Head of Partnership, Michigan Central

Ford, Inc; Detroit (MI); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Immediate medical, dental, vision and

Flexible family care days

Tuition assistance

Employee resource groups

Paid time off for community service

Paid holidays

Vehicle discount program

Job summary

Michigan Central is seeking a Head of Partnership to set strategic direction and lead development of partnerships that advance its charitable and community-impact mission. Reporting to the CEO, the role translates purpose into clear priorities, impact goals, and governance for partnerships across philanthropy, government, education, talent, and industry.

You will align internal teams and external stakeholders, build senior relationships, and ensure accountable progress toward community outcomes

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in strategy, partnerships, philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership.
• Ability to translate strategy into priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Experience managing complex partnerships across sectors (nonprofit, government, education, industry).

Responsibilities

• Lead development and refinement of Michigan Central's strategic plan and impact framework.
• Identify and cultivate partnerships across nonprofit, philanthropic, educational, community, government, industry, corporate, and innovation sectors.
• Align resources and governance for partnerships with clear, measurable progress toward impact goals.
• Engage senior leaders and community stakeholders to build trust and accountability.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Partnership development

Stakeholder engagement

Nonprofit governance

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Advanced degree a plus

Job description

Michigan Central brings together innovation, culture, community, and entrepreneurship to help shape what's next for Detroit and beyond. Its 501(c)(3) impact organization advances this work by building programs and partnerships that deliver meaningful, measurable benefit to the community.

In this position...

Reporting to the CEO, the Head of Partnership sets the organization's strategic direction and leads the development of partnerships that advance its charitable and community-impact mission. The role translates the organization's purpose into clear priorities, impact goals, and partnership strategies; aligns internal teams and external stakeholders; and oversees progress toward intended outcomes.

The role aligns philanthropic and community engagement, partnership and government affairs, education and talent, innovation, and programming around shared strategic priorities - ensuring teams and partners have clear goals, shared measures of impact, and accountability for execution.

What you'll do...

Organizational Strategy and Impact

• Lead the development and ongoing refinement of the Michigan Central's strategic plan, ensuring it is aligned with Michigan Central's goals.
• Develop an impact framework to assess the reach, quality, and outcomes of programs and partnerships.
• Ensure the organization's strategy while maintaining a clear focus on impact for the community, and Michigan Central's community, government, philanthropic, and industry partners.

Partnership Strategy and Development

• Identify potential partners across nonprofit, philanthropic, educational, community, government, industry, corporate, and innovation sectors.
• Build and maintain senior-level relationships with key partners and represent the organization in strategic discussions.
• Oversee the partnership portfolio at a strategic level, identifying opportunities to deepen effective collaborations and addressing partnerships that are not meeting expectations.

Philanthropic and Community Alignment

• Help ensure community perspectives inform strategic planning, partnership development, program development, and impact assessment.
• Support strategies that build trust, expand participation, and create sustained value for Detroit and Michigan residents and communities.
• Partner with relevant leaders to connect philanthropic priorities and available resources with programs and partnerships that advance the organization's charitable mission.

Government, Education, Talent, and Industry Partnerships

• Provide strategic direction for partnerships with government, education, workforce, talent, industry, and innovation organizations.
• Help identify opportunities to align partner resources, expertise, and networks in support of the organization's charitable goals.
• Ensure that partnership commitments are clear, appropriately governed, and supported by realistic measures of progress.

You’ll have...

• Significant leadership experience in strategy, partnerships, philanthropy, community impact, nonprofit leadership, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to shape organizational strategy and translate it into practical priorities, measurable outcomes, and accountable plans.
• Experience developing and managing complex partnerships across multiple sectors, such as nonprofit, philanthropic, education, government, community, or industry.
• Strong understanding of community-centered and impact-focused work, including the importance of listening, trust, collaboration, and accountability.
• Experience working with or alongside 501(c)(3) organizations; familiarity with charitable purpose, nonprofit governance, and tax-exempt organizational considerations.
• Strong relationship-building, facilitation, negotiation, and communication skills, including the ability to engage senior executives and community stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and strategic judgment, including the ability to use evidence and learning to guide decisions.
• Experience working in or with Detroit-area communities is valued.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience; an advanced degree or specialized training is a plus.

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up childcare and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year's Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

This position is a leadership level 4. Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.

This position is hybrid with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week.