Director of Corporate Innovation

The University of St. Thomas invites qualified candidates to apply for a Director of Corporate Innovation (Program Director I) position within the Opus College of Business. 

The University of St. Thomas embraces belonging and equal opportunity for all. Our convictions of dignity, diversity and personal attention call us to embody and champion an inclusive environment.  The University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer (EEO).  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, status as a protected veteran, or other protected characteristic.  This commitment to inclusion and equal opportunity is consistent with our mission: Inspired by Catholic intellectual tradition, the University of St. Thomas educates students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good.  A successful candidate will possess a commitment to the ideals of this mission.

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

The University of St. Thomas offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program, which includes:

• Tuition Remission for employees, spouses, and dependents
• Generous Retirement Contributions to support your future
• Comprehensive Health Coverage including medical, dental, and vision
• Fully Paid Insurance: disability, life, and AD&D
• Paid Parental Leave to support growing families

Salary Range: $74,465-$93,080

The University of St. Thomas has provided a salary range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The specific salary offered will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.

JOB SUMMARY

The Opus College of Business (OCB) at the University of St. Thomas seeks a visionary and entrepreneurial Director (or Senior Director, commensurate with experience) to lead the newly established Schulze Institute for Corporate Innovation, a college-wide initiative focused on bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world business innovation.

This pivotal role serves as the chief architect and thought leader for corporate innovation initiatives within OCB, responsible for shaping and executing a strategic vision that equips students to become creative problem-solvers, ethical leaders, and agents of innovation within today’s complex corporate environments.

The Institute exists to connect students with corporate partners in meaningful ways that develop innovative thinking skills, leadership, and purpose-driven business transformation. Through this role, the Director will scale student-facing corporate innovation initiatives, enhance existing and develop new long-term industry partnerships, and embed experiential learning opportunities across both curricular and co-curricular programming at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Working closely with faculty, alumni, and external partners, the Director will lead the design and delivery of hands-on learning experiences such as innovation sprints, real-world consulting projects, and corporate-hosted idea jams, that prepare students to tackle pressing business and societal challenges. This is a unique opportunity to build a high-impact program at one of the nation’s top-ranked undergraduate entrepreneurship colleges, and to elevate the college’s reputation as a hub for innovation and ethical business leadership.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Strategic Leadership & Vision Setting

• Serve as the chief architect of the Schulze Institute’s strategic roadmap, ensuring alignment with OCB's goals around innovation, enrollment, reputation, and student outcomes.
• Lead strategic planning to scale corporate innovation initiatives across the undergraduate and graduate business curriculum, including executive education and lifelong learning.
• Identify new opportunities for growth based on industry trends, emerging technologies, and learner needs
• Provide thought leadership across the college and externally on topics related to corporate innovation, ethics in business innovation, and intrapreneurship.
• Ensure the Institute’s direction remains aligned with the intentions of the Schulze Family Foundation, including annual impact reporting and stewardship 

2. Corporate Partnerships & External Relations

• Cultivate and steward high-value relationships with regional and national corporate partners to advance corporate innovation initiatives
• Engage executives, alumni, and industry leaders to co-create programs and support corporate innovation initiatives
• Represent the Institute and OCB at external convenings, panels, and business forums to raise visibility and develop strategic partnerships
• Collaborate, as needed, with key Opus and University partners on corporate engagement opportunities in alignment with Opus goals

3. Experiential Program Design & Delivery

• Lead the design and execution of co-curricular corporate innovation programs that expose students to real-world business challenges, such as innovation sprints, idea jams, and consulting projects 
• Support faculty as a strategic advisor and connector in integrating corporate-sponsored projects into curriculum, ensuring academic alignment and operational support
• Develop scalable frameworks for embedding real-world projects into curricular and co-curricular settings across disciplines and degree levels.
• Support the Opus Way of Teaching initiative and group through collaboration on experiential learning initiatives and participation in related committees, as needed.
• Ensure that programs align with industry trends, student interests, and institutional mission, infusing each initiative with ethical, entrepreneurial, and impact-driven learning outcomes.

4. Operational Oversight & Impact Evaluation 

• Build and manage systems to track performance metrics (student outcomes, employer engagement, program ROI) and continuously improve Institute operations.
• Lead internal and external reporting and impact storytelling for key stakeholders, including deans, faculty, advancement, and donors.
• Manage budgets, vendors, project teams and student workers to ensure effective execution and scalability of programming. 
• Support external funding and donor engagement through strategic framing of programmatic impact.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, education, or a related field

   

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in program management, corporate innovation, or a related area.

   

• Experience in higher education or working with academic institutions.

   

• Proven ability to build and sustain external partnerships, especially with corporate and alumni stakeholders.

   

• Demonstrated success with instructional design, particularly integration of experiential learning programs.

   

• Strong project management, organizational, cross-departmental team leadership and interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in business, education, or related field

   

• Knowledge of entrepreneurial and innovative methodologies, including design thinking and intrapreneurship.

   

• Familiarity with corporate innovation trends and best practices.

   

• Experience working with faculty in higher education institutions or experience teaching at the post- secondary level.

HOW TO APPLY

All interested candidates must apply online at https://www.stthomas.edu/jobs/. Follow the instructions to complete an online application which includes creating or updating an applicant profile, uploading a resume, and completing a job specific application.

In light of its commitment to create and maintain a safe learning and working environment, employment with the University of St. Thomas requires consent and successful completion of a background screening.

Official job posting is available at www.stthomas.edu/jobs.