Partnerships Manager

Forward Institute; City Of London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

An influential UK organization is seeking a Partnerships Manager to cultivate impactful collaborations. The ideal candidate has 2-3 years of experience in partnership management, strong communication skills, and a knack for building key stakeholder relationships. This role requires proactive project management of partnerships and the ability to synthesize complex ideas into clear narratives. Benefits include health insurance and a generous training budget.

Benefits

Health insurance

Flexible working arrangements

Generous training and development budget

Qualifications

• 2–3 years of partnership management or client relations experience.
• Proven track record of building enduring relationships with stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills to adapt ideas to different audiences.

Responsibilities

• Act as primary contact for 15–25 partner organizations.
• Deepen relationships with key decision-makers.
• Maintain CRM data to inform partnership strategies.

Skills

Partnership management

Client relations

Account management

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Proactivity

Tools

CRM tools

AI tools

Job description

About the Role

We’re looking for a Partnerships Manager to build bold, trusted relationships and high‑impact collaborations across business, government and society, advancing our mission to shape a better future through responsible leadership. You will be the primary point of contact for a portfolio of 15‑25 partner organisations – from FTSE 100 firms and government departments to charities and social enterprises. Your role is to understand partners’ context, spot growth opportunities and help them maximise their partnership with the Forward Institute.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the trusted primary contact for 15‑25 partner organisations, overseeing all day‑to‑day touchpoints.
• Deepen relationships with key decision‑makers, identifying opportunities to expand and deepen partnerships (including securing renewals and sales).
• Maintain CRM data, insight, and reporting from across the team to inform partnership strategies and sales planning.
• Support new business conversations and proposals, building narratives that connect partner need with our purpose.
• Project manage partnership delivery, helping to coordinate leadership off‑sites and events with the wider FI team.
• Monitor sector and market trends, feeding insights into our offering and programmes.
• Represent the Forward Institute at events – championing our mission and community.
• Coordinate with operations and finance on contracting, procurement, compliance and reporting.

Qualifications & Experience

• 2–3 years of partnership management, client relations or account management experience.
• Proven track record of building enduring relationships with key stakeholders.
• Curious and insightful; able to spot and develop opportunities for commercial growth and impact.
• Organised and proactive; able to juggle competing priorities, follow through on detail and keep systems running smoothly.
• Experience with, or openness to, using CRMs and AI tools to work smarter, faster and with greater precision.
• Excellent communication skills, able to turn complex ideas into compelling narratives and adapt them to different audiences.
• Bias for action and ability to find creative routes through challenges.
• Right to work in the UK.

Personal Attributes

• Enthusiastic about working with some of the UK’s most influential organisations across business, government and civil society.
• Thrives on meaningful conversations with senior leaders and loves seeing ideas turn into impact.
• Curious mind and values learning from others’ perspectives.
• Enjoys a dynamic, collaborative environment where initiative is valued.
• Appreciates autonomy but also loves being part of a small, ambitious team building something big together.
• Happy to travel occasionally to partner sites, events or convenings.

Interview Process

First‑round interviews will begin 3 November. Second‑round interviews will take place the week of 24 November.

Benefits

We provide health insurance, working‑from‑home arrangements, a generous training and development budget, an abundance of library books, our people’s pension scheme and more.