Corporate Partnerships Manager

Position purpose

This role focuses on building and nurturing innovative corporate partnerships to ensure sustainable support for our initiatives. By leveraging strategic prospecting, business development, and creative engagement strategies, the manager will help expand our network of corporate supporters, aligning their philanthropic goals with SVA’s vision for social impact.

Specific responsibilities include:

Corporate Partnership Strategy & Business Development

• Collaborate with the Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager and Corporate Partnerships to deliver to
  annual fundraising goals (both personal and team goals) by developing and executing innovative strategies
  for acquiring, managing, and stewarding corporate partnerships. This includes conducting donor research,
  preparing grant submissions, building well aligned proposals, delivering presentations, representing SVA at
  meetings and events with corporate partners, and actively engaging in all aspects of the fundraising cycle
  (research, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship).
• Develop and deliver donor communications such as sales material, cases for support and presentation decks, and use storytelling to effectively communicate the impact of partnerships, showcasing real-world examples of how corporate support drives social change.
• Proactively research and assess new corporate funding models and partnership opportunities that strongly align with SVA.
• Research engagement and networking opportunities across the sector (e.g. chamber memberships, attending events as appropriate).
• Identify emerging trends in corporate giving, CSR, and shared value partnerships to ensure SVA remains at
  the forefront of corporate engagement and innovation.

Account Management & Stewardship

• Manage a portfolio of corporate donors and partners across all aspects of the fundraising cycle (research, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship).
• Implement retention and growth plans for managed corporate relationships to ensure sustained engagement and support for SVA’s initiatives.
• Work with corporate partners and the Head of Engagement to develop tailored corporate engagement and volunteering opportunities, ensuring meaningful and mutually beneficial participation.
• Develop key relationships internally and externally, ensuring that donor engagement plans are executed and contractual or agreed milestones are met.
• Work with program delivery teams to source and develop case studies and impact reports to demonstrate the value and outcomes of corporate partnerships, supporting donor stewardship and business development efforts.
• Measure and report on the impact of corporate partnerships, ensuring accountability and providing meaningful insights to partners and stakeholders.

Events & Engagement

• Develop and deliver engaging events and experiences for SVA corporate partners and donors in collaboration with the appropriate internal teams, including Marketing and Communications and Program teams.

Operations, Culture & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure effective data integrity to align with best fundraising and partnership practices.
• Support the continuous improvement of the Fundraising and Partnerships team’s operations, processes, and equitable and ethical fundraising practices.
• Contribute to team goals and participate in organisational initiatives and activities as required, ensuring a safe and healthy environment for colleagues and stakeholders.
• Participate in and support organisational change initiatives and model SVA values.

Special requirements

• Ability to travel nationally and attend events outside of standard office hours as required.

Person requirements

To effectively perform this position, the person will require the following:

Knowledge

• Recognising that candidates from diverse professional backgrounds can bring valuable skills to fundraising roles, we seek individuals with proven expertise in relationship management and stewardship, demonstrated through experience in fields including fundraising, business development, marketing, or customer relations.
• Comprehensive working knowledge of Microsoft Office (i.e., Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) and Salesforce (or another CRM platform)

Experience

• Successful track record of identifying, securing and stewarding corporate partnerships
• Demonstrated success in developing corporate partnership proposals, grant writing and donor communications (or equivalent).
• Proven experience in cultivating and growing managed partnerships, with a strong emphasis on developing innovative corporate engagement and volunteering initiatives.
• Prior experience managing diverse internal and external stakeholders in a complex environment
• Event management experience
• Demonstrated success in relationship management and revenue generation across various formats, such as complex formal grant processes, pitches at events or meetings, one-on-one engagements, and large-scale events.
• Experience developing and reviewing budgets for proposals that demonstrate a high level of business acumen.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in business, marketing, arts, social sciences and/or equivalent professional experience in a similar environment an advantage

Skills & Abilities

Business Development and Strategic Thinking

• Demonstrated ability in business development and sales, including strategic prospecting, relationship-building, and negotiation.
• Proven ability to build and maintain a robust pipeline of prospective corporate partners aligned to organisational goals.
• Strategic thinking and analytical skills to identify opportunities, assess risks, and make data-informed decisions.

Communication and Stakeholder Engagement

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to persuade, influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience in fostering employee engagement and developing corporate volunteering programs, or transferable skills from similar initiatives across sectors.
• Ability to manage SVA’s organisational objectives alongside partner priorities to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

Project and Partnership Management

• Strong organisational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Ability to think creatively and express complex ideas through tailored communications and events.
• Experience using CRM or similar tools to manage partnerships and support effective communications.

Personal Attributes

• Adaptability and agility to thrive in a dynamic, innovative environment.
• A learning mindset, open to feedback and committed to continuous improvement.
• Highly collaborative and solutions-focused, with the ability to work cross-culturally and form long-term relationships.
• Passion for SVA’s purpose and alignment with its values.
• Commitment to confidentiality in all donor and organisational matters.

Apply here.