Director of External Partnerships

Are you an experienced youth development or education professional with a passion for increasing economic opportunity for all? Urban Alliance, a national youth workforce development nonprofit, is currently seeking a Director of External Partnerships to oversee the recruitment and stewardship of job partners and mentors in the greater Washington, D.C. area, reporting to the Great D.C. Executive Director. Youwill    have the opportunity to join a fun, committed, and hard-working team that always puts our students first.

About Urban Alliance

Urban Alliance provides economically disadvantaged young people with the exposure, opportunity, support, and training needed to prepare them for lifelong economic self-sufficiency. Urban Alliance’s core program matches underserved high school seniors with paid, professional internships, job skills training, one-on-one mentoring, and ongoing post-program support to expand their idea of what is possible for their future. Founded in Washington, D.C. in 1996, Urban Alliance has since expanded to Baltimore, Chicago, and Northern Virginia. To date, Urban Alliance has placed over 4,000 students in paid internships and served more than 18,000 through job skills training.

Director of Employer Partnerships Responsibilities:

Job Partner Recruitment

• Create and implement a plan for job partner recruitment in the greater DC region with support from Executive Director (ED)
• Work with Executive Director to identify and secure new corporate and nonprofit partners for upcoming program year, including pitching Urban Alliance program to prospective partners and following up on leads from Urban Alliance stakeholders (board members, staff, etc.)
• Work with ED and regional assistant to onboard job partners and prepare them to host interns, providing all necessary information and paperwork and answering questions as they arise

Mentor Support and Job Partner Retention

• Support Executive Director stewarding relationships with current job partners
• Plan and implement a year-round stewardship plan for mentors (job site supervisors), including events and additional trainings, with support of ED and program team

Strategic Planning and Events

• Stay informed of current events that affect the job market, non-profits, and partner school districts
• Attend community, corporate and non-profit events that are relevant to Urban Alliance and/or provide valuable networking opportunities
• Support UA staff to ensure successful program kickoff and culminating events
• Recruit volunteers for regional program events
• Ensure that high-level contacts are invited to relevant UA events

Qualifications

Essential Skills:

• A bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience
• A minimum of 3-5 years of relevant experience; demonstrated success in relationship management and partnership building
• Passion for and understanding of at-risk youth and a deep commitment to the mission of the organization
• Excellent account management skills with the proven ability to develop and grow high-yield relationships.
• Highly organized and able to manage multiple competing priorities
• Ability to manage up to executive director and, at times, CEO and board members of Urban Alliance
• Ability to take initiative to plan, act, and proactively brief leadership
• Excellent oral and written communication skills (including mediation skills and the ability to have direct and open conversations)
• Excellent organizational skills – you love spreadsheets!
• Strong relationship building skills with work colleagues and youth
• Possess executive presence and strong ability to steward partners
• Proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google docs

Desired Experience:

• Experience working with or life exposure to community organizations and schools in under-resourced areas
• Demonstrated understanding of what it means to put youth at the center of your work
• Experience within the education and/or workforce development industries
• Experience working with the corporate community and securing corporate sponsorships preferred
• Experience with strategic planning and increasing revenue for a program or organization preferred

Desired Characteristics for the DC team:

• Strong work ethic: you do what it takes to get a job done to its fullest
• A sense of humor: you know how to laugh at yourself and lighten a mood with your peers
• You like to win: We believe in winning for youth. We are a team that likes to be the best, deliver excellence, in the pursuit of ensuring all youth get the opportunity to thrive

Benefits

• Health insurance (medical, dental, vision) and retirement benefits
• Three weeks of paid annual leave and one week of paid organizational leave plus all federal holidays.
• Opportunity to join a passionate and hard-working team that always places our students first while maintaining a fun work environment and healthy integration of work and life for staff.

To Apply

• Please submit a resume, cover letter,  to the link provided https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=6854&clientkey=4DEAAFEEA62EC864DF761C7D4A19E8F1