Senior Technical Advisor, Partnerships

IREX•Washington, DC

About The Position

IREX is a global solutions provider that partners with communities and institutions in the United States and around the world to cultivate leaders, expand access to education, and create economic opportunity. With deep expertise, a forward-looking vision, and world-class practices in AI for Education, Future-Ready Workforce, Higher Education Solutions, Leadership Development, and Online Safety, IREX delivers innovative and proven solutions that help people, institutions, and communities thrive in a rapidly changing world. IREX seeks a Partnerships Senior Technical Advisor to support donor funded programs. Our Culture is Our People: At IREX, our culture is built on our people—and on how we work together to create meaningful impact every day. We look for colleagues who bring purpose, intellectual curiosity, collaborative problem solving, and a results driven, bias for action to help strengthen communities and advance our mission. Successful candidates build trust across differences, move ideas into action, seek new perspectives, embrace change , and represent IREX with authenticity and professionalism. We value people who bring strong expertise and a generous team spirit to work that advances our mission. Job Summary IREX seeks a Partnerships Senior Technical Advisor to strengthen the organization's ability to build, manage, and grow strategic relationships with companies, employers, industry associations, corporate foundations, and other private-sector partners. The role will help connect private-sector engagement to stronger program outcomes, expanded workforce and economic opportunities, organizational growth, and revenue generation. Working primarily with IREX’s program teams and in partnership with strategy and business development, Partnerships Expert will support programs to identify and develop high-value private-sector partnerships while also cultivating a targeted portfolio of strategic corporate relationships with potential funding, fee-for-service, technical collaboration, market access, and partnership opportunities. The role will serve as a connector across teams, helping IREX develop practical partnership approaches, strengthen program design and delivery, coordinate relationship management, and build a stronger organization-wide approach to private-sector engagement. We're looking for our next team member—could it be you?

Requirements

Experience developing partnership strategies, value propositions, and collaborative initiatives that create value for multiple stakeholders.
Understanding of how private-sector engagement can contribute to workforce development, economic opportunity, education, leadership, or social-impact objectives.
Experience identifying and pursuing funding, sponsorship, fee-for-service, partnership, or business-development opportunities.
Strong project management and relationship-management skills, including managing multiple priorities and stakeholders.
Excellent communication, facilitation, presentation, and writing skills.
Experience supporting proposals, strategic initiatives, fundraising, or organizational growth efforts.
Ability to work effectively across technical, programmatic, operational, and business-development teams.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Copilot.
Bachelor's degree.
At least 10 years of progressive professional experience in private-sector engagement, partnership development, business development, corporate social impact, economic growth, workforce development, philanthropy, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience building and managing relationships with companies, business associations, foundations, employers, investors, or other private-sector stakeholders.
You must have unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

Help programs identify where private-sector and employer engagement could strengthen program design, delivery, sustainability, or results.
Support programs to identify, prioritize and connect with potential companies, employers, industry associations, accelerators, and other relevant partners.
Help teams develop clear value propositions, partner roles, commitments, and measures of success, and facilitate introductions where appropriate.
Cultivate and manage a select portfolio of high-priority companies, corporate foundations, business associations, and other private-sector prospects with potential financial or strategic partnership value for IREX.
Develop tailored engagement strategies and value propositions that connect IREX’s capabilities with prospective partners’ business and social-impact priorities.
Help turn promising relationships into concrete opportunities for funding, fee-for-service work, in-kind support, technical collaboration, or other strategic value.
Maintain accurate and current information on the prioritized private-sector pipeline, including relationship ownership, engagement status, and next steps, and support regular review with the Catalyst Hub and relevant program teams.
Develop practical tools and guidance for partner identification, prioritization, outreach, due diligence, partnership design, and management.
Establish and maintain minimum standards for collecting, documenting, and updating partnership data, including partner engagement, commitments, contributions, relationship ownership, and results.
Promote coordinated relationship management by clarifying ownership and helping IREX present a coherent approach to companies that engage with multiple teams or programs.
Identify recurring partnership needs and opportunities across programs and develop shared approaches that reduce duplication and can be reused in future programs and proposals.
Capture and share partnership models, lessons, and evidence to strengthen IREX’s private sector engagement over time.
Ensure that private-sector engagement contributes both to stronger program practice and to IREX’s broader growth, diversification, and revenue-development objectives.