Director of Corporate Partnerships - Resource Development

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

The Department Summary 

Resource Development (RD) works to raise private funds, cultivating and maintaining relationships with private donors; define the agency’s brand, raising our public profile and sharing stories about our work by engaging with the media, the public, and our supporters and producing a wide range of online and offline communications. We are passionate about Mercy Corps’ mission and dedicated to supporting our worldwide team that’s improving the lives of over 35 million people in more than 40 countries.

In support of that mission, the Corporate Partnerships team manages Mercy Corps’ partnerships with major US companies. We set bold agency-wide funding strategies, manage relationships with corporate partners, and work closely with program colleagues around the world. We contribute to Mercy Corps’ strategies for strategic restricted funding, unrestricted funds and brand profile raising. 

The corporate portfolio currently includes world class partners such as Google, Cisco, Mastercard, Airbnb and TripAdvisor. By focusing on the holistic capacities of these 21st century partners -- people, product, philanthropy and profile -- the corporate team aims to create transformational impact around the world while meeting partners’ business goals. We seek to partner with donors who are keen to support social impact at scale in our priority areas including disaster response and recovery, climate change adaptation, youth employment, financial inclusion and technology-informed development.

The Position

The Director of Corporate Partnerships will oversee and expand a portfolio of corporate partners to 1) Raise unrestricted and strategic restricted funds for Mercy Corps priority program areas; 2) Grow existing partnerships and develop new ones that raise Mercy Corps’ profile and introduce Mercy Corps to new supporter audiences; and 3) Increase Mercy Corps’ profile and credibility as a 21st century partner that can deliver breakthrough solutions at scale. In order to successfully reach these goals, they will be the primary salesperson bringing Mercy Corps’ mission and corporate giving and engagement opportunities to partners and manage all elements required for successful partnership. 

Essential Responsibilities 

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 

• Actively steward and cultivate existing portfolio of strategic corporate partners to develop and expand their annual giving, regularly securing six and seven figure gifts from corporations in support of Mercy Corps’ global and domestic programs. 
• Grow the corporate portfolio; identify, cultivate, solicit new donors, and deliver bold and significant partnerships with major corporate donors
• Lead and direct day-to-day communications with a portfolio of corporate donors 
• Write or edit concepts, proposals, pitch decks and stewardship materials.
• Optimize partnerships, ensuring that Mercy Corps uses its limited partnership resources as effectively as possible.

STRATEGY & VISION

• Formulate and implement individual strategies for developing key partnerships and initiatives around Mercy Corps programmatic priorities, mobilizing necessary internal and external resources, and leading processes across teams, to ensure all partnerships are effectively executed and partners’ needs are fully met. Includes significant proposal development work.
• Make significant contributions to the development of evolving multi-year corporate fundraising strategy as part of the broader resource development vision.

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION

• Effectively represent Mercy Corps to external audiences for both fundraising and profile elevation.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders, particularly those in the Program, Finance, Major Gifts and Brand Marketing and Communications teams, to ensure that corporate relationships are successful in meeting Corporate Team and broader RD goals. 

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability 

Reports Directly To: Managing Director, Corporate Partnerships 

Works Directly With: VP of Development; Corporate Team members in the US and Europe; High Impact Philanthropy Team Members; Country Teams; Marketing, Fundraising and Brand teams; Technical Support Unit; Field Finance Managers

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills 

• BA in related field desirable or equivalent experience. 
• 10+ years increasingly responsible work in corporate partnerships, strategic partnerships, partnership/coalition development, private sector sales or corporate responsibility 
• Demonstrated track record of fundraising success with major corporations or building strategic partnerships in a way that maximizes value for donor and recipient and builds profile with external audiences.
• Successful track record in new business development, cause marketing, employee engagement and overall relationship management 
• Strong oral and written communications skills
• Excellent problem solving and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently and to work collaboratively with other teams 
• Understanding of international aid and development preferred 

Success Factors 

The successful Director of Corporate Partnerships will be an outstanding relationship builder, particularly with corporate executives and internal stakeholders across Mercy Corps. They will skillfully apply their entrepreneurial mindset and belief in our mission to focus their time, energy and insights on building best in class partnerships with leading corporations in support of Mercy Corps’ mission and global operations. They will demonstrate creativity and innovative thinking and be highly organized and results-focused. They will represent both the programs and heart of Mercy Corps to external audiences with passion and professionalism. Lastly, they will demonstrate empathy, strong emotional intelligence and ability to collaborate successfully with other teams. 

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is U.S. based, open to remote. Most of the team is based in Portland, OR. This position will also require up to 25% domestic and international travel once it is safe to travel again. 

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. 

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. 

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

 Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.