Senior Technical Advisor, Partnerships

International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX); Headquarters; On-site; CAD 156,000 - 178,000; Full time

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 connects private-sector engagement to program outcomes, workforce opportunities, and revenue generation.

Working with program teams and strategy, the Partnerships Expert will identify high-value partnerships and cultivate corporate

Qualifications

• Experience developing partnership strategies and value propositions.
• Ability to engage private-sector partners and stakeholders.
• Strong proposal development and fundraising skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple relationships and priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Identify and cultivate high-value private-sector partnerships to support programs.
• Develop tailored engagement strategies and value propositions for partners.
• Coordinate cross-team engagement and manage partner data and outcomes.
• Support proposals, funding opportunities, and strategic collaborations.

Skills

Partnership strategies

Stakeholder engagement

Proposal development

Relationship management

Communication skills

Job description

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.

What You’ll Do

Private-Sector Engagement with Programs

• 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.

Representation and Growth

• 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.

Organizational Approach

• 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.

Skills & Experience

• 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.

Requirements:

• 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.

Salary Range: $109,500 - $125,000

Please note: While we aim to offer competitive compensation, not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range.

What We Offer

At IREX, you’ll work alongside committed, passionate, and collaborative colleagues who are united by a shared mission-making it a truly rewarding place to work. We offer learning, development, and growth opportunities, along with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your overall well-being.

Please note: While we aim to offer competitive compensation, not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range.

Disability Specifications

IREX will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008.

Equal Opportunity Employer

IREX seeks to attract the best-qualified candidates who support IREX’s mission and who respect and promote excellence through diversity. IREX is committed to equal opportunity and follows recruitment and selection practices that comply with all applicable employment laws. To this end, IREX recruits, hires, trains, and promotes individuals based on merit and experience.

We conduct background checks on all successful candidates.

This position is not eligible for Immigration Sponsorship. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.