Manager, Marketing Partnerships

Secondharvestmidtn; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is hiring a Manager, Marketing Partnerships to grow and steward cause-related marketing with businesses across Middle and West Tennessee.

You will lead partnership development, manage CRM relationships, and activate campaigns that boost brand visibility and fundraising. The role requires 3+ years in marketing partnerships and a Bachelor's degree in a related field.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field preferred.
• Experience in marketing partnerships or business development (3+ years).
• Strong relationship-building and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Develops, secures, and stewards marketing partnerships to raise awareness and revenue.
• Cultivates partnerships across sectors to expand SHFB's marketing reach.
• Owns CRM partner pipeline and coordinates onboarding with the team.
• Creates campaign collateral and co-branded materials using Canva.
• Tracks performance and revenue impact of CRM initiatives.
• Collaborates with marketing to integrate partnerships into campaigns.

Skills

Relationship-building

Partnership sales

Project management

Strategic marketing

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field

Tools

Canva

CRM systems

Job description

Ready to Make an Impact with Your Career?

When you work for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, you’re doing more than a job. You’re building a career while making a real difference for neighbors in your community. From truck driving to communications, we offer a wide range of opportunities for inspired individuals to help fight hunger in Middle and West Tennessee.

Our core beliefs are a crucial part of who we are as an organization, and they are reflected in our work and our relationships every day. At Second Harvest, we believe:

• that access to food is a human right


• in meeting neighbors where they are, with compassion


• in the power of connection; and that it is our role to connect resources with those who need them

Our Values

We are dedicated to living out these values in everything we do:

We explore and adjust to new conditions, and we have the courage to be versatile, adapting to the needs of our neighbors, partners and peers.

Co-creation

We move beyond collaboration to proactively develop innovative and neighbor-centric initiatives with our community.

Equity

We act with intention to remove barriers, include all voices, and meet people where they are.

We are change agents unafraid to challenge the status quo. We boldly envision and implement new ways to meet needs.

Radical Hospitality

We authentically and intentionally create a culture of care and belonging for all.

Empathy & Compassion

We actively listen and hold space for our neighbors, partners, and one another so everyone can share their unique journeys.

\"This is very different from a normal truck driving job, where you just bump a dock, sign a paper, and never really know what you are hauling. At Second Harvest, it’s totally different. We build relationships with the Partner Agencies we deliver food to. In my experience, it has led to lifelong friendships.\"

\"The actual size and scope of what Second Harvest Food Bank does is initially overwhelming, and I was not prepared for the volume of food moving in and out of our facilities. The number of lives and families touched by what we are able to do, with the support of our community, is staggering and humbling!\"

\"This is very different from a normal truck driving job, where you just bump a dock, sign a paper, and never really know what you are hauling. At Second Harvest, it’s totally different. We build relationships with the Partner Agencies we deliver food to. In my experience, it has led to lifelong friendships.\"

\"The actual size and scope of what Second Harvest Food Bank does is initially overwhelming, and I was not prepared for the volume of food moving in and out of our facilities. The number of lives and families touched by what we are able to do, with the support of our community, is staggering and humbling!\"

\"This is very different from a normal truck driving job, where you just bump a dock, sign a paper, and never really know what you are hauling. At Second Harvest, it’s totally different. We build relationships with the Partner Agencies we deliver food to. In my experience, it has led to lifelong friendships.\"

\"The actual size and scope of what Second Harvest Food Bank does is initially overwhelming, and I was not prepared for the volume of food moving in and out of our facilities. The number of lives and families touched by what we are able to do, with the support of our community, is staggering and humbling!\"

Ranked One of the ‘Top Work Places’ in Tennessee

Working with Second Harvest is both challenging and rewarding. When you join our team, you’ll work with a group of dedicated and diverse individuals bringing equitable access to food and resources to people in need across Middle and West Tennessee.

Second Harvest is honored to have been selected as a Top Work Place in Tennessee by the Tennessean eleven times – a recognition based solely on employee surveys and feedback.

Position:Manager, Marketing Partnerships

Location: Nashville, TN

Job Id:376

# of Openings:0

We are hiring a full-time Manager, Marketing Partnerships to join the External Affairs Department at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

What you’ll do:

Summary:The Manager, Marketing Partnerships is responsible for developing, growing, and stewarding strategic marketing partnerships across Middle and West Tennessee to advance Second Harvest's brand visibility, supporter acquisition, and revenue through cause-related marketing initiatives. This role cultivates and manages relationships with small, medium, and large businesses; secures marketing-forward partnerships; and activates community-based promotions that align with the organization's marketing calendar and fundraising goals.

The Manager, Marketing Partnerships, serves as the primary point of contact for cause-related marketing requests, business engagement opportunities, and co-branded promotional initiatives. The role works within the Marketing & Communications team to integrate partner activations into campaigns, gather field insights and content, and ensure consistent brand representation across partner channels.

This position supports and fosters our deep commitment to diversity and inclusion, which is the foundation for creating a culture of belonging for all personnel.

Key Responsibilities:

MARKETING PARTNERSHIPS & BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS

• Develops, secures, and stewards marketing partnerships that raise awareness, grow audiences, and generate revenue through cause-related marketing efforts.


• Cultivates relationships across business sectors including retail, hospitality, fitness, food & beverage, entertainment, professional services, and local franchises to expand SHFB's marketing reach.


• Builds and maintains a strong partnership pipeline by actively identifying, cultivating, and onboarding new CRM partners each quarter through community outreach, business prospecting, and strategic networking.


• Serves as primary contact for all cause-related marketing inquiries, providing partners with clear guidance, campaign materials, and support.


• Prospects and pitches partnership opportunities that align with marketing strategy, seasonal campaigns, and community visibility goals.


• Creates and maintains partnership agreements, ensuring accurate documentation, deliverables, and follow-through.


• Coordinates with Corporate Team for strategic handoffs when partners demonstrate philanthropic potential beyond CRM scope.


• Designs marketing collateral, partnership one-pagers, and co-branded promotional materials using Canva or similar design platforms to support partner activations and pitches.


• Applies sales best practices—prospecting, needs assessment, and closing techniques to secure and grow marketing partnerships and cause-related marketing agreements.

CAUSE-RELATED MARKETING PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

• Leads the development and execution of SHFB's cause-related marketing plan, including annual goals, partner portfolios, and campaign-specific activations.


• Research local and national marketing trends to identify new partnership opportunities and strengthen CRM strategy.


• Activates partners during priority campaigns including Hunger Free Summer, Power of ONE, Holiday, Spread the Love, Nutrition Month to ensure message alignment and strong visibility.


• Collaborates with Senior Marketing Strategist to integrate partner promotions into campaign calendars, email communications, social media content, and storytelling opportunities.


• Collaborates with the Manager of Media & Communications to identify and coordinate news appearance opportunities that promote cause-related marketing partnerships and elevate partner visibility in earned media coverage.


• Tracks performance of CRM initiatives, maintaining accurate revenue reporting and partner stewardship documentation.


• Supports the Senior Marketing Strategist with the design and implementation of email marketing campaigns for Source for Good Foods, Second Harvest's social enterprise business.

BRAND VISIBILITY & COMMUNITY MARKETING

• Represents Marketing & Communications at select community-facing engagements, ensuring SHFB's brand presence is visible, consistent, and mission-aligned across the service area.


• Ensures SHFB branding is applied accurately across partner promotional materials, point-of-sale displays, digital assets, and co-branded campaigns.


• Identifies geographic or demographic segments where SHFB's marketing presence is underrepresented and develops partnership strategies to expand reach.


• Captures light content from partner engagements including photos, short videos, quotes, and activation details to support campaign, social, and digital needs.


• Shares organized notes, partner information, and content opportunities with the M&C team to support storytelling, content planning, and campaign integration.


• Provides initial partnership summaries or copy drafts when needed, with final content production owned within the M&C content workflow.


• Communicates timely updates to the M&C team to ensure partner activations are reflected appropriately across marketing channels.


• Gathers field insights on community perception, audience behavior, and partner engagement to inform broader marketing strategy.

When & Where:

Occasional duties may be necessary, as well as responding to issues, outside of normal working hours (e.g., disaster response, community events, etc.). Occasional evenings and/or weekends may be required for meetings or special events.

• Essential business/ first responder: In instances of a federal, state or locally declared emergency, Second Harvest is typically considered an essential business service and emergency responder. All employees may be required to perform regular or emergent duties on-site. Employee safety is balanced with business and community necessity. Some positions are more likely to be required on-site than others.

Is this you?

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field preferred.

Experience: 3+ years of experience in marketing partnerships, community engagement, business development, or cause-related marketing; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience with Canva or similar graphic design tools preferred.

Skills & Capabilities:

• Strong relationship-building skills and comfort engaging diverse business partners.


• Proven ability to pitch and secure partnerships, promotions, or co-branded activations.


• Understanding of cause-related marketing, retail promotions, or field marketing.


• Strong written and verbal communication skills.


• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and partner deliverables.


• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.


• Comfortable representing SHFB publicly with professionalism and mission alignment.


• Experience with CRM systems, project management tools, and marketing platforms preferred.


• Passionate about community engagement and the nonprofit sector.


• Project coordination skills with ability to manage workflow processes and schedules.


• Composed, poised and professional demeanor.


• Self-starter approach toward work with an eagerness to consistently meet and exceed objectives and take on more responsibility.


• Proficiency in Canva (or similar design tools) to create marketing collateral, partner one-pagers, social graphics, and campaign materials independently.


• Working knowledge of sales principles and techniques, including prospecting, pipeline management, and closing partnership agreements.

Allowable Substitutions: Combination of education, experience, and/or training that provides the required knowledge and skills for the position may be considered in lieu of education/experience at the organization’s discretion.

Competencies: Coaching/Developing Others, Result Orientation and Execution, Quality Improvement, Project Management

Other requirements: Our pre-hire process requires acceptable results from the following: professional reference feedback, criminal background, Motor Vehicle Record. Current Driver’s License and automobile insurance are also required. Criminal backgrounds are evaluated on a case‑based basis considering several factors (timing, frequency, severity and job relation).

What Second Harvest has to offer:

Work with a purpose: As one of middle Tennessee’s largest nonprofits, our local hunger relief work is uniquely rewarding, hands on and solutions oriented. We are innovative, mission-focused, diverse, collaborative, values-driven and focused on results. A career with Second Harvest ensures that you not only earn a paycheck, but also help your local community through meaningful work. If you are passionate about serving your neighbors in need and is committed to our mission to nourish and empower people, we invite you to join our 120+ person team in the fight against hunger, as we work to achieve our vision of a community where everyone has equitable access to the food and resources they need.

Award winning workplace: we are a best‑in‑class workplace because we are passionate and people focused – we listen, respect, care and challenge each other, so that our neighbors can count on us. Our employees have identified us among The Tennessean’s Top Workplaces based solely on employee surveys and feedback. There is ample opportunity to be engaged, have work-life-balance and grow with Second Harvest.

Compensation & Benefits: Second Harvest is proud to offer rich and affordable total compensation packages. Full-time employment includes 34+ days off, medical (employee-only is 100% employer paid), dental, vision, 403b retirement (up to 3% match, 5% base, length of service vesting), disability insurance (short and long term) and long-term care insurance.

DEIB & Equal Employment Opportunity: Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee provides equal employment to all applicants and employees based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. We do not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status. We believe that inclusion and belonging strengthen our team, drive innovation, and enhance our ability to serve our community.