Executive Manager / Director - Center for Geopolitics and Corporate Strategy (m/f/d)

Your tasks

• Strategic Development and Operational Leadership: Drive the implementation and further development of the Center's strategy, strengthen its profile and positioning, and oversee its day-to-day operations, resources, administrative processes, and future team development.
• Research-to-Practice Translation: Translate academic research into actionable insights for corporate leaders and investors through executive briefings, white papers, publications, frameworks, decision-support tools, and other knowledge-transfer formats.
• Corporate Partnerships and Business Development: Develop trusted relationships with senior executives, investors, companies, industry associations, and institutional partners; identify areas where academic expertise can address concrete business challenges; and structure collaborations, partner-funded projects, and other opportunities contributing to the Center's financial sustainability.
• Geopolitical Intelligence and Applied Projects: Initiate and coordinate projects that assess how geopolitical, regulatory, and technological developments affect corporate strategy, investment decisions, market exposure, and international business.
• Strategic Positioning, Thought Leadership, and Communications: Shape the Center's external positioning and intellectual profile; develop its media and thought-leadership strategy; translate academic expertise into formats relevant to business and public debate; and strengthen engagement with corporate leaders, investors, policymakers, and international media.
• Fundraising: Identify and develop funding opportunities with corporate, institutional, philanthropic, and other external partners.
• Project and Program Management: Initiate, coordinate, and manage interdisciplinary projects across the Center's focus areas, ensuring effective collaboration between academic experts, external partners, and senior stakeholders.
• Executive Education and Events: Develop and coordinate executive education offerings, speaker series, conferences, workshops, and other formats that connect academic expertise with business practice.

Your profile

• A proactive, entrepreneurial, and results-oriented personality with strong strategic thinking, sound judgment, and execution skills.
• An excellent university degree in business administration, economics, political science, international relations, law, or a related field. A doctoral degree or relevant postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
• Several years of professional experience in strategy, business development, management consulting, corporate affairs, geopolitical advisory, executive education, project management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in building or scaling new initiatives, research platforms, advisory offerings, organizations, or interdisciplinary projects from an early stage.
• A strong understanding of how geopolitical, regulatory, and technological developments affect international business, corporate strategy, and investment decision-making.
• Experience working with businesses or institutions operating in geopolitically exposed, regulated, or strategically sensitive sectors - such as private markets, financial services, energy and commodities, technology, infrastructure, or other internationally exposed industries - is an advantage.
• Proven ability to connect academic insight with corporate practice through advisory work, applied research, strategic communications, executive engagement, or the development of new initiatives.
• Proven experience in managing complex projects, building partnerships, and coordinating senior stakeholders across academic, corporate, and policy environments.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills, including the ability to engage effectively with senior executives, investors, academics, and institutional partners.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and operate effectively in an interdisciplinary and international environment.
• Excellent written and spoken English. Good working knowledge of German is expected; additional languages are an advantage.

What we offer

• An exciting opportunity to shape and contribute to the development of a newly established Center at a leading European business university.
• A varied and responsible role at the intersection of academia, business, geopolitics, and corporate strategy.
• Close collaboration with leading academics, experienced executives, and an interdisciplinary network of experts.
• Significant scope for initiative, professional development, and the opportunity to implement own ideas and build a team.
• The usual flexibility of academia to arrange schedule and working hours.
• An internationally competitive salary commensurate with duties, responsibilities, and prior experience.

The Center for Geopolitics and Corporate Strategy at the University of St.Gallen is seeking an entrepreneurial Executive Director to lead its strategic and operational development and help build the Center into a leading European platform connecting geopolitical research with corporate and investment decision-making.

Bringing together interdisciplinary expertise in strategic management, political science, economics, international law and taxation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, the Center connects academic research with corporate practice. Its mission is to help organizations understand geopolitical, regulatory, and technological developments and translate them into effective strategic decisions.

Application
If you are interested in contributing to the development of the Center for Geopolitics and Corporate Strategy, we look forward to receiving your online application.

Please submit your application, including your CV, a cover letter outlining your motivation and relevant experience, and any relevant supporting documents, through the University of St.Gallen's designated application channel. Please explain any use you made of advanced intelligent technology to put together your dossier in the cover letter. We kindly ask you to refrain from submitting letters of recommendation; we might ask for such letters from select candidates at a later stage.

You can find more information about the Center and its activities on our website:
Center for Geopolitics & Corporate Strategy | Universität St.Gallen
Universität St.Gallen | Institut für Betriebswirtschaft | Dufourstrasse 40a | 9000 St.Gallen | www.ifb.unisg.ch

We are looking forward to your online-application stating the job ID