Strategic Partnerships Specialist

Job Description

Position: Strategic Partnerships Specialist

Reports to: Director of Corporate Partnerships

Location: New York, NY (hybrid)

Status: Full-time, Exempt

Background:

Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold through direct service and advocacy. We work with schools and communities to provide mentoring relationships, safe spaces, and evidence-based programming that are proven to help girls succeed. Girls build the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead change in their lives and effect change in the world. Girls Inc. also works with and for girls to advance legislation and policies that increase opportunities for all girls. Together with partners and supporters, we are building a new generation of leaders. Join us at www.girlsinc.org.

Summary:

The Strategic Partnerships Specialist will pursue new business for Girls Inc. Headquarters across a variety of avenues, including co-branding partnerships with notable consumer brands. This individual will build upon the existing Cause Marketing team to increase and generate significant earned revenue and strategic collaboration with corporate partners. This is a highly visible role, and the ideal candidate will be a relationship builder and storyteller with an interest in corporate philanthropic giving. They will translate Girls Inc.’s vision into compelling funding opportunities for donors within Fortune 500 companies. This role requires a dynamic individual who can think creatively about Girls Inc. brand positioning to implement the Girls Inc. corporate sales strategy from open to close, positioning Girls Inc. to launch new partnerships with long-term potential.

This is a one-year contract position and the role is hybrid, with 3 days remote and 2 days in our New York City office.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the Director of Corporate Partnerships, Chief Development Officer, and other key stakeholders to develop, implement, and drive a new business strategy that meets specified fundraising goals.
• Help assess the organization’s capacity to enhance cause marketing revenue and outline a clear development/fundraising goal to guide efforts.
• Conduct a comprehensive market study to identify and anticipate business opportunities. Prepare SWOT analyses to inform strategic decisions regarding product launches, resource allocation, and brand innovation.
• Evaluate the reach and effectiveness of new leads, partnerships, or campaigns to ensure alignment with fundraising objectives.
• Research and identify new corporate leads with 5- to 6-figure giving capacity. Develop new pathways for funder engagement and uncover sources of prospects whose missions align with those of Girls Inc.
• Engage in ongoing prospecting and cultivation to convert corporate prospects into active funders. Track interactions and onboarding and report on donor interests to foster lasting connections.
• Build and manage a portfolio of new, growth-oriented corporate relationships. Support the donor journey from initial discovery meetings to negotiating mutually beneficial partnership terms and drafting contracts.
• Deliver compelling presentations and collaborate cross-functionally to update pitch materials, ensuring they meet the needs of prospects while clearly communicating the Girls Inc. value proposition and impact potential.
• Execute comprehensive fundraising plans in a fast-paced development environment to meet established goals.
• Research a variety of strategies and sponsorship packages. Conduct a sales strategy through email, phone, and virtual, and in-person meetings.
• Team up with the Director of Corporate Partnerships and Chief Development Officer to develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy aimed at securing 6- to 7-figure gifts from leading consumer brands.

Starting Salary Range: $70,000-$75,000 commensurate with experience

Requirements

Qualifications/Required Skills:

• Possesses current relationships/knowledge of the corporate funding community.
• Comfort with KPIs, sales strategy, cold-calling, prospecting, qualifying leads, and setting up meetings with potential partners.
• A relationship builder who can translate the Girls Inc. mission into compelling funding opportunities for prospects to secure new deals.
• At least 5 years of frontline fundraising success or revenue-generating experience with an emphasis on major gifts in a non-profit setting and/or a revenue-generating role in a corporate setting. May include marketing, social impact, or consumer engagement.
• Bachelor’s Degree, or 4 years of relevant work experience.
• Self-starter, problem-solver with sound judgement, creative thinking, and excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to prioritize, project manage independently and collaborate with team members.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to host virtual donor meetings and compose correspondence and documents.
• Understands stewardship of current funders and new prospects.
• High-energy individual with a passion for the mission of Girls Inc.
• Strong computer skills and comfort with Microsoft Suite. Knowledge of Salesforce or a similar customer relationship management system.
• Ability to travel to up to 2 out-of-state conferences. Ability to work evening hours on occasion.
• Must be able to appreciate, embrace, and advance diversity and have experience working with multicultural populations

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization’s facilities

Girls Inc. Benefits:

• 2-day hybrid work schedule out of our New York office
• Vacation, Sick, & Personal Time + 11 company holidays
• Healthcare, vision, and dental insurance
• Gente Card (HRA benefit) provided by Girls Inc.
• 401(k) available with up to a 5% employer match
• Wellness Stipend
• Fun, friendly office environment
• Professional development opportunities

OUR MISSION

To inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.

OUR VALUES

The Girls Inc. Strategic Plan, Leveraging the Network and the Brand, reaffirmed the values that underlie our work:

• Respect the dignity of each human being.
• Recognize and support the strength in every girl.
• Appreciate, embrace, and advance diversity.
• Drive for results anchored in accountability.
• Operate collaboratively.

Equal Opportunity Employment Opportunity & Non-Discrimination Policy

At Girls Inc., employment is based upon one’s capabilities and qualifications. It is the policy of Girls Inc. to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, citizenship, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, military status and political belief or any other protected characteristic as protected by law. Girls Inc. prohibits and will not tolerate any such discrimination or harassment by supervisors or employees. Girls Inc. will not tolerate harassment of our employees by anyone, including vendors.

The policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and non-discrimination applies to all policies and procedures relating to recruitment, hiring, training, evaluation, promotion, compensation, benefits, transfer, layoff, termination, and all other privileges and conditions of employment.

Employees’ questions or concerns relating to Equal Employment Opportunity, discrimination and harassment should be referred to the Office of People and Culture. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against any employee violating this policy.

As a measure of creating awareness, Girls Inc. will include the statement, ‘Equal Opportunity Employer’ in all advertisements and job postings.

Our Workplace

We believe that in order to be most effective in generating positive and measurable outcomes for the girls we serve, we must always value what makes each of us unique. We must respect and appreciate the multitude of ideas, approaches, and perspectives that result from people of different backgrounds, cultures, lifestyles, and experiences coming together for a common purpose. We must not discriminate against anyone for any reason.

We also believe that our organization should mirror the girls and communities we serve, so our Girls Inc. community of management, staff, and volunteers reflects the girls and young women who participate in our programs.