Manager, Strategic Partnerships

Philip Morris International U.S. • Stamford, CT

10d • Hybrid

About The Position

At Philip Morris International (PMI), we’ve chosen to do something incredible. We’re totally transforming our business and building our future on one clear purpose – to deliver a smoke-free future. With huge change, comes huge opportunity. So, if you join us, you’ll enjoy the freedom to dream up and deliver better, brighter solutions and the space to move your career forward in endlessly different directions. Our success depends on people who are committed to our purpose and have an appetite for progress. Our beautiful HQ in Stamford, CT is just steps away from the Stamford Metro-North Train Station and easily accessible from NYC. The Manager, Strategic Partnerships is a talent leader who will architect and scale an integrated, national partnership ecosystem to deliver high quality, diverse pipelines across Manufacturing Operations, Sales & Marketing, Technology, and Insights, Data & Analytics (ID&A). This role translates business strategy into programmatic pipelines spanning universities, community & trade schools, veterans’ organizations, alumni and affinity groups. To be successful, this role will orchestrate cross functional execution plans with Talent Acquisition, Employer Brand/Corporate Communications, and business leaders. Success will be measured by accelerating manufacturing hiring capability, sustaining the top of the funnel for the sales and marketing talent, and strengthening corporate reputation through consistent employer brand activation.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s in Business, HR, Marketing, or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 10+ years in Commercial Partnerships, University Relations/Strategic Partnerships, including 5+ years leading multi-channel attraction programs at scale.
• Demonstrated impact building pipelines for Manufacturing Operations and Sales & Marketing in a complex, multi-site environment. Experience working with Technology/ID&A leaders on skills of the future (automation, analytics) is a plus.
• Track record engaging veterans’ ecosystems (e.g., Hiring Our Heroes, Student Veterans of America) and executing compliant outreach/postings for federal contractors.
• Proficiency with ATS/CRM, talent marketing platforms, and analytics dashboards; fluency with LinkedIn and Handshake.
• Strong vendor management, contract negotiation, and budget ownership.
• 30–40% for partner meetings, plant/site activations, campus/veteran events, and conferences.
• Strategic Partnership Building: Designs tiered portfolios, negotiates value, and scales programs across diverse partner types.
• Program & Project Leadership: Ability to plan, activate, measure and monitor projects.
• Manufacturing & Commercial Acumen: Connects capability needs (automation, quality, eComm/Revenue Growth Management) to talent strategies and curricula.
• Recruitment Marketing & EVP: Converts narratives into targeted campaigns; measures funnel performance and brand impact.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Uses insights to optimize sourcing mix, yield, time-to-start/productivity, and ROI; communicates clearly to executives.
• Veterans & Affinity Group Expertise: Navigates veterans networks and affinity ecosystems while ensuring compliant, inclusive practices.
• Stakeholder Influence: Aligns site leaders, sales & marketing executives, TA Center of Expertise, P&C, and Corp Comms; influences without authority.
• People Leadership: Coaches high-performing teams and scales capacity via vendors and contractors.
• Executive Communication: Exceptional written/verbal skills; adept at briefings, negotiations, event speaking, and issue escalation.
• Fluent in English
• Legally authorized to work in the U.S.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s preferred.
• Experience working with Technology/ID&A leaders on skills of the future (automation, analytics) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design and govern a tiered national portfolio of talent pipelines (universities; alumni networks, community & trade schools; veterans’ organizations such as Hiring Our Heroes and Student Veterans of America; professional affinity groups).
• Negotiate sponsorships, co-create programs (internships, co-ops, apprenticeships, military connected cohorts), and secure executive sponsors for priority partners.
• Build a start/stop/scale review rhythm tied to pipeline sufficiency, quality, diversity, and ROI.
• Translate workforce plans into functions specific funnel blueprints with a mix of intern, new grad, and early professional hiring across Manufacturing Ops, Sales & Marketing, Technology, and ID&A.
• Cultivate relationships with specific colleges to influence curriculum and skills building aligned with PMI U.S. needs in certain markets e.g., increasing manufacturing capabilities.
• Run end-to-end cycles: annual calendar, staffing plans, playbooks, event kits, and success checklists.
• Co-lead targeted campaigns with Corporate Communications: content strategy, asset toolkits, ambassador enablement, and performance analytics across LinkedIn, Handshake, and other partner channels.
• Continuously improve early careers web destinations and recruiter/ambassador toolkits, champion inclusive storytelling and accessible experiences.
• Operationalize programmatic pipelines with Hiring Our Heroes, Student Veterans of America, and adjacent partners (e.g., RecruitMilitary, state workforce boards), aligned to Sales, Operations, Tech, and Analytics tracks.
• Ensure outreach and postings meet EEO/AA and federal contractor requirements and advance diversity representation.
• Codify a high-quality, inclusive candidate journey from attraction through onboarding; equip recruiters and hiring managers with training, playbooks, and evaluation rubrics.
• Drive executive visibility and engagement at key moments; coordinate brand ambassadors and site tours to showcase product quality, safety, and innovation.
• Lead a small, high performing team (partnership managers, campus/veterans program leads, recruitment marketers); set OKRs, coach performance, and flex capacity via vendors/contractors.
• Own budget, contracts, and performance for job boards, events, and technology platforms.
• Align with Talent Acquisition and People & Culture on standards, analytics, and reporting; ensure compliance with EEO/AA, data privacy, brand guidelines, and internal controls.

Benefits

• We offer a competitive base salary, annual bonus (applicable based on level of position), great medical, dental and vision coverage, 401k with a generous company match, incredible wellness benefits, commuter benefits, pet insurance, generous PTO, and much more!
• We have implemented Smart Work, a hybrid model of working that promotes flexibility in the workplace.
• Seize the freedom to define your future and ours. We’ll empower you to take risks, experiment and explore.
• Be part of an inclusive, diverse culture where everyone’s contribution is respected; Collaborate with some of the world’s best people and feel like you belong.
• Pursue your ambitions and develop your skills with a global business – our staggering size and scale provides endless opportunities to progress.
• Take pride in delivering our promise to society: To improve the lives of millions of smokers.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager