What are the responsibilities and job description for the External Partnerships Specialist position at Western Michigan University?
Position Details
Posting Summary
College
VP Gov't Relations-DIV
Executive Area
VP Gov't Relations
Department
Office of Government Relations
Posting Detail Information
Posting Number
S1634P
Job Type
Full Time, Regular
Pay Type
Exempt/Salaried
Pay Grade
D
Campus Location
WMU-Kalamazoo - Main Campus
Salary Range
Pay is commensurate with qualifications and experience, combined with an excellent benefits package.
General Summary
Serves as a central coordinator for community focused engagement by connecting the University with nonprofit, community, and regional partners. Coordinates, prioritizes, and advances partnership requests across academic units. Supports structured engagement frameworks and advances strategic goals related to community impact, transparency, and the University’s role as an anchor institution.
Major Duties
- Serves as a primary operational point of contact for community and nonprofit partners by coordinating and triaging partnership requests.
- Routes requests to appropriate academic units, staff, or administrators and supports consistent, responsive communication to reduce duplicative or uncoordinated outreach.
- Supports structured engagement processes for community facing academic units by assisting with coordination, follow up, and documentation of community engagement activities.
- Ensures timely and accurate documentation of community partnerships and engagement activities in institutional data systems to support transparency, reporting, and data informed decision making.
- Supports data collection and reporting efforts related to the University’s community engagement activities.
- Assists in coordinating experience driven learning opportunities by connecting faculty, students, and community partners.
- Supports alignment between community identified needs and appropriate academic or co curricular programs.
- Provides coordination support for community coalitions and regional initiatives aligned with the University’s anchor institution role.
- Performs additional coordination and administrative duties as assigned to support external engagement initiatives.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in related field from an accredited institution, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Two years’ relevant experience.
- Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Strong relationship management skills.
- Ability to work irregular shifts and extended hours, including evenings and weekends
- Ability to travel.
Desired Qualifications
Special Instructions to Applicants
- Internal applicants should use the WMU – Internal Application.
- External applicants should use the WMU – Application.
Additional Position Information
- Western Michigan University offers generous benefits to its employees including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, retirement, and tuition discount for the employee and tuition remission for eligible dependents. To access information about the specific benefits available for this position, s://www.wmich.edu/hr/enrollment-staff
- Staff Compensation System pay grades and rates are available at: https://files.wmich.edu/s3fs-public/2025-09/hr-staff-compensation-pay-structure-2025-26.pdf
Physical requirements and working conditions
- Office or other indoor work with minimal physical demands such as occasionally lifting or moving materials less than 25 pounds.
- Work is generally performed in a well-lit, temperature-controlled indoor environment with occasional exposure to the outdoors or any number of elements.
Benefits:
Health Insurance, Sick Leave, Vacation & Paid Time Off