Associate Director, Corporate Partnerships

About NBTS:

National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) unrelentingly invests in, mobilizes, and unites our community to discover a cure, deliver effective treatments, and advocate for patients and their care partners. NBTS is a leading policy advocacy and research organization as well as a convener of brain tumor research leaders including industry, regulators, funders, clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates. We also provide resources and personalized support to patients and families, and we bring all members of the brain tumor community together each year through our walks, races, community events and Gray Nation Endurance programs. Our results include paradigm-shifting research discoveries, the development of new treatments, increased federal funding for brain tumor research, innovative new clinical trials, and opportunities for entrepreneurship and venture philanthropy to benefit brain tumor research and health care delivery.

While we have seen significant progress in terms of scientific understanding of brain tumor biology, we are unsatisfied with the status quo of today’s treatment options. NBTS is committed to investment in new ideas and research poised to incent the development and realization of treatments that dramatically increase survival and quality of life for patients.

Position Summary:

The Associate Director of Corporate Partnerships reports to the Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Partnerships and CSR and serves in a frontline fundraising role focused on building and growing corporate sponsorships and cause marketing partnerships. This individual will lead identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts for both life sciences and non-life sciences companies, with an emphasis on multi-year growth and strategic alignment.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong sales mindset, exceptional networking abilities, and a proven track record of closing high-impact corporate partnerships. They must be resourceful, entrepreneurial, and comfortable managing a dynamic portfolio while navigating organizational needs. This role requires independent initiative, professionalism, and the ability to collaborate across departments to execute high-value partnerships and deliver tangible results. Prior experience in corporate fundraising, sponsorship sales, business development, or strategic partnerships is essential. Familiarity with the healthcare and life sciences industries—especially in oncology, neuroscience, or brain health—is strongly preferred.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Corporate Partnership Strategy and Revenue Generation:

• Lead the development and execution of national corporate partnership strategies to secure sponsorships, cause marketing campaigns, and mission-aligned collaborations across the life sciences and non-life sciences sectors.
• Achieve personal and departmental revenue goals, annual and long-term, by cultivating a portfolio of corporate partners aligned with NBTS’s strategic priorities.
• Develop and implement multi-year growth plans for key partners and emerging prospects to deepen engagement across multiple initiatives and funding channels.
• Partner with the Associate Director of Foundation and Grant Relations to coordinate on cross-functional opportunities that span corporate charitable giving, sponsorship, and strategic philanthropy.

Lead Generation, Pipeline Development and Prospecting:

• Proactively generate and qualify new corporate partnership leads through industry research, networking, and direct outreach.
• Build and manage a robust Salesforce pipeline of current and prospective sponsors and cause marketing partners, ensuring consistent tracking of outreach, cultivation, and relationship progress.
• Lead targeted outreach efforts to secure new and renewed partnerships supporting flagship campaigns and initiatives such as Brain Tumor Awareness Month, Glioblastoma Awareness Day, Research Round Table, Head to the Hill, MyTumorID, Gray Nation Endurance and Signature Events.
• Coordinate with the Senior Director and leadership to align pipeline development with organizational revenue goals and campaign needs.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Benefit Execution:

• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications, Signature Events, Research, Government Relations, and Community teams to develop tailored sponsorship packages and ensure timely execution of all partnership benefits.
• Serve as lead project manager for national sponsorships and cause marketing relationships, overseeing all phases of partnership development—from pitch to activation and renewal.
• Support the Senior Director and leadership in preparing presentations, proposals, stewardship materials, and external communications.

Cause Marketing and Regional Engagement:

• Lead the expansion of NBTS’s national cause marketing portfolio by designing integrated campaigns that deliver brand value to partners and meaningful impact to the organization.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for national cause marketing partners, overseeing initial outreach, campaign execution, and impact reporting.
• Collaborate with Regional Directors to identify and grow regional and local sponsorship and cause marketing opportunities, offering strategic support to meet shared revenue targets.
• Ensure all regional and national partnerships are executed in alignment with NBTS brand standards and communications and stewardship strategy.

Relationship Management, Stewardship and Reporting:

• Build and maintain long-term relationships with corporate contacts, positioning NBTS as a trusted and high-impact partner.
• Represent NBTS at corporate meetings, partner briefings, industry events, and conferences, modeling professionalism, discretion, and mission fluency.
• Maintain accurate and timely records of partnership activity in Salesforce, including outreach, engagement, deliverables, and communications.
• Provide regular reporting and analysis to the Senior Director and leadership to assess the corporate funding pipeline, monitor progress toward revenue goals, and forecast future performance.
• Continuously evaluate and improve internal systems and tools that support the effectiveness, efficiency, and scalability of corporate partnerships.
• Elevate select corporate partnerships to the Senior Director and senior leadership when senior-level engagement or executive visibility is appropriate to deepen the relationship or advance strategic opportunities.

Other:

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent prior experience required.
• 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit fundraising, corporate partnerships, sponsorship sales, or a related field.
• Experience working in a healthcare-related organization preferred.

Required Skills, Knowledge, & Abilities:

• Proven ability to develop and manage complex corporate relationships, with a focus on sponsorship sales, partnership development, and benefit execution.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; able to build trust, deliver compelling pitches, and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Outgoing, confident, and highly personable; comfortable initiating conversations, networking at events, and representing the organization in exhibit halls, conferences, and corporate settings.
• Self-starter with a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset and a demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Skilled in strategic outreach, lead generation, and moves management with a results-driven approach to achieving revenue targets.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate cross-functionally with internal teams to align goals, activate partnerships, and fulfill sponsor obligations.
• Exercises sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism when dealing with confidential information, high-level partners, and sensitive matters.
• Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to high-quality work and outcomes.
• Team-oriented and adaptable; thrives in a collaborative, mission-driven culture.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and CRM systems (preferably Salesforce); able to manage data, reporting, and pipeline tracking with precision.
• Familiarity with the healthcare and life sciences industries—especially in oncology, neuroscience, or brain health—is preferred.

Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Location: Remote/Telework, work will primarily be performed in a home office environment.
• This role requires a primary work location in the Eastern or Central time zone of the United States. Please note that remote work must be performed in the employee’s state of residence at time of hire.
• Normal hours for this role are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Occasional attendance at NBTS events or meetings may be required on the weekend or outside of normal hours.
• Travel to headquarters and/or meeting locations throughout the US by car and/or plane may be required approximately 10% of the time.
• This role is largely sedentary and requires sitting or standing in a stationary position for extended periods of time. This role frequently involves communicating on the phone and operating a computer for at least 70% of the work day.

NBTS provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.