Director of Strategic Partnerships
About The Position
Share Our Spare is seeking a Director of Strategic Partnerships to work with and report to the Executive Director on programmatic and organizational growth opportunities aligned with the organization’s strategic plans. The Director will deepen relationships with agency partners and improve services that support their growth and success. This role leads the Programs team and oversees program planning, partnerships, evaluation, auxiliary programs, and operational continuity. The position is full-time and permanent, based in Chicago, Illinois, with a hybrid work arrangement and a schedule of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The annual salary is $85,000–$95,000.
Requirements
- At least 5 years of program, partnership, or operations experience.
- At least 3 years of experience leading and developing teams.
- Bachelor’s degree.
- Prior experience working in a nonprofit setting serving an urban community.
- Knowledge of HR administration and compliance.
- Experience building and managing budgets.
- Strong organizational, managerial, and communication skills.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
- Ability to attend meetings and events outside regular work hours.
Nice To Haves
- Master’s degree preferred.
- Operations experience in a distribution, logistics, food bank, or warehouse environment.
- Experience with inventory, CRM, or project management tools such as Odoo, Neon, or Asana.
Responsibilities
- Develop new partnerships and strengthen existing relationships to improve resource allocation, collaboration, and service delivery.
- Oversee agency partner recruitment, onboarding, growth, and ongoing relationship management, including MOUs and partner records.
- Develop short- and long-term program goals and strategies to support implementation and organizational growth.
- Coordinate partner meetings, community events, distribution days, and grant-related activities with internal teams.
- Build and maintain relationships with Early Childhood coalitions, community organizations, and strategic partners.
- Represent the organization in coalition meetings, community initiatives, and external partnerships.
- Lead the development, implementation, and oversight of auxiliary programs, including Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (DPIL), Family Connects Chicago, and Lurie Children's Hospital Safe Sleep Kits.
- Manage program partnerships, communications, reporting requirements, funding projections, procurement, and program deliverables.
- Oversee DPIL strategy, including enrollment growth, community outreach, and funder stewardship.
- Oversee program evaluation, partner feedback, data collection, and analysis to measure effectiveness and identify improvements.
- Collaborate with the Development team on impact reporting, grant deliverables, funder communications, and storytelling.
- Develop and maintain program SOPs, documentation, and reporting processes.
- Partner with the Director of Operations on purchasing, budgets, inventory planning, vendor relationships, partner order fulfillment, and distribution logistics.
- Serve as the designated backup for the Director of Operations, maintaining working knowledge of warehouse operations, procurement, organizational budgets, and HR administration.
- Provide interim operational leadership when needed to ensure continuity of essential organizational functions.
- Lead, supervise, coach, and develop the Programs team, including performance management and professional development.
- Drive program performance, operational excellence, accountability, and alignment with organizational goals.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
