director of Industry Engagements owns development, member stewardship, and industry engagement. This role encompasses the full lifecycle of industry engagement—pipeline development, executive relationship management, deal negotiation, member stewardship, and new-tier launches. The Assistant Director will scale MGAIC from its current seven founding members toward a portfolio of 15–20 members and 20+ student-tier members, positioning the consortium to generate $31.5M–$41.5M annually while establishing MIT as a global leader in generative AI collaboration.

The Assistant Director inherits an active pipeline (including prospects in late-stage discussions), a newly designed student engagement tier ready for launch, and a McKinsey advisory partnership requiring MIT-side coordination.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Revenue Generation (30%):

• Create and execute strategy to develop productive and growing relationships between MIT and corporate organizations globally in alignment with MGAIC priorities and Institute-wide engagement efforts.
• Own and drive the founding member pipeline—identification, cultivation, solicitation, in partnership with MIT offices, negotiation, and conversion—including advancing active prospects currently in discussion.
• Develop annual and long-term revenue and membership goals; define strategies to meet targets across both founding ($2M/year) and student engagement ($75K/year) tiers.
• Lead meetings with senior executives; negotiate and close memberships, sponsorships, and research funding agreements.
• Build and manage a robust prospect pipeline and relationship plans to generate sustained revenue growth.
• Identify new market opportunities and expand engagement models (e.g., executive programs, cross-consortium partnerships).
• Collaborate with faculty co-directors, research leadership, and internal teams to align engagement with institutional priorities.
• Drive cross-initiative communication, as identified in OIS Council meetings, to align business development efforts and maximize revenue opportunities across programs.

Member Portfolio Management & Stewardship (25%):

• Manage, cultivate, and grow a high-value portfolio of member organizations, serving as the primary relationship owner for industry partners.
• Develop deep understanding of members’ business priorities and align them with MIT research capabilities and faculty expertise.
• Drive member retention and renewal strategy, including preparation for Year 2 renewal conversations with founding members.
• Ensure proactive, high-touch engagement including executive visits, briefings, IAB meeting preparation, and tailored engagement strategies.
• Facilitate connections between corporate partners and MIT faculty, research programs, and student talent.
• Develop and deliver impact reports, member highlights, and stewardship communications.

Student Engagement Tier & New Program Development (15%):

• Own the launch and growth of the student engagement tier ($75K/year), including recruitment, onboarding, and stewardship of a new class of members.
• Design programming that connects student-tier members to MIT’s talent pipeline, including student forums, recruiting events, and mentorship opportunities.
• Develop scalable engagement models and identify opportunities for tier expansion or new revenue streams.

Strategic Partnerships & Executive Engagement (20%):

• Lead high-level executive engagement initiatives, including the McKinsey Inspire & Learn partnership, managing client vetting, faculty matching, scheduling, and day-of coordination.
• Design and deliver programming and events including roundtables, workshops, and engagements for senior industry leaders.
• Represent MGAIC in interactions with senior stakeholders across industry, government, and global organizations while ensuring alignment with MIT’s broader external engagement strategy.
• Leverage relationships to drive consensus, secure commitments, and advance strategic initiatives in collaboration with cross-Institute partners.

Analysis & Reporting (10%)

• Report on portfolio performance, prospect activity, and revenue progress against goals.
• Develop proposals, strategic communications, and briefing materials for internal and external stakeholders.
• Analyze trends, member needs, and market opportunities to inform engagement strategy.
• Establish and track key performance metrics; recommend adjustments to achieve targets.

Other duties as needed, required, or assigned.

Supervision Exercised

None initially. As MGAIC scales, may supervise development or engagement support staff.

Supervision Received

Faculty Co-Directors.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree (MBA or related field) preferred.
• 5 years of experience in business development, corporate partnerships, institutional advancement, technical sales, consulting, or related fields.
• Demonstrated success in generating revenue through partnerships, memberships, sponsorships, or complex B2B engagements.
• Proven ability to engage, influence, and negotiate with C-suite and senior executives.
• Experience developing and executing strategic plans with measurable revenue outcomes.
• Ability to work effectively across academia and industry, including comfort navigating faculty-driven research environments.
• Strong analytical, reporting, and proposal development skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills; ability to convey complex technical and research concepts to corporate audiences.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills; ability to influence across MIT units and stakeholders without direct authority.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education, research institutions, or innovation ecosystems.
• Familiarity with MIT or similar research university environments, including faculty engagement and sponsored research processes.
• Experience with Salesforce or CRM systems for pipeline and relationship management.
• Experience developing and managing budgets.
• Knowledge of AI, generative AI, or technology-driven research landscapes.

Competencies

• Business development and revenue generation
• Strategic planning and execution
• Executive presence and influence
• Relationship and portfolio management
• Negotiation and deal closing
• Analytical thinking and reporting
• Cross-functional leadership and collaboration
• Academic–industry bridge-building

* Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check.
** To comply with regulations by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the principal duties in job descriptions must be essential to the job. To identify essential functions, focus on the purpose and the result of the duties rather than the manner in which they are performed. The following definition applies: a job function is essential if removal of that function would fundamentally change the job.