Director of Partnerships - Careers At Sundance Institute
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Director of Partnerships leads Sundance Institute's Corporate Partnership team, responsible for securing $15 million in annual funding from aligned corporate partnerships, with the goal of increasing this amount year-over-year. This role collaborates closely with key Institute leaders to drive a cohesive, efficient, and unified corporate partnership strategy that aligns with the Institute's core and departmental objectives. Acting as a strategic partner to the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), the Director will mentor the Partnership team, fostering collaboration, inclusion, and success.
This full-time remote position requires occasional extended hours, including evenings and weekends during key periods of the year. Travel to Institute locations, events, and meetings will also be required as needed.
Top priorities include but are not limited to?
• Overseeing the corporate partnerships function to achieve or exceed an annual fundraising goal of $11 million, with a focus on sustained growth.
• Leading, mentoring, and developing the Partnerships team, providing leadership, inspiration, and accountability to ensure strategic alignment and supporting individual team members in achieving their annual revenue goals.
• Fostering an inclusive and equitable team culture where all employees thrive.
• Supervising the team responsible for corporate fundraising and Sundance Film Festival and artists program activations, including support for international partnerships in Asia, Mexico, and Europe.
• Strengthening communication processes and identifying partnership opportunities in their earliest stages.
• Evaluating potential partnerships for alignment with program goals, financial contributions, or a combination of both.
• Developing strategic goals to meet fiscal planning objectives and deliver targeted outcomes.
• Establishing clear and effective guidelines for each partnership's purpose and execution.
• Expanding partnerships beyond revenue to include alliances that drive traffic, audience engagement, media coverage, social opportunities, or support program impact (e.g. operations, outreach and inclusion, staff development).
• Building strategic alliances that accelerate the Institute's broader goals, particularly in areas where program excellence would benefit from enhanced partnership strategies.
• Growing traditional and digital media partnerships to amplify the Institute's reach and accelerate storytelling aligned with the Institute's evolving brand.
• Overseeing the execution of recognition and in-kind benefit strategies across the organization.
You have the following direct or transferable qualifications and skills:
• 10 years of demonstrated success in building and soliciting corporate partnerships, strategic alliances, and fundraising initiatives.
• Strong leadership abilities, with proven experience recruiting, developing, and managing high-performing teams.
• Extensive experience formulating and implementing strategies to drive revenue and meet organizational objectives.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate a compelling vision that resonates with diverse stakeholders.
• A deep commitment to Sundance Institute's mission and values, and a passion for fostering a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and creativity.
You will be successful in this role if you:
• Set and Execute Strategy: Develop and implement a comprehensive corporate partnership strategy by the end of Q1 each fiscal year, ensuring alignment with Sundance Institute's core goals and departmental objectives.
• Achieve Revenue Targets: Secure $11 million in corporate partnerships by the end of the fiscal year, with quarterly milestones to track progress (e.g., $2.75 million per quarter).
• Expand Partner Portfolio: Identify and onboard a minimum of 5 new mission-aligned corporate partners annually, each contributing at least $250,000, by the end of Q4.
• Team Retention and Engagement:
• Achieve a high team retention rate annually by fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment.
• Conduct quarterly 1:1 check-ins with all team members to assess individual progress toward goals and provide actionable feedback.
• Contribute positively to team morale, measured through feedback reviews.
• Skill Development: Conduct quarterly skill-building workshops or mentoring sessions to enhance team capabilities in sales, negotiation, and relationship management, with a measurable improvement in team performance scores through feedback surveys.
• Prospecting and Pipeline Development: Establish a robust partnership pipeline with at least 20 qualified leads generated each quarter, converting a minimum of 25% into confirmed partnerships within six months.
• Relationship Expansion: Increase contributions from at least three existing partners by 10% or more compared to the prior year, ensuring value alignment and satisfaction through biannual partnership reviews.
• Collaboration and Integration with Partnerships:
• Collaborate with the Director of Partnerships to create and implement an integrated fiscal plan, with quarterly progress reviews to ensure alignment across Advancement leadership.
• Host monthly strategy sessions to evaluate shared responsibilities and opportunities for cross-team efficiencies.
• Cross-Department Collaboration: Facilitate monthly meetings with key stakeholders across departments to align partnership strategies with organizational goals.
• Communications and Feedback:
• Provide consistent, transparent communication by delivering monthly progress updates to the Chief Revenue Officer and broader leadership team.
• Demonstrate timely, clear, and diplomatic communication by responding to internal and external inquiries within 48 hours.
In addition to an annual salary of $200,000.00 to $230,000.00*, this position is eligible for our comprehensive benefits package, highlights include:
• Health, vision, and dental insurance
• 25 paid Institute holidays plus accrued vacation time
• Paid sick, family, and medical leave
• Employee Wellness initiatives
• 401(k) with automatic 3% employer contribution after one year of employment
• Sundance Film Festival passes and benefits (varies each year)
*Final rate of pay is determined based on the applicant's geographic location, relevant experience and skills, and internal equity among similar positions within our organization. Reference: ECNJOBID-45-12-179-78 in the application
