Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships

Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships

Job Description

The Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships serves as the senior relationship and revenue leader for a portfolio of TMCF’s largest, most complex, and highest-potential corporate and institutional partners. The role is accountable for retaining, expanding, and strategically activating major relationships, converting strong partnerships into larger and longer-term commitments, and identifying enterprise-wide opportunities that increase both partner value and TMCF revenue.

This position requires the discipline of a senior strategic account executive and the judgment of an experienced nonprofit fundraiser. The successful candidate understands moves management, corporate decision making, account planning, sponsorship and program activation, executive stewardship, impact reporting, and high-stakes negotiation. The Senior Director also mentors colleagues and helps establish standards for exceptional partner service across the Development team.

Reports To:

Associate Vice President of Development

Responsibilities:

• Lead strategy and revenue performance for a portfolio of TMCF’s most significant corporate, foundation, government, and institutional partners.
• Develop written annual account plans for priority partners that identify decision makers, business and philanthropic priorities, relationship history, renewal strategy, upgrade opportunities, cross-sell opportunities, risks, next moves, and multi-year growth potential.
• Own the full moves-management cycle for assigned relationships, from cultivation and stewardship through renewal, upgrade, solicitation, negotiation, and close.
• Meet or exceed annual portfolio revenue and growth goals through renewals, upgrades, multi-year conversions, expanded program investments, sponsorships, and additional partnership opportunities.
• Build trusted relationships with C-suite executives, corporate foundation leaders, brand and marketing leaders, workforce/talent executives, and other senior decision makers.
• Map partners’ business, workforce, talent, philanthropy, CSR, and relevant ESG priorities to TMCF’s programs and assets, developing partnership concepts that create measurable value for both organizations.
• Identify opportunities to cross-sell and integrate scholarships, workforce/talent programs, research, convenings, employee engagement, sponsorship assets, and other TMCF opportunities across an existing account.
• Lead high-stakes renewal and expansion negotiations for six- and seven-figure relationships while protecting TMCF’s mission, financial interests, gift acceptance standards, and brand.
• Partner with Programs, Marketing and Communications, Events, Finance, Legal, Talent, and other teams to ensure activations and contractual deliverables are executable, on time, and aligned with partner expectations.
• Ensure high-quality account stewardship and activation, including executive engagement, recognition, reporting, impact storytelling, deliverable tracking, and proactive issue resolution.
• Use Salesforce to maintain accurate relationship intelligence, opportunity stages, next actions, revenue projections, renewal dates, forecasts, deliverables, and portfolio performance.
• Use impact data and partner feedback to demonstrate outcomes, strengthen renewals, and identify opportunities for deeper investment; incorporate relevant measures such as student outcomes, employee engagement, brand reach, or other agreed partnership metrics.
• Assess account-level reputational and brand risks and elevate concerns appropriately.
• Partner with New Business Development on structured onboarding of newly secured relationships and assume primary account ownership at the agreed transition point.
• Mentor Directors of Strategic Partnerships and other development colleagues, helping strengthen account strategy, executive engagement, negotiation, and portfolio discipline.
• Other duties as assigned

Position Mandatories:

• Meet or exceed annual portfolio revenue and year-over-year growth targets.
• Sustain strong gross and net revenue retention while increasing the number and value of multi-year agreements.
• Generate measurable upgrades and additional revenue from existing relationships rather than relying solely on renewal.
• Maintain accurate forecasts, timely moves, high-quality stewardship, and successful delivery of partnership commitments.

Required Competencies and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10-12 years of progressively responsible experience in strategic account management, corporate partnerships, enterprise sales, corporate philanthropy, nonprofit fundraising, or a related field; experience across both corporate and nonprofit settings strongly preferred.
• Proven record of retaining, expanding, and negotiating six- and seven-figure corporate or institutional relationships and consistently meeting or exceeding revenue goals.
• Demonstrated success managing complex, multi-stakeholder accounts and developing executive relationships across corporate foundations, business units, workforce/talent, marketing/brand, CSR/community impact, and senior leadership.
• Strong command of moves management, strategic account planning, portfolio management, renewal strategy, cross-selling, and multi-year relationship development.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including sponsorship valuation, partnership budgets, revenue forecasting, contract economics, and the ability to assess return and value for both TMCF and its partners.
• Exceptional executive communication, presentation, storytelling, proposal-development, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to use data and impact reporting to strengthen stewardship, demonstrate value, and support renewal and expansion strategies.
• Strong Salesforce proficiency for portfolio management, forecasting, reporting, opportunity tracking, and relationship intelligence.
• Sound judgment regarding gift acceptance, reputational risk, brand alignment, and ethical partnership considerations.
• Knowledge of corporate philanthropy, workforce development, higher education, HBCUs, PBIs, and HBCCs preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor colleagues and lead effectively across functions without relying on formal authority.

Additional Information:

Compensation

The anticipated compensation range for this position is:

Annual Salary: $92,000 – $100,000 annually

Bonus eligibility: Up to 15% of Annual salary

Actual compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, skills, internal equity, and organizational needs, in accordance with applicable laws.

Benefits Overview

• medical, dental, and vision coverage on a cost-shared basis
• employer-paid short-term disability (STD), long-term disability (LTD), and basic life insurance
• retirement benefits (including a 403(b) plan with employer matching contributions of up to 4% of eligible compensation)
• paid time off
• paid holidays
• professional development opportunities, subject to eligibility and plan terms

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

This position may involve extended computer use, lifting up to 15 pounds, and require evening and weekend work. Participation in and assistance with special TMCF events may necessitate a temporary change in normal working conditions, including a shift in days or hours worked, and/or working in alternative locations (e.g., outdoors).

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Reasonable Accommodations

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations may contact View email address on click.appcast.io.

At-Will Employment Disclaimer

Employment with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund ( TMCF) is at-will. This posting does not constitute a contract of employment or guarantee employment for any specific duration.

This position may be performed remotely. Employment is subject to compliance with applicable state and local employment laws based on the employee’s work location.

In addition to any leave or benefits provided by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund ( TMCF), employees may also be eligible for paid sick leave, paid family leave, or other statutory leave and benefits as required by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Department: Development

Location: Remote

Employment Type: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt

Travel Requirement: Approximately 25%-30%, based on business needs.