Managing Director, Corporate Partnerships

Corporate Partnerships Team

As a member of our Corporate Partnerships (CP) team, you will play a critical role in helping us sustain and expand our partnerships with the business community nationwide. This team secures investments for Thrive and helps to connect the dots across our programs, providing opportunities for Scholars at each stage of their Thrive journey. Through consultative sales and account management, we craft mutually beneficial partnerships to secure sustainable investments and support our Scholars' access to career exploration, mentorship, networking, scholarships, internships, and entry-level roles with industry leaders. By bridging Thrive’s program and partnerships, our team aims to ensure that Thrive's Scholars are on paths toward economic mobility and are the most competitive applicants when they reach the workforce.

The Position:
The Managing Director of Corporate Partnerships leads team strategy and ensures the success of the revenue attainment of the CP Team. This role is responsible for spearheading the revenue strategy of the team to ensure Thrive meets our expansion goals in the long term and short term. In collaboration with the Program and Development teams, this role develops systems and processes to track corporate outcomes (hiring, employee engagement, career exposure) and ensure alignment with Program metrics and capabilities. This leader will hold a small portfolio and manage the CP team.

Key Responsibilities: 

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Lead and evolve the national corporate partnership strategy in alignment with Thrive’s strategic plan.
• Develop and diversify corporate revenue streams, including philanthropic giving and hiring pipelines.
• Design cross-functional strategies in collaboration with Program, Recruitment, Career Pathways, Alumni, and Community Engagement teams.
• Partner with Program Leadership to align corporate outcomes (e.g., employment, engagement, exposure) with Scholar needs.
• Lead CP logic model development and long-term outcome mapping in partnership with Data & Evaluation.
• Guide FY planning, including CP projections and budget oversight.

Team Leadership & Management

• Supervise, coach, and support the Corporate Partnerships (CP) team through weekly check-ins, onboarding, and performance management.
• Facilitate CP team meetings and professional development planning.
• Serve as liaison between CP team and Senior Leadership Team.
• Promote team cohesion, shared learning, and internal reputation-building.

Partnership Development & Stewardship

• Oversee national and regional partner portfolio and drive corporate fundraising goals.
• Build and steward relationships with corporate partners, from initial outreach to long-term engagement.
• Coordinate with internal teams to implement formal stewardship plans and ensure mutual success.
• Lead overhaul of CP collateral and ensure consistent communication of value proposition.
• Develop a narrative showing corporate impact on Scholar hiring and retention outcomes.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Managing Directors of Career, Community Engagement, and Recruitment to co-develop and implement strategies across Thrive’s ecosystem.
• Align efforts with EDs, CIO, and local boards to support fundraising and Scholar hiring needs.
• Co-design volunteer engagement experiences with Community Engagement and Alumni teams.
• Support internal planning (e.g., employee engagement calendar) and data tracking with Operations and other departments.
  
  

Data, Systems, & Reporting

• Oversee Salesforce dashboards, pipeline management, and internal CP reporting systems.
• Design systems for tracking engagement, satisfaction, revenue, and employment growth.
• Lead CP menu and offerings development and updates.
• Conduct annual audit of CP reporting for internal and external transparency.

Other Responsibilities

• Represent CP internally and externally as the team’s primary point of contact.
• Participate in strategic planning and organization-wide initiatives.
• Carry a small fundraising portfolio, as needed.
• Other job duties within the general scope of the role may be assigned.

Qualifications and Experience:
There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. The qualifications and experiences listed below are intended as a guide; we do not expect candidates to check every box.  If you believe you can meet the expectations and responsibilities of this position, we want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work.

Minimum Qualifications

·       Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear, compelling narratives.

·       Strong research skills and an entrepreneurial mindset, with the ability to develop strategic relationships and influence stakeholder decision-making.

·       Excellent understanding of donor strategy and leverage points to optimize results.

·       Strong time management skills, with the ability to prioritize deliverables in a fast-paced environment.

·       High level of professionalism and excellent judgment in handling sensitive information.

·       Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and experience using fundraising or sales databases (knowledge of Salesforce preferred)

Preferred Qualifications

·       Minimum of 10 years of experience in institutional fundraising, business development, strategic partnership management, or transferrable skills in corporate recruitment, and revenue generation.

·       At least 4 years in a leadership or people management role, preferably overseeing fundraising staff.

·       Proven success in corporate partnership development and revenue generation.

·       Strong track record in pipeline development to attract new, first-time support and diversify an organization’s donor base.

·       Experience in the education nonprofit sector is preferred.

Compensation and Benefits:

Thrive Scholars offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including high-quality health, dental, and disability insurance, three weeks of paid vacation (four weeks after two years of employment), and access to an employer-matched retirement plan. This is a full-time, exempt position. 

Travel Expectations: 

May require occasional national travel to meet with donors, funders, and partners. 

Equal Employment Opportunities:

Thrive Scholars provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status. We strongly encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

For more information, please visit thrivescholars.org