Manager, Strategic Alliances (Corporate Partnerships)

First Book•Washington, DC

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

First Book is a leading nonprofit organization focused on removing barriers to education for children in need through public-private partnerships. The Strategic Alliances Manager will drive high-impact corporate partnerships to expand access to books and educational resources for children. This role involves managing an assigned portfolio of corporate partners, leading campaign execution, tracking engagement, reporting impact, and identifying growth opportunities. The position requires cross-functional collaboration to ensure partnerships align with First Book's mission and operational goals. This role is ideal for a professional with experience in partnerships, fundraising, or account management, looking to deepen their expertise in corporate social responsibility and cause marketing within a mission-driven environment. The Manager will serve as a key contributor to the Strategic Alliances team, stewarding existing relationships, executing campaigns, and identifying new engagement opportunities. The position reports directly to the Sr. Director of Strategic Alliances, Corporate Partnerships.

Requirements

Commitment to First Book’s mission of expanding educational access for children in need.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and operate effectively in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
Ability to collaborate effectively with internal stakeholders and manage competing priorities in a matrixed environment.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data to inform reporting, recommendations, and decision-making.
Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills, including partner-facing correspondence and executive-level reporting.
Strong project management and organizational skills with attention to detail.
Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) in business administration, nonprofit management, marketing, communications, public relations, social impact, or a related field required.
Demonstrated ability to manage and retain corporate partner, client, or donor relationships with a track record of measurable outcomes and identified growth opportunities.
Proven ability to lead partnership campaigns and initiatives across cross-functional teams, including timelines, budgets, and deliverables.
Experience developing partner reports, summaries, or presentations using standardized templates and verified data.
Experience with Salesforce or a comparable Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, with a track record of accurate, timely data entry and pipeline reporting.
Background in corporate partnerships, strategic alliances, account management, fundraising, or cause-marketing environments.
Familiarity with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), philanthropic giving, or cause-marketing trends and how they shape corporate engagement strategy.

Responsibilities

Manage and support relationships with corporate partners who fund and collaborate on programs that expand access to books and educational resources for children in need.
Serve as a primary point of contact for assigned partners, helping execute campaigns, track engagement, report impact, and identify opportunities for continued collaboration.
Work closely with internal teams to ensure partnerships are implemented effectively and aligned with organizational goals.
Retain and grow an assigned corporate partner portfolio, meeting established retention targets.
Identify a defined number of qualified expansion opportunities each quarter.
Lead partnership campaigns end-to-end, ensuring they are on time, within budget, and aligned to documented scopes, with full accountability for cross-functional delivery.
Own partner reporting and pipeline integrity, delivering accurate, data-driven impact reports on deadline.
Maintain Salesforce records within required timeframes.
Coordinate cross-functional deliverables according to agreed timelines and ensure internal stakeholders receive required materials or updates within established service levels.
Produce quarterly summaries highlighting philanthropic, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and cause-marketing trends and identify potential impacts or opportunities for the partner portfolio.
Conduct monthly reviews of partner business developments and document recommendations for renewals, expansions, or engagement adjustments.
Perform other duties as assigned, consistent with the scope and classification of this position.