Senior Manager, Strategic Alliances - Corporate Partnerships

Firstbooks.Com, Inc.; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental insurance

Life insurance and AD&D

Paid vacation and sick leave

12 paid holidays annually

401(k) with employer matching

Parking stipend (DC)

Job summary

First Book is seeking a Senior Manager, Strategic Alliances – Corporate Partnerships in Washington, DC (Hybrid: Tue/Wed onsite). You will manage a portfolio of corporate partners, plan activities, and work with cross‑functional teams to deliver on agreed goals.

The role requires 5–7 years in partnerships, strong planning skills, and experience with CRM systems like Salesforce. Travel up to 40% is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, business or related field.
• 5–7 years in corporate partnerships or related roles.
• Experience managing partner portfolios and renewals.

Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned portfolio of corporate partnerships and drive growth.
• Plan and deliver partnership activities with timelines and budgets.
• Coordinate with multiple teams to execute approved activities.
• Prepare partner deliverables, reports, and presentations.

Skills

5-7 years exp

Portfolio mgmt

Project mgmt

Proposals & reports

Cross-functional work

CRM tools

Nonprofit partnerships

Data confidentiality

Travel 40%

Education

Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, business, nonprofit management, or related field

Tools

Salesforce

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Outlook

Project planning tools

Job description

SENIOR MANAGER, STRATEGIC ALLIANCES – CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS

First Book | Washington, DC (Hybrid: Tuesdays & Wednesdays Onsite)

ABOUT FIRST BOOK:

First Book is a leading nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to removing barriers to quality education for children in need. Through innovative public‑private partnerships and a national network of more than 600,000 educators, program leaders, and community organizations, First Book has distributed over 250 million books and educational resources to under‑resourced communities. Our work spans e-commerce (First Book Marketplace), research and insights (First Book R&I), and tailored program development (First Book Accelerator), all designed to elevate the voices and needs of educators serving children in low‑income communities.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

Reporting to the Senior Director, Strategic Alliances – Corporate Partnerships, the Senior Manager manages an assigned portfolio of corporate partners and helps strengthen and grow those relationships. The role combines partner stewardship with planning, coordination, budget tracking, program delivery, and reporting. It is an individual contributor position with no direct reports or people management responsibilities.

The Senior Manager serves as a primary contact for assigned partners and works with colleagues across First Book to plan and deliver agreed partnership activities. The position contributes to partner strategy, identifies opportunities for growth, anticipates delivery risks, and communicates progress and results. Cross-functional colleagues retain responsibility for their respective functions.

WHAT YOU’LL OWN:

Corporate Partner Relationships:

• Manage an assigned portfolio of corporate partnerships, maintain regular partner communication, and support satisfaction, retention, and growth.
• Research partner priorities and philanthropic trends; identify opportunities that align partner goals with First Book’s mission and capabilities.
• Contribute to renewal plans, proposals, presentations, and partnership marketing materials in collaboration with the Senior Director and relevant teams.

Partnership Planning and Delivery:

• Develop plans for assigned partnership activities, including scopes of work, timelines, budgets, roles, deliverables, and reporting milestones.
• Coordinate with Marketing & Communications, Network Engagement, E-Commerce, Operations, IT, Finance, and other colleagues to deliver agreed activities within approved scope, schedule, and budget.
• Monitor progress, dependencies, and risks; raise bottlenecks and proposed solutions promptly to the Senior Director and relevant colleagues.
• Track program spending and communicate proposed changes to scope, budget, or partner commitments for review and approval under First Book’s established processes.

Reporting and Portfolio Results:

• Prepare accurate partner deliverables, including annual and impact reports, presentations, and updates that communicate activities and results.
• Maintain complete and current partner, opportunity, and program records in Salesforce and appropriate planning tools.
• Track progress against assigned portfolio goals and approved role‑specific OKRs and KPIs; share insights and recommended adjustments with Strategic Alliances leadership.
• Perform additional duties as assigned, consistent with the scope of the role.

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business, nonprofit management, or related field required.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Five to seven years of experience in corporate partnerships, fundraising, account or client management, or partner-funded program management.
• Experience managing an ongoing portfolio of partner or client accounts with responsibility for renewal or retention, including accounts with an annual value greater than $500,000.
• Experience managing concurrent projects with assigned timelines and budgets.
• Experience preparing partner- or client‑facing proposals, reports, and presentations. A writing sample is required during the interview process.
• Experience coordinating projects across multiple departments without direct supervisory authority.
• Experience using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Experience with Salesforce or comparable CRM and project planning tools is preferred.
• Experience in corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, nonprofit, or education‑sector partnerships preferred.
• Experience in handling confidential donor, partner, or financial information. Compliance with First Book's confidentiality and data‑handling policies is a condition of employment.
• Travel up to 40% during peak periods for partner and organizational needs.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

Salary Range: $90,000 annually (non‑negotiable).

All full-time employees are eligible for the following:

• Medical and dental insurance coverage.
• Life insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage.
• Paid vacation and sick leave.
• 12 paid holidays annually.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching contributions.
• Employer‑provided parking stipend (Washington, DC).

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

First Book is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, genetic information, matriculation, political affiliation, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, District of Columbia, or local law.

WORK PRESENCE & EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS

• This position is structured as a hybrid role and requires regular in-office presence at First Book's Washington, DC office on designated days to support collaboration and partnership activities.
• Reasonable accommodation will be considered in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
• Relocation assistance is not provided.