In-Country Partnerships Lead

About FIRST Global

FIRST Global is a U.S. based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that unites the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics leaders through international robotics competitions and year-round STEM education initiatives. With participation from almost every country in the world, FIRST Global works to ensure that every young person, regardless of geography or circumstance, has access to the tools, mentorship, and opportunities needed to solve the challenges facing their communities and our shared future.

Role Overview

FIRST Global is seeking an energetic, relationship-driven, and highly self-motivated In-Country Partnerships Lead to help identify, cultivate, and support the institutional partners who can build and sustain national robotics and STEM ecosystems around the world.

This role is ideal for a professional who thrives at the intersection of partnerships, education, international development, and youth empowerment. The successful candidate will be responsible for finding the right local institutions in priority countries, helping them understand the FIRST Global mission, and supporting them as they build strong national programs that can engage students, mentors, educators, governments, universities, industry partners, and community leaders.

This role requires someone who is entrepreneurial, persistent, culturally aware, and excited by the challenge of turning global vision into local action.

Key Responsibilities

Identify and Cultivate Institutional Partners

• Research, identify, and prioritize high-potential in-country partners, including universities, NGOs, STEM organizations, foundations, ministries, innovation hubs, and private-sector institutions.
• Build strong relationships with prospective partners and assess their capacity, credibility, mission alignment, and ability to support long-term national ecosystem development.
• Develop clear partner profiles, country strategies, and engagement plans to help FIRST Global expand its reach and deepen its impact.

Support National Ecosystem Development

• Work closely with in-country partners to help them establish, strengthen, and scale national robotics and STEM programs.
• Support partners in building local networks of schools, mentors, sponsors, technical experts, government stakeholders, and youth-serving organizations.
• Help partners move beyond one-time participation toward sustainable national programs that create year-round opportunities for students.

Relationship Management and Partner Success

• Serve as a trusted point of contact for in-country partners, providing guidance, encouragement, accountability, and practical support.
• Help partners navigate FIRST Global expectations, timelines, program requirements, and opportunities.
• Monitor partner progress, identify challenges early, and work collaboratively to solve problems.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Collaborate with FIRST Global’s program, operations, communications, development, and leadership teams to ensure partners have the information and resources they need.
• Capture insights from the field to inform country strategy, partnership models, sponsor engagement, and program design.
• Represent FIRST Global with professionalism, warmth, and enthusiasm in partner meetings, events, conferences, and international forums.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a builder. They are energized by people, comfortable with ambiguity, and motivated by the opportunity to help countries create lasting STEM education infrastructure for young people.

They are both strategic and hands-on: able to assess a national partner landscape, build a relationship with a minister or university president, follow up with a local program lead, and help troubleshoot execution details when needed.

They should bring strong judgment, persistence, cultural sensitivity, and a deep belief in the power of young people to solve global problems.

Qualifications

• Mid-career professional with meaningful experience in partnerships, international programs, education, nonprofit growth, government relations, business development, philanthropy, or ecosystem-building.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with institutions, senior leaders, and diverse stakeholders across cultures.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain a mission, make a compelling case, and move people to action.
• Highly self-motivated, organized, and comfortable working independently in a fast-moving, global environment.
• Ability to manage multiple countries, partners, deadlines, and priorities at once.
• Strong research, outreach, follow-up, and relationship management skills.
• Experience with STEM education, robotics, youth development, international development, or global nonprofit work is strongly preferred.
• Comfort working across time zones and with partners from a wide range of cultural, economic, and institutional contexts.
• Willingness to travel internationally as needed.

Key Attributes

• High energy and entrepreneurial drive.
• Warm, credible, and relationship-oriented.
• Persistent without being transactional.
• Strategic thinker with strong execution instincts.
• Comfortable building something new.
• Mission-driven and deeply committed to expanding opportunity for young people.
• Culturally aware, diplomatic, and globally minded.
• Able to inspire confidence in partners, sponsors, educators, and government stakeholders.

Success in This Role Looks Like

• FIRST Global has identified and engaged strong institutional partners in priority countries.
• In-country partners are not only participating in FIRST Global programs, but actively building national ecosystems around robotics, STEM, mentorship, and innovation.
• Partners feel supported, connected, and motivated.
• Country-level programs become more sustainable, better networked, and better positioned for long-term growth.
• FIRST Global has stronger insight into what each country needs to grow participation and impact.

Why This Role Matters

FIRST Global’s mission depends on more than hosting a world-class international competition. It depends on building the local foundations that allow young people everywhere to access STEM education, mentorship, teamwork, and global connection.

The In-Country Partnerships Lead will play a critical role in turning global inspiration into national capacity, helping countries build the institutions, relationships, and ecosystems that give students the opportunity to become problem-solvers for their communities and the world.

Position comes with a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, a 401k plan with employer match, and generous paid vacation and sick time.

English native or bilingual proficiency is required.

Proficiency in Spanish, French, and/or Arabic is a plus.