Associate Director / Director of Partnerships

General Statement of Duties

The Associate Director / Director of Partnerships generates program revenue by cultivating new participants and partners for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Services and supporting the stewardship and growth of existing partners. This person must develop strategies to guide sales of all DEI services, then effectively implement those strategies using skills such as persuasive approaches and presentations that will motivate organizations to partner with YW Boston. The Associate Director / Director of Partnerships supervises the Manager of Partnerships and reports to the Vice President of Engagement. 

Massachusetts residency is required within six months of hire, and YW Boston does not cover relocation expenses. This position is hybrid with a weekly requirement of at least two days at the YW Boston office or on-site for programming, and a maximum of three days remote, starting from date of hire. Occasional evening and weekend commitments are required to fulfill the needs of YW Boston and our partner organizations.  

YW Boston follows the latest COVID-19 guidance from the CDC and MA Department of Public Health and strongly encourages all employees to be fully vaccinated and boosted. 

Position Outcomes

A successful Associate Director / Director of Partnerships will deliver the following:    

• With guidance from the VP of Engagement, develop and lead an organization-wide business development and sales strategy for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Services  

• Meet or exceed annual DEI services sales goals and quarterly milestones as set by the Leadership Team 

• Make strategic decisions to continue to make our work accessible to organizations of various budgets while achieving other goals 

• Increase efficiency in DEI Consulting and Training sales process, and oversee manager in increasing efficiency in LeadBoston process, resulting in more efficient recruitment and business development efforts 

Key Responsibilities

Sales and Pricing Strategy Development  

• Establish and forecast sales targets 

• Design strategy to achieve targets and lead implementation  

• Set fee structure  

• Coach and actively guide staff on business development strategies and practices, leading to increased cross-selling and up-selling  

Lead Generation  

• Expand YW Boston network by:  

• Researching potential clients/participants  

• Attending conferences and other events  

• Leveraging existing network  

• Partnering with marketing to identify potential leads  

• Build or add to existing partner relationships by attending occasional program-related events 

• Contribute to development of marketing materials 

Prospect Nurturing  

• Work actively with prospective clients to address questions and remove barriers to sales process 

• Along with DEI Services teams, provide continuity with and support to existing clients 

• Along with DEI Services teams, foster engagement with existing clients to continue or increase services 

Close Deals 

• Produce proposals  

• Pitch to prospective clients  

• Work with Finance & Operations to ensure smooth and timely turnaround for contract development 

Data Tracking and Analysis  

• Track pipeline and ensure information is entered accurately and timely into Salesforce  

• Partner with data and analytics, and leadership team, to identify and communicate relevant metrics to different audience groups 

• Monitor market trends  

Other 

• Oversee, generate, and monitor all LeadBoston recruitment activities 

• Develop a thorough understanding of YW Boston’s programs, the markets that we serve, and the value proposition to partners and program participants  

• Work collaboratively with Advancement and DEI Services teams to ensure excellent partner relationships that maximize impact for YW Boston  

Additional Organization Responsibilities

Adhere to organization policies and procedures for maintaining organizational culture and transparency, including use of regularly scheduled progress meetings with supervisor, team meetings, scheduling, e-mail and other communications platforms 

• Serve as a steward and role model of YW Boston’s shared values in all interactions with colleagues 

• Positively represent YW Boston and serve as an ambassador for our mission in all interactions with the public 

• Support YW Boston advancement and business development through participation in education, outreach, cultivation, and stewardship efforts as directed by the Vice President of Advancement and/or the Vice President of Engagement 

Experience/Qualifications

Successful candidates for the Associate Director / Director of Partnerships position have a passion for achieving racial and gender equity within organizations and for creating inclusive organizations. They will be great at building relationships, actively listening, and developing proposals that address potential clients’ needs, with a data driven approach to achieve an inclusive workplace with YW Boston’s Program portfolio. 

Additional qualifications include:   

• 6+ years of relevant experience years in direct sales, recruitment, and/or marketing experience  

• Proven record setting and meeting sales goals   

• Knowledge of organizational change and development  

• Experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors  

• Superior interpersonal and organization skills, including the ability to manage by influence and build relationships at all levels internally and externally  

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative, non-profit environment  

• Style that is organized, entrepreneurial, and innovative   

• Demonstrated commitment to YW Boston’s mission and a strong record of outcomes related to advancing racial, gender, and social equity  

• Demonstrated ability to explain the aspects of each program effectively to people with a wide range of fluency with equity issues  

• Openness to learning, and willingness to give and receive feedback  

• Local travel required 

• Familiarity with Asana or similar project management tool a plus