Job Description
Position: Director, Community Partnerships
Reports To: Vice President, Community Partnerships
Location: Remote position located in the US
Soles4Souls Mission: Soles4Souls turns shoes and clothing into educational and economic opportunities.
Our CORE values: Transparency, Entrepreneurial, Accountable, Meaningful – represent who we are!
Summary: The Director, Community Partnerships, owns the performance and growth of the organization’s community partnerships portfolio. This role owns the full partnership lifecycle through identifying, cultivating, and securing new community partners to support the organization’s mission.
The Director operates with significant autonomy, sets portfolio direction, and ensures community partnerships align with organizational priorities and long-term goals.
Reporting to the Vice President, Community Partnerships, the Director brings deep expertise in community partnerships, a strong network of nonprofit, public-sector, and mission-aligned leaders, and a collaborative approach that advances Soles4Souls’ mission through high-impact partnerships. This role plays a critical part in positioning Soles4Souls as a leading social impact organization for communities pursuing equitable, circular solutions that create economic opportunity and reduce waste. Approximately 30% of travel is required.
Primary Responsibilities:
Prospecting & Acquisition Leadership
• Identify and research potential community partners aligned with organizational priorities.
• Develop and execute outreach strategies to engage new donors, sponsors, and partnership prospects.
• Secure commitments through compelling presentations, proposals, and value aligned partnership discussions.
Engagement & Retention Strategy
• Build rapport with diverse stakeholders to cultivate trust and long-term engagement.
• Understand partner needs and align them with organizational goals and impact opportunities.
• Maintain strong follow up and ongoing communications to steward new partners effectively.
• Establish stewardship and renewal frameworks that drive retention, expansion, and long-term engagement
• Set expectations for partner experience, recognition, and value delivery
Strategic Execution
• Collaborate with internal teams to activate partnerships and ensure deliverables are met.
• Track progress toward acquisition and fundraising targets, providing regular updates and reporting.
• Contribute to partnership strategy development and refinement based on market insights and experience.
Stewardship & Relationship Management
• Build stewardship plans that encourage renewal and ongoing product/channel support.
• Surface feedback and insights to strengthen program quality and partner experience.
Skills and Capabilities:
• Proactivity: Actively seeks new opportunities and connections.
• Networking Skills: Builds genuine relationships across a wide range of audiences.
• Creativity: Develops innovative approaches to outreach and engagement.
• Resilience: Handles rejection and maintain momentum.
• Research Ability: Identifies strong prospects through diligent research and analysis.
• Persuasiveness: Articulates organizational value and secures commitments.
• Empathy: Understands partner motivations and adapts accordingly.
• Confidence: Delivers pitches and navigates negotiations with professionalism.
• Relationship Building: Cultivates trust to close deals and foster ongoing engagement.
• Communication: Clearly communicates expectations, benefits, and next steps.
• Goal Oriented Mindset: Motivated by achieving defined fundraising and acquisition targets.
Qualifications:
• 3–5 years of experience in business development, community partnerships, fundraising, or sponsorship acquisition
• Experience working in nonprofit or community engagement environments with a focus on civic groups and education relationships
• Demonstrated success in securing donors, sponsors, or community partnerships
• Experience preparing proposals, pitches, and partnership stewardship plans.
• Bachelor’s degree in related fields such as Business, Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, or
• A post secondary diploma or degree in nonprofit or fundraising management is considered an asset.
• Additional training or certification in fundraising (e.g., CFRE) is an advantage.
• Skilled networker with a positive, persuasive personality and a consultative, relational approach to sales.
• Strong oral and written communication, presentation, interpersonal, and listening skills; able to clearly articulate organizational mission and inspire stakeholders.
• High data proficiency; demonstrated ability to work with data sets to gain insights and communicate compelling stories.
• Exemplary planning and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously across departments.
• Proficiency in MS Office; experience with Netsuite/HubSpot or similar CRM platforms preferred.
IF APPLICABLE: Physical Demands:
There may be times when you are working at our warehouse or in a capacity outside of your physical office space. Please note that these physical requirements are not exhaustive, and Soles4Souls may add additional job-related physical demands to these if the need arises:
• Lifting: The ability to lift and carry objects weighing up to 50 pounds if necessary.
• Standing: Must be able to stand for extended periods of time.
• Sitting: Sit for long periods while working at a desk or computer.
• Walking: Walk or move around the work area as needed.
• Bending and Stooping: Occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, or crouch to access equipment or perform tasks.
• Reaching: Reach overhead, horizontally, and down to access materials or equipment.
• Vision: Must have clear vision, including close vision, distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Hearing: Hear and communicate effectively in person and over the phone.
• Manual Dexterity: Use hands and fingers to handle, feel, or operate objects, tools, or controls.
• Repetitive Motion: Perform repetitive tasks, such as data entry, for extended periods of time.
• Work Environment: Be able to work in various environments, including indoor and outdoor settings, and be exposed to varying weather conditions if applicable.
Compensation: Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including skills, depth of work experience and relevant licenses/credentials. Benefits include medical insurance with 80% employer coverage, HRA account, 100% dental insurance & vision coverage, long-term disability, life, 401K with up to 6% employer match, professional development benefits, open FTO and paid parental leave.
S4S is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourages applications from candidates of color and other diverse backgrounds.
