Networking and Partnership Manager

Location: Bennington,Vermont,United States

Bennington College invites applications for a Networking and Partnership Manager. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Networking and Partnership Manager manages the overall project administration and leads communication, outreach, and engagement initiatives for the Vermont PFAS Environmental Research Network project (PERN), for which Bennington College serves as the lead coordinating institution.

This position reports directly to the Director of Institutional and Academic Grants and is tasked with establishing a durable statewide research network across Vermont's academic, governmental, and community sectors. Collaborating with campus faculty and staff, the Manager cultivates strong partnerships with researchers, community members, public agencies, and key stakeholders dedicated to addressing PFAS contamination. Key to success in this role is the capacity to foster trust, engage varied constituencies, and nurture impactful collaborations across institutional and community environments.

This role is supported by grant funding with an anticipated conclusion date of June 30, 2030. Continuation or renewal of this contract is strictly contingent upon the NSF/PFAS grant. This position is primarily on-site, with hybrid working considerations at the managers discretion.

Bennington serves a diverse student population inclusive of members of ethnically/racially minoritized, international, LGBTQIA+, and disability communities, as well as diverse gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, and political beliefs. Our staff and faculty also reflect diverse and intersecting backgrounds and identities. All employees are expected to be respectful and responsive to these differences in the service of building a community that promotes student and employee success and community cohesiveness. Each individual (faculty, staff and students) will be accountable for upholding these values. The College's approach to pluralism and inclusivity-both as fields of inquiry and practice-is to prioritize flexible thought, and to invite the examination of access, value, power, and privilege through its institutional policies and areas of study. We encourage applicants from diverse realms of interest, backgrounds, experience, and accomplishment to apply.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Public Policy, Communications, Higher Education Administration, or a related field (Master's degree preferred). • A minimum of three years of experience managing multi-institutional programs, preferably funded by federal agencies like the NSF, EPA, or NIH. • Experience and knowledge of PFAS contamination is desirable. • Proven track record of developing and maintaining partnerships across diverse groups (faculty, state agency officials, and community activists) • Experience managing complex, multi-institutional outreach activities. • Strong organizational, time-management, strategic communication, event planning, and stakeholder management skills. • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail. • Strong organizational, time-management, project-coordination, and problem-solving skills. • Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and customer-service skills. • Demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, professionalism, and ability to handle confidential information appropriately. • Ability to foster inclusive collaborations across diverse institutional types and non-academic sectors.