senior manager, Partnerships

Starbucks; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental benefits

401(k) with employer match

Tuition coverage via Starbucks College

Bean Stock equity program

Paid vacation and holidays

Disability and life insurance

Job summary

Starbucks is seeking a senior manager, Partnerships, to lead identification, development, and execution of breakthrough partnerships. You will negotiate terms, build business cases, and drive activation across culture verticals with senior leadership support.

The role requires deep experience in partnerships and a track record of influencing executives, with a strong focus on brand relevance and customer engagement.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in strategic partnerships, business development, licensing, entertainment marketing, brand collaborations, or related fields.
• Proven track record of sourcing, negotiating, and executing high-impact partnerships with measurable business results.
• Deep understanding of the partnership, licensing, sponsorship, and collaboration landscape across culture-driving industries.
• Strong negotiation skills with experience in structuring complex business agreements and navigating legal frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and drive alignment across highly matrixed organizations.
• Exceptional storytelling, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen with experience building business cases and evaluating ROI.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Develop and shape Starbucks' partnership strategy, identifying opportunities that advance brand, customer, and business objectives.
• Lead partnership negotiations, including business terms, marketing rights, IP usage, financial commitments, and activation frameworks.
• Partner closely with Legal, Finance, Accounting and Sourcing teams to structure and execute partnership agreements.
• Own and manage the end-to-end partnership pipeline, ensuring visibility, prioritization, and governance across senior leadership stakeholders.
• Develop and refine partnership processes, tools, scorecards, and operating models that improve efficiency and decision-making.
• Create scalable frameworks for evaluating partnership performance and long-term value creation.
• Ensure cross-functional alignment across all phases of partnership development and activation.

Skills

Partnership strategy

Negotiation

Relationship building

Business development

Strategic thinking

Storytelling

Financial acumen

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Communications, or related field

MBA or advanced degree preferred

Job description

Now Brewing – senior manager, Partnerships! #ToBeAPartner

From the beginning, Starbucks set out to be a different kind of company. One that not only celebrated coffee and the rich tradition, but that also brought a feeling of connection. We are known for developing extraordinary leaders who share this passion and are guided by their service to others.

We are looking for a culture-obsessed, commercially minded, and highly strategic leader to join our Brand Engagement team as a senior manager of partnerships. This role will lead the identification, development, negotiation, and execution of breakthrough partnerships that drive customer engagement, strengthen brand affinity, and deepen Starbucks' relevance across culture.

The ideal candidate combines strong business acumen, partnership expertise, exceptional relationship-building skills, and a deep understanding of consumer culture. They are equally comfortable building long-term strategic roadmaps, negotiating complex deals, and bringing innovative collaboration concepts to life.

This role will serve as a key architect of Starbucks' partnership strategy, working alongside team leads for sports, music, entertainment, fashion, beauty, and merch to unlock opportunities grounded in customer insights, driving fandom and strengthening brand affinity.

As a senior manager, Partnerships, you will…

Strategy & Business Development

• Develop and shape Starbucks' partnership strategy, identifying opportunities that advance brand, customer, and business objectives.
• Leverage customer insights, cultural trends, and marketplace intelligence to build compelling partnership narratives and business cases.
• Identify, evaluate, and cultivate new partnership opportunities across key culture verticals including sports, music, entertainment, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.
• Establish partnership evaluation frameworks that assess brand strategic alignment, customer impact, financial return, and brand equity.
• Monitor competitive activity, consumer behavior shifts, and industry trends to proactively identify white-space opportunities.
• Build annual and multi-year partnership roadmaps that support Starbucks' cultural relevance and growth ambitions.

Partnership Development & Negotiation

• Source, develop, and maintain a robust pipeline of partnership opportunities and strategic relationships. Serve as a trusted ambassador for Starbucks with external partners, agencies, and key industry stakeholders.
• Lead partnership negotiations, including business terms, marketing rights, intellectual property usage, financial commitments, and marketing activation frameworks. Drive partnership agreements from concept through execution.
• Partner closely with Legal, Finance, Accounting and Sourcing teams to structure and execute partnership agreements.

Partnership Operations & Portfolio Management

• Own and manage the end-to-end partnership pipeline, ensuring visibility, prioritization, and governance across senior leadership stakeholders.
• Develop and refine partnership processes, tools, scorecards, and operating models that improve efficiency and decision-making.
• Create scalable frameworks for evaluating partnership performance and long-term value creation.
• Ensure cross-functional alignment across all phases of partnership development and activation.

Performance & Insights

• Establish KPIs and measurement frameworks to assess partnership effectiveness across brand, customer, and commercial objectives.
• Regularly evaluate partnership performance and identify opportunities for optimization and growth.
• Deliver executive-ready recommendations, business updates, and performance insights to senior leadership.
• Translate data, customer insights, and market trends into actionable strategies that inform future partnership investments.

We’d Love To Hear From People With

• 8+ years of experience in strategic partnerships, business development, licensing, entertainment marketing, brand collaborations, or related fields.
• Proven track record of sourcing, negotiating, and executing high-impact partnerships with measurable business results.
• Deep understanding of the partnership, licensing, sponsorship, and collaboration landscape across culture-driving industries.
• Strong negotiation skills with experience in structuring complex business agreements and navigating legal frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and drive alignment across highly matrixed organizations.
• Exceptional storytelling, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen with experience building business cases and evaluating ROI.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously.
• Ability to thrive in ambiguity, navigate white space, and bring structure to emerging opportunities.
• Deep passion for culture and an understanding of the trends, communities, and experiences shaping consumer behavior.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Communications, or related field required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.

The Ideal Candidate Is

• A connector with a strong external network across brands, agencies, talent, and rights holders.
• Naturally curious about culture and emerging trends.
• A strategic thinker who can connect brand relevance with business outcomes.
• Comfortable influencing executives and representing Starbucks externally.
• Equally skilled in creative ideation and commercial negotiation.

As a Starbucks partner, you (and your family) will have access to medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, and other voluntary insurance benefits. Partners have access to short-term and long-term disability, paid parental leave, family expansion reimbursement, paid vacation from date of hire*, sick time (accrued at 1 hour for every 25 hours worked), eight paid holidays, and two personal days per year. Starbucks also offers eligible partners participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, a discounted company stock program (S.I.P.), Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock), incentivized emergency savings, and financial well‑being tools. Additionally, Starbucks offers 100% upfront tuition coverage for a first‑time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program via the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, student loan management resources, and access to other educational opportunities. You will also have access to backup care and DACA reimbursement. Starbucks will comply with any applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, and in accordance with its plans and policies. This list is subject to change depending on collective bargaining in locations where partners have a certified bargaining representative. For additional information regarding partner perks and more detailed information about benefits, go to starbucksbenefits.com.

• If you are working in CA, CO, IL, LA, ME, MA, NE, ND or RI, you will accrue vacation up to a maximum of 120 hours (190 in CA) for roles below director and 200 hours (316 in CA) for roles at director or above. For roles in other states, you will be granted vacation time starting at 120 hours annually for roles below director and 200 hours annually for roles director and above.

The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate will be based on multiple factors, including but not limited to job‑related knowledge/skills, experience, geographical location, and internal equity. At Starbucks, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the high end of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.

We believe we do our best work when we're together, which is why we're onsite four days a week.

Starbucks Coffee Company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with all federal, state and local ordinances.

Starbucks Coffee Company is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at applicantaccommodation or 1(888) 611-2258.