Strategic Development Manager

Better Business Bureau of Minnesota, Inc • Burnsville, MN

1h • $55,000 - $65,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a trusted organization with over a century of service, focused on clarity, credibility, and trust. BBB works with businesses across North America to promote ethical practices, strengthen consumer trust, and help marketplaces thrive by providing standards, education, dispute resolution, and credibility tools. BBB.org is a highly authoritative online source of business information, receiving billions of data requests monthly. BBB is uniquely positioned to enhance accountability in the modern marketplace, setting standards for credibility in the AI era. The organization fosters a future-focused, supportive, and collaborative culture where employees are passionate about the mission and encouraged to embody trust, integrity, and ethics. They value innovation, a continual learner mindset, and hard work, with initiatives like the Wellness Committee and Fun Patrol to support employee well-being and relationships.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, communications, nonprofit management, public relations, event management, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted
• Five or more years of progressive experience in partnerships, fundraising, sponsorships, business development, community engagement, event management, or related fields
• Demonstrated success building, cultivating, and maintaining strategic relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Experience identifying and securing grants, sponsorships, donations, or partnership opportunities
• Strong project and program management experience, including managing multiple priorities, deadlines, budgets, and stakeholder expectations
• Experience developing proposals, sponsorship packages, partnership agreements, and other business development materials
• Budget management, financial tracking, and reporting experience
• Exceptional writing, verbal communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills
• Proven ability to collaborate across teams and work effectively with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders
• Experience utilizing and implementing AI technologies to improve organizational productivity and processes
• Strong customer service, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills
• Self-motivated, strategic thinker with strong attention to detail and accountability; willing to be hands-on when necessary while maintaining a big-picture perspective
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Planner
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment
• Willingness to participate in occasional evening and weekend events

Nice To Haves

• Experience with CRM systems, partnership tracking tools, and fundraising databases preferred
• Experience in a nonprofit, association, membership-based, or mission-driven organization preferred
• Experience developing business or consumer education programming is a plus

Responsibilities

• Identify, research, pursue, and manage grant opportunities, sponsorships, donations, and other fundraising initiatives that support BBB and the BBB Institute for Marketplace Ethics
• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with donors, sponsors, funding partners, and community stakeholders to increase organizational support and revenue
• Develop, present, negotiate, and secure sponsorship, grant, partnership, and donor proposals
• Create and maintain evaluation frameworks and decision-making tools to assess sponsorship and partnership opportunities
• Develop and implement comprehensive strategies for identifying, cultivating, tracking, and managing strategic partnerships
• Build relationships with business leaders, nonprofit organizations, government entities, and community stakeholders to expand BBB's reach and impact
• Support regional outreach efforts, advisory councils, business engagement programs, and consumer education initiatives
• Represent BBB at networking events, community meetings, conferences, and stakeholder gatherings
• Collaborate across departments to maximize partnership opportunities, community visibility, and mission impact
• Develop and manage memorandums of understanding and other partnership agreements
• Lead project management for educational programming, workshops, webinars, conferences, and special events
• Coordinate event planning activities including budgets, timelines, venue selection, logistics, sponsor engagement, speakers, volunteers, and community partners
• Identify opportunities to expand educational programming, audience reach, and organizational visibility
• Manage branded materials, event assets, promotional merchandise, and related budgets
• Manage and mentor the Strategic Partnerships & Outreach Program Manager, potential interns, and project contributors; provide coaching, feedback, and support in a collaborative and accountable environment
• Participate in and present at staff and leadership meetings, support cross-functional initiatives and organizational priorities, and perform additional duties as assigned by the Vice President of Operations and Consumer Services

Benefits

• Health, Dental, FSA, HSA, Vision, Life, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Retirement plan 401(k) with generous Match and other 401(k) Employer Contribution
• Paid time off, holidays, and early-off paid "Flex Fridays" in summer
• Wellness Rooms with massage chair, weights, walking workstations and more
• Positive and engaging work culture
• Professional development opportunities
• Free parking at Burnsville, MN (near I-35 and Hwy 13) location

What This Job Offers

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