Strategic Development Manager

Better-Business-Bureau; Burnsville (MN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free parking

Wellness rooms

Professional development opportunities

Flex Fridays (summer)

Job summary

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) in Burnsville, MN is seeking a Strategic Development Manager to lead BBB’s external relations strategy through partnerships, sponsorships, and educational programs. You will cultivate donors, sponsors, and community partners, advancing BBB’s mission and financial sustainability.

You will oversee grants, proposals, event planning, and partnerships, coordinating cross‑functional teams and a growing outreach program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, nonprofit management, or related field.
• Five+ years of progressive experience in partnerships, fundraising, or related areas.
• Proven ability to build diverse stakeholder relationships.
• Experience identifying grants, sponsorships, or partnership opportunities.
• Strong project, program management with budgets and deadlines.
• Ability to develop proposals and partnership agreements.
• Experience with CRM and fundraising databases preferred.

Responsibilities

• Identify and manage grant opportunities, sponsorships, and donor initiatives.
• Cultivate relationships with donors, sponsors, and community partners.
• Develop and secure sponsorship, grant, and partnership proposals.
• Create evaluation tools to assess opportunities and impact.
• Lead strategies for identifying and managing strategic partnerships.
• Represent BBB at events and networking opportunities.
• Coordinate cross‑department efforts to maximize visibility and impact.
• Manage MOUs and partnership agreements; mentor staff and interns.
• Oversee educational programming, workshops, and events.

Skills

Strategic relationships

Fundraising

Grant research

Budget management

Project management

Proposal development

Event management

Communication skills

AI tools

CRM familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Planner

CRM systems

Job description

Description

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is built on clarity, credibility, and trust: values shaped by more than a century of service.

For more than 100 years, local business leaders have come together through BBB to elevate ethical business practices, strengthen consumer trust, and help marketplaces thrive. Working with businesses across North America, BBB provides standards, education, dispute resolution, and credibility tools that support ethical growth, strengthen local economies, and help consumers make confident decisions.

Today, BBB provides marketplace intelligence on more than 6.3 million businesses including more than 380,000 BBB Accredited Businesses.

BBB.org is one of the most trusted sources of business information online, receiving more than 2.4 billion data requests each month from search engines, AI platforms, and consumers seeking reliable information about businesses and marketplace trust.

In 2025 alone, users accessed more than 226 million pages of BBB business insights. The platform maintains a Domain Authority score of 91 out of 100, placing it among the most authoritative and influential websites on the internet.

With unmatched local presence, international coordination, and more than a century of earned credibility, BBB is uniquely positioned to strengthen accountability across the modern marketplace. As trust becomes the defining currency of the digital economy, BBB is helping set the standard for how credibility is built, verified, and sustained in the AI era, and for the century ahead.

When you join the team at Better Business Bureau, you can expect a culture that is future focused, supportive, and highly collaborative. Our employees share in BBB’s vision and are passionate about the work we do. We encourage each other to embody BBB’s mission of building trust, integrity, and ethics. We value innovation, a continual learner mindset, and hard work. We make space for opportunities to recharge and cultivate deeper relationships among colleagues thanks to our Wellness Committee and Fun Patrol initiatives.

Position Summary

We are currently seeking a strategic, relationship-focused, and results-oriented Strategic Development Manager to join our Operations & Events team in our Burnsville, MN office. Reporting to the Vice President of Operations and Consumer Services, this role leads BBB's external relations strategy through strategic partnerships, sponsorships, fundraising, educational programming, and community engagement initiatives that advance BBB's mission and expand organizational impact. The Strategic Development Manager cultivates relationships with stakeholders, donors, sponsors, grant funders, and community partners while developing systems, processes, and programs that strengthen BBB's visibility, influence, and long‑term financial sustainability.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Identify, research, pursue, and manage grant opportunities, sponsorships, donations, and other fundraising initiatives that support BBB and the BBB Institute for Marketplace Ethics
• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with donors, sponsors, funding partners, and community stakeholders to increase organizational support and revenue
• Develop, present, negotiate, and secure sponsorship, grant, partnership, and donor proposals
• Create and maintain evaluation frameworks and decision-making tools to assess sponsorship and partnership opportunities
• Develop and implement comprehensive strategies for identifying, cultivating, tracking, and managing strategic partnerships
• Build relationships with business leaders, nonprofit organizations, government entities, and community stakeholders to expand BBB's reach and impact
• Support regional outreach efforts, advisory councils, business engagement programs, and consumer education initiatives
• Represent BBB at networking events, community meetings, conferences, and stakeholder gatherings
• Collaborate across departments to maximize partnership opportunities, community visibility, and mission impact
• Develop and manage memorandums of understanding and other partnership agreements
• Lead project management for educational programming, workshops, webinars, conferences, and special events
• Coordinate event planning activities including budgets, timelines, venue selection, logistics, sponsor engagement, speakers, volunteers, and community partners
• Identify opportunities to expand educational programming, audience reach, and organizational visibility
• Manage branded materials, event assets, promotional merchandise, and related budgets
• Manage and mentor the Strategic Partnerships & Outreach Program Manager, potential interns, and project contributors; provide coaching, feedback, and support in a collaborative and accountable environment
• Participate in and present at staff and leadership meetings, support cross-functional initiatives and organizational priorities, and perform additional duties as assigned by the Vice President of Operations and Consumer Services

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, communications, nonprofit management, public relations, event management, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted
• Five or more years of progressive experience in partnerships, fundraising, sponsorships, business development, community engagement, event management, or related fields
• Demonstrated success building, cultivating, and maintaining strategic relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Experience identifying and securing grants, sponsorships, donations, or partnership opportunities
• Strong project and program management experience, including managing multiple priorities, deadlines, budgets, and stakeholder expectations
• Experience developing proposals, sponsorship packages, partnership agreements, and other business development materials
• Budget management, financial tracking, and reporting experience
• Exceptional writing, verbal communication, presentation, and relationship‑building skills
• Proven ability to collaborate across teams and work effectively with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders
• Experience utilizing and implementing AI technologies to improve organizational productivity and processes
• Strong customer service, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills
• Self‑motivated, strategic thinker with strong attention to detail and accountability; willing to be hands‑on when necessary while maintaining a big‑picture perspective
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Planner
• Experience with CRM systems, partnership tracking tools, and fundraising databases preferred
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast‑paced environment
• Willingness to participate in occasional evening and weekend events
• Experience in a nonprofit, association, membership‑based, or mission‑driven organization preferred
• Experience developing business or consumer education programming is a plus

Compensation & Benefits:

• Starting salary range:$55,000 - $65,000
• Package includes Health, Dental, FSA, HSA, Vision, Life, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Retirement plan 401(k) with generous Match and other 401(k) Employer Contribution
• Paid time off, holidays, and early‑off paid "Flex Fridays" in summer
• Wellness Rooms with massage chair, weights, walking workstations and more
• Positive and engaging work culture
• Professional development opportunities
• Free parking at Burnsville, MN (near I-35 and Hwy 13) location This is an in‑office Monday‑Friday position; we do not have a hybrid schedule

BBB, Minnesota & North Dakota is an equal opportunity employer. BBB recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting our mission. BBB is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds. BBB provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. BBB, Minnesota & North Dakota cannot support candidates lacking the proper authorization to work in the United States.