Partnerships & Research Collaborations Manager (Volunteer)

Description

Partnerships & Research Collaborations Manager (Volunteer)

Partnerships, Grants & External Relations

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Role Type: Volunteer (Senior Partnerships & External Relations Role)

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit serving children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, creative expression, and applied research initiatives. MAP collaborates with universities, researchers, industry partners, and public institutions to advance ethical, mission-driven work with real-world impact.

At MAP, partnerships are long-term alliances rooted in trust, ethics, and shared purpose—not transactional arrangements.

Role Overview

The Partnerships & Research Collaborations Manager (Volunteer) is responsible for building, coordinating, and sustaining strategic alliances that support MAP’s research, innovation, and programmatic goals. This role ensures that academic, industry, and institutional collaborations are mission-aligned, ethically sound, and operationally clear.

The Manager plays a central role in shaping how MAP engages external partners—translating shared goals into clear collaboration frameworks that protect community trust.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and manage university and research partnerships supporting MAP initiatives
• Coordinate industry collaborators across research, technology, and innovation projects
• Serve as the primary relationship coordinator for external research partners
• Ensure all partnerships align with MAP’s mission, values, and ethical standards
• Draft and manage MOUs and collaboration frameworks
• Coordinate with legal, policy, research, and program leadership as needed
• Track partnership commitments, timelines, and deliverables
• Support grant-aligned and research-supported collaboration opportunities
• Flag partnership risks, misalignment, or compliance concerns for leadership

Qualifications

• Experience in partnerships management, external relations, research administration, or collaboration coordination
• Familiarity with academic, nonprofit, or industry partnership models
• Strong organizational and relationship-management skills
• Ability to translate shared goals into clear written agreements
• Comfort navigating ethics, consent, and mission-alignment considerations
• Alignment with MAP’s values of dignity, transparency, and accountability

Preferred Backgrounds

• University research partnerships or sponsored programs
• Nonprofit–industry or academic–industry collaborations
• Experience drafting MOUs or partnership agreements
• Background in research, innovation, public-interest work, or applied science
• Experience in youth-serving or mission-driven organizations

Commitment

• Volunteer leadership role
• Approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6-month commitment preferred
• Remote work with NYC-based collaboration as partnerships require

What You’ll Gain

• Senior-level volunteer leadership experience in partnerships and collaboration strategy
• Direct influence on MAP’s research and innovation ecosystem
• Collaboration with universities, industry partners, and nonprofit leadership
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• The opportunity to help build ethical, sustainable partnerships with real community impact

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist.

Help build partnerships that honor ethics, protect trust, and make innovation sustainable.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.