Manager External Engagement

Job summary

The Manager of External Engagement will develop and implement strategic engagement plans to strengthen the school's profile and relationships with alumni, donors, and community partners. They will also lead high-profile events, manage staff, and utilize performance data to continuously improve engagement reach and impact.

Job details

Department: LANG - Office of the Dean This position is represented by the agreement between the Professional Staff Association and the University of Guelph. If you are a current employee of the University of Guelph you must apply on the internal Career Page in order to be considered as an internal applicant. Career Opportunities (sapsf.com) General Purpose The Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics is seeking a strategic, collaborative and results-oriented Manager, External Engagement to strengthen the School’s profile, relationships and impact. Reporting to the Director of Business Operations and working closely with the LANG leadership team, the Manager will advance LANG’s strategic priorities, enhance its reputation and connect the School with alumni, donors, employers, community partners and other key audiences. The Manager will translate institutional priorities into compelling engagement strategies, coordinated campaigns, high-profile events and meaningful partnerships. The role provides leadership to staff and student employees, advises senior leaders, works across academic and administrative units, and uses evidence and performance measures to continuously improve reach, participation and return on investment. Duties and Responsibilities External engagement strategy: Develop and implement a multi-year engagement and event plan aligned with LANG and University priorities, with clear objectives, audiences, measures and timelines. Partnership and relationship development: Build and steward productive relationships with alumni, donors, employers, business and community leaders, professional associations, government and other external partners. Brand and reputation: Lead initiatives that elevate LANG’s distinctiveness, academic excellence, research impact and “business as a force for good” positioning. Recruitment and advancement support: Develop engagement and communications approaches that support student recruitment, fundraising, donor stewardship and LANG’s academic programs. Events and experiences: Provide strategic leadership for high-profile School events, ensuring strong objectives, consistent branding, effective stakeholder coordination and measurable outcomes. Measurement and insight: Establish key performance indicators, monitor budgets and resources, evaluate results, and provide recommendations and reports to the Dean and senior leadership. Team leadership: Lead, coach and develop staff and student employees; establish priorities, support performance and foster a collaborative, service-oriented culture. Requirements An undergraduate degree in business or a related field along with at least three years’ experience with event management, administrative management, and communication management in a fast-paced office environment or an equivalent combination of related education and experience. Progressive experience leading external engagement, event planning, marketing, communications or partnership development in a complex organization. Proven success developing audience-focused strategies that advance organizational priorities. Excellent relationship-building, influencing, writing and presentation skills. Experience leading teams and projects, managing competing priorities and overseeing budgets. Strong judgement and analytical skills, with experience using digital tools and performance data to guide decisions. Employee Type: Regular Position Number: 10928408 Classification: P&M FT- Band 04 Professional/Managerial Salary Bands The target hiring salary for this position is minimum and up to 96% of midpoint for the salary grade. *Tentative evaluation; subject to committee review. At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution. Posting Date: 09/17/2026 Closing Date: 09/24/2026

What you’ll do

The Manager of External Engagement will develop and implement strategic engagement plans to strengthen the school's profile and relationships with alumni, donors, and community partners. They will also lead high-profile events, manage staff, and utilize performance data to continuously improve engagement reach and impact.

Requirements

Candidates must hold an undergraduate degree in business or a related field and possess at least three years of experience in event, administrative, and communication management. Proven success in leading external engagement strategies and managing teams within a complex organization is required.

Listed skills

• Team Leadership · Preferred
• Project management · Preferred
• Relationship Building · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• External engagement
• Event management
• Strategic planning
• Relationship building
• Communications management
• Partnership development
• Brand management
• Budget management
• Team leadership
• Performance measurement
• Stakeholder coordination
• Donor stewardship
• Project management
• Analytical skills
• Influencing
• Presentation skills
• Business Operations
• Student Recruitment
• Strategic Prioritization
• Stakeholder Coordination
• Analytical Skills
• Research
• Management
• Customer Service
• Communication
• Communications Management
• Fundraising
• Event Planning
• Economics
• Event Management
• Leadership
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Marketing Communications
• Presentations
• Relationship Building
• Return On Investment
• Strategic Leadership
• Team Leadership
• Timelines
• Writing
• Branding

Job areas

• Management & Leadership
• Marketing
• Education
• Administrative
• Engagement Manager
• Community Relations Manager
• Advertising and Public Relations Managers
• Public Relations Managers