Partnerships & Development Associate

About The Engine

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and public benefit organization The Engine supports Tough Tech founders working to solve the worlds most pressing challenges in climate health and advanced systems. We do this through powerful founder programs and resources access to shared infrastructure and labs and by convening a national network of philanthropic corporate and government partners investors universities experts and other organizations committed to helping breakthrough technologies reach the world.

The Engines community includes approximately 160 companies developing science- and engineering-based technologies across areas including energy advanced materials biotechnology manufacturing computing robotics and other advanced systems.

About the Role

The Engine is seeking a Partnerships & Philanthropy Associate for a full-time position providing direct support to the Director of Partnerships and the Director of Philanthropy in prospecting executing and managing strategic partnerships and philanthropic relationships across our Tough Tech ecosystem.

Reporting to the Director of Partnerships and the Director of Philanthropy this role will work closely with philanthropic corporate and ecosystem partners founders and internal teams to translate relationships advancing The Engines impact and mission and creating tangible opportunities for The Engines community of Tough Tech founders and strengthening the ecosystem.

The Associate will work closely with the Directors of Partnerships and Philanthropy to identify and execute philanthropic and industry partnership opportunities steward existing relationships and facilitate connections between founders and industry partners funders and resource providers that help companies develop and scale breakthrough technologies more efficiently.

This is a highly collaborative and execution-oriented role for someone who is interested in managing philanthropic and industry engagements that scale Tough Tech.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage partner engagement and stewardship - Execute partner meetings workshops Ignition Pass programs Innovation Days founder programming and philanthropic stewardship including matching partners with relevant Engine companies managing relationships with foundation corporate and individual funders tracking grant requirements and reporting deadlines and drafting funder updates grant reports and related stewardship materials.

• Run operations and CRM - Track funder and partner commitments deliverables and follow-ups in the CRM and keep records current. Coordinate invoicing and payment follow-up with Finance. Support pipeline and revenue forecasting.

• Conduct research and prospecting - Build prospect profiles and research lists for Directors to review. Research philanthropic organizations companies industries technologies and funders to find partnership opportunities that fit The Engines mission.

• Support and coordinate events - Plan logistics for philanthropic and strategic events. Coordinate vendors and venues manage invite lists and RSVPs and staff events on-site.

• Prepare collateral materials and deliverables - Build company shortlists briefing documents presentations meeting materials partner updates funder reports and follow-up emails.

• Support special projects - Contribute to ecosystem initiatives and other projects as needed.

Qualifications

We recognize that strong candidates may come from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds. The ideal candidate will bring a combination of technical curiosity business judgment relationship-building skills and strong execution.

• 23 years of relevant professional experience in partnerships business development philanthropy nonprofit development program management or a related field.

• Bachelors degree required. An advanced degree in a relevant technical or business field may substitute for up to two years of professional experience.

• Strong interest in philanthropy emerging technologies entrepreneurship commercialization corporate innovation or the startup ecosystem.

• Demonstrated ability to independently manage projects coordinate multiple stakeholders and deliver against commitments and deadlines.

• Ability to quickly understand complex scientific or technical concepts and communicate their commercial relevance to nontechnical audiences.

• Strong interpersonal skills and comfort engaging with founders funders corporate executives technical experts and other external stakeholders.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to prepare professional correspondence presentations and briefing materials.

• Highly organized detail-oriented and able to manage multiple projects relationships and follow-up activities simultaneously.

• Demonstrated initiative sound judgment and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving entrepreneurial environment.

• Strong research analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively across teams.

Preferred Experience

Experience in one or more of the following areas is preferred:

• Philanthropy fundraising grant management or nonprofit development

• Startups accelerators incubators or entrepreneurship programs

• Corporate innovation strategy business development or partnerships

• Technology commercialization or university technology transfer

• Consulting or other analytically rigorous business environments

• Scientific or engineering research

• Climate tech biotech advanced manufacturing robotics computing materials or other Tough Tech sectors

• Event planning program coordination or project management

• CRM platforms and relationship-management tools

$65000 - $80000 a year

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process such as reviewing applications analyzing resumes or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed please contact us.

Required Experience:

IC