Senior Director, Strategic Alliances

First Book • Washington, DC

26d • $100,000 - $125,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

First Book is a leading organization in philanthropic and public-private partnerships, dedicated to removing barriers to education for children in need. The Senior Director, Strategic Alliances, provides senior leadership for the strategy, management, and growth of First Book’s corporate partnerships portfolio, including complex, multi-year, high-value relationships across a wide range of industries.
The Senior Director, Strategic Alliances, plays a key role in setting partnership strategy, leading and developing a high-performing team, and securing and stewarding corporate funding to advance First Book’s mission. Core responsibilities include developing a partnership strategy, managing relationships, driving revenue, overseeing programs, coordinating cross-functionally, budgeting, performance management, and partnership marketing.
Successful candidates will bring extensive experience in cause marketing, corporate partnership development, fundraising, and/or private-sector consulting, along with demonstrated people leadership, strong business writing and presentation skills, sound judgment, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
This role collaborates closely with colleagues across the Strategic Alliances team and works cross-functionally with departments throughout the organization to ensure corporate partnerships align with organizational needs and priorities.

Requirements

• Extensive professional experience (typically 10+ years) in corporate partnership development, fundraising, account management, consulting, or related client-facing roles, with increasing responsibility for partnership strategy, revenue support, and organizational impact.
• Demonstrated success managing, stewarding, and growing large-scale corporate partnerships or comparable initiatives, including responsibility for portfolio strategy, renewal, and long-term partner value.
• Proven leadership experience, including supervising, coaching, and developing teams; setting priorities; providing performance feedback; and supporting team effectiveness in collaborative, mission-driven environments.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute partnership strategies aligned with organizational goals, donor priorities, and social impact objectives, while working across departments and managing competing priorities.
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills, including experience preparing proposals, pitches, reports, and executive-level materials for internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience leading or overseeing cross-functional initiatives or programs, with accountability for timelines, deliverables, and budget considerations, and the ability to identify and escalate risks appropriately.
• Proficiency using Salesforce or comparable CRM systems to manage partner pipelines, track engagement activity, support reporting, and maintain accurate records; working knowledge of Microsoft Office tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Ability to analyze trends in corporate philanthropy, corporate social responsibility (CSR), ESG, and cause marketing, and translate insights into practical recommendations that support partnership growth and innovation.
• Strong organizational, planning, and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, and adapt to changing business needs.
• Demonstrated professionalism, sound judgment, and commitment to maintaining confidentiality when handling sensitive information and partner relationships.
• Willingness and ability to travel periodically (up to approximately 40%) in support of partnership development and activation, with reasonable accommodation available.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree (MBA or MA) in a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior leadership for the strategy, stewardship, renewal, and growth of First Book’s corporate partnerships portfolio, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, financial objectives, and mission impact.
• Collaborate with Strategic Alliances leadership and cross-functional teams to support departmental vision, planning, staffing, professional development, and performance management, using key performance indicators (KPIs) and results frameworks to evaluate effectiveness and progress.
• Lead, coach, and support a team responsible for managing complex corporate partnerships, setting clear expectations, fostering accountability, and supporting sustainable team performance.
• Develop, present, and advance corporate partnership concepts, proposals, and pitch materials for institutional partners, including multinational corporations and Fortune 500 companies, in support of partnership growth and revenue objectives.
• Oversee the renewal and expansion of existing corporate partnerships by identifying opportunities for growth, negotiating scope and deliverables, and ensuring partnership activity is accurately documented in Salesforce or comparable CRM systems.
• Guide the design, implementation, and oversight of large-scale cause-marketing and corporate-funded programs, ensuring delivery within approved budgets, timelines, and documented scopes of work.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to develop, monitor, and refine partnership performance metrics, portfolio health indicators, and operational dashboards used to inform decision-making and resource allocation.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and complete records of partner engagement, pipeline activity, financial projections, and impact outcomes using CRM and reporting tools.
• Lead the preparation of data-driven partner impact reports, executive summaries, and internal updates using standardized templates and validated data sources.
• Coordinate cross-functional deliverables across departments to ensure partnership commitments are met, proactively identifying risks, dependencies, and opportunities and escalating as appropriate.
• Monitor and assess trends in corporate philanthropy, corporate social responsibility (CSR), ESG, and cause marketing, translating insights into actionable recommendations that inform partnership strategy and innovation.
• Represent First Book professionally in external meetings, presentations, and partner engagements, exercising sound judgment, discretion, and alignment with organizational values.
• Perform additional duties as assigned, consistent with business needs and the scope of the role.

Benefits

• Eligibility for medical and dental insurance coverage, in accordance with plan terms.
• Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage, subject to plan provisions.
• Paid vacation leave, accrued in accordance with organizational policy.
• Paid sick leave, provided in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
• Up to twelve (12) paid holidays annually, subject to organizational schedule and business needs.
• Eligibility to participate in the organization’s 401(k) retirement plan, including employer matching contributions, in accordance with plan documents.
• Eligibility for an employer-provided parking stipend, subject to program guidelines and business needs.

What This Job Offers

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