Senior Partnerships Officer in Birmingham

The Opportunity

As a key team member within our Partnerships and Income Development team, you will play a vital role in supporting the management and growth of our corporate partnerships, with a focus on partnerships that enable and enhance our Aspiring Professionals Programme.

• Account Management: Ownership and management of the direction, growth and success of key strategic partnerships with Freshfields and Linklaters, providing excellent stewardship and effective communications to ensure long-term and mutually beneficial relationships. Manage, renew and develop a select portfolio of smaller existing partnerships in the legal sector, identifying new opportunities to deliver greater impact and income growth. Support internal account management structure across corporate programme partnerships, ensuring relationship management and programme delivery is delivered to a high standard, processes are consistently upheld, and partnerships are renewed where required.
• Stewardship and Reporting: Track deadlines, deliverables and reporting requirements for own portfolio of corporate partnerships. Create reports, updates and support with the creation of case studies to demonstrate the value and impact of partnerships. Find creative ways to share updates and engage partners with our mission and work. Work closely with the Head of Partnerships & Income Development, Partnerships Manager and finance team to build budgets, track secured income accurately, report on risk and opportunities, and ensure that income is banked.
• New Business and Partnership Development: Work closely with the Programme Delivery team to understand programme needs and gaps in provision, in order to improve the quality, depth and breadth of programme partnerships. Use your expertise and creativity to design and shape strategic programme partnerships that align partner objectives with student and programme outcomes. Write, build and create compelling and innovative partnership proposals, budgets and presentations to secure new business and develop existing partnerships. Deliver a smooth onboarding process for transitioning new partners into account management structure.
• Line Management: Outline outcomes to be achieved, considering individual skills, capabilities, and workload to ensure a balanced distribution of work. Review work outputs, monitor and quality assure work. Identify training and development needs; employ a coaching approach, and clarify opportunities for skill enhancement and career growth.

Person Specification: We need someone who will demonstrate our organisational skills-based competencies - as listed below:

• Leadership
• Communication
• Adaptability
• Professionalism
• Decision-making

Technical knowledge, understanding and experience required:

• Demonstrable experience of working in a partnership role in a charity or similar non-profit organisation.
• Demonstrable experience of building, maintaining and developing outstanding and mutually beneficial corporate partnerships.
• Knowledge of programme design and planning with corporate partners, including setting and managing complex budgets.
• Understanding of good practice in fundraising including data protection and partner stewardship.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Excel.
• A basic level of understanding of Salesforce CRM.

Ways of working: Most of our work is office based, but you will spend a lot of time collaborating with other teams and clients via email, telephone and other communications channels such as Teams or Zoom. Some travel will be required as part of this role to other offices and locations, as needed for events, work placements and meetings.

Benefits: 36/37 days' annual leave (England & Wales and Scotland respectively - includes bank and public holidays), with 3 of these days reserved for the annual end of year office closure. Cycle to Work scheme. 5% Salary sacrifice pension scheme with enhanced matching employer contributions. Employee Assistance Programme available to staff and their family. Flexible work options such as hybrid working, flexitime, part-time. Regular staff team building and business planning “away days.”

How to Apply: If you are interested in applying for this role, please head over to our website by 23:59, Sunday 22nd February and answer the following questions:

• Why would you like to work at the Social Mobility Foundation? (250 words max.)
• What makes you a suitable candidate for this role, including specific examples from your experience and skills? (500 words max.)
• Tell us about a time when you managed an important relationship with a corporate partner, client or external stakeholder. What was your role in maintaining the relationship, and what did you learn about effective account management from the experience? (500 words max.)