NACRO 2026 Career Survey: Help Build a Clearer Picture of Careers in Academic Corporate Relations

NACRO 2026 Career Survey: Help Build a Clearer Picture of Careers in Academic Corporate Relations

By Heather Hirsch and Tony Llano

What does career advancement look like in academic corporate relations? How do responsibilities and compensation compare across institutions? And what support do professionals need to succeed as partnerships between academia and industry evolve?

These questions matter whether you’re entering the field, leading a team or planning your next career move. Answering them takes a broad range of perspectives, including yours.

NACRO’s Annual Career Exploration Survey is now open, and we invite professionals across the academic corporate relations community to participate, whether or not you’re a NACRO member.

Last year’s NACRO Career survey continued an important effort to better understand the varied roles, responsibilities and career experiences within our profession. This year, we’re continuing that work to build a stronger, data-driven picture of how corporate relations professionals are positioned, compensated and supported.

As leaders of NACRO’s Benchmarking Committee, we see this survey as an opportunity to turn our community’s experience into practical insights. Your participation will help NACRO:

• Strengthen career benchmarks for roles, compensation and advancement.
• Identify shared challenges and emerging opportunities across the profession.
• Inform tools and resources that support professional growth and institutional success.

For professionals, these insights can help inform career conversations and professional development priorities. For institutional leaders, they can provide useful context for discussions about staffing, resources and support for corporate relations teams.

The value of that work depends on participation. Every institution approaches corporate relations somewhat differently, and every career offers a distinct perspective. Whether you are new to the field or a seasoned leader, your experience adds to our understanding.

All survey responses will be reported only in aggregate. No individuals or institutions will be identified in the results. Survey results will be shared with NACRO members.

The survey remains open through Monday, November 23, 2026. We encourage you to share it with colleagues, including those outside NACRO, to help us capture the breadth of our professional community.

Take the NACRO Career Exploration Survey today and help strengthen the knowledge that supports your career, your colleagues and our profession.

Thank you for contributing your perspective and supporting this work.

Heather Hirsch is Chair of NACRO’s Benchmarking Committee and Director of Development – Corporate Relations with the Texas A&M Foundation.

Anthony (Tony) Llano is Chair-elect of NACRO’s Benchmarking Committee and Director, Industry Partnerships & Entrepreneurship with the University of Georgia.