Director of Community Partnerships, Talent

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Spearhead a mission-aligned approach to identifying, engaging, and securing host site partnerships.

• Formulate and execute a national partnership strategy that aligns with programmatic, geographic, and funding priorities.

• Establish and maintain a strong pipeline of host site partners across nonprofits, government, and local institutions.

• Employ a consultative, relationship-focused method for partnership development (rather than transactional sales).

• Collaborate with Programs, Development, and Government Relations teams to identify priority regions and sectors.

• Represent LFA at conferences, convenings, and community events to broaden partnership opportunities.

• Create and enhance outreach strategies (campaigns, webinars, referrals, ecosystem partnerships).

• Ensure partnership models promote both community impact and financial sustainability.

• Engage host sites as long-term partners and prepare them for success.

• Develop and manage systems for partner onboarding, engagement, and retention.

• Establish a framework for host site success, including training, tools, and ongoing support.

• Work with Program teams to make sure host sites can effectively support members.

• Create feedback mechanisms to continuously enhance the partner experience.

• Build enduring relationships that extend beyond single program cycles.

• Lead a place-based strategy for recruiting and selecting members that align with community needs.

• Design and implement a community-centered talent strategy that reflects host site demand.

• Ensure recruitment emphasizes locally rooted, diverse candidates that mirror the communities served.

• Manage a pipeline of candidates in the local markets served by LFA, enhancing both quality and alignment.

• Forge partnerships with associations, workforce organizations, and community groups.

• Align recruitment messaging with LFA’s mission and its community impact.

• Collaborate with host sites to define role profiles and the characteristics of ideal candidates.

• Develop integrated systems that support both partnership and talent pipelines.

• Oversee CRM strategy and ensure data integrity across partnerships and talent pipelines.

• Monitor and analyze:

• Health of the partnership pipeline.

• Metrics of the talent pipeline.

• Conversion and retention rates.

• Utilize data to inform strategy, forecasting, and continuous improvement.

• Ensure alignment across systems (CRM, Asana, Workable, etc.).

• Construct forecasting models linking host site acquisition and member placement.

• Lead and develop a high-performing, mission-driven team.

• Oversee recruitment, partnerships, and onboarding staff, including managing two Managers.

• Mentor team members in:

• Relationship management.

• Community-centered engagement.

• Data-informed decision-making.

• Establish and monitor KPIs for both partnership and talent functions.

• Collaborate closely with Programs (host site success & member experience), Finance (partner contributions & contracts), Grants (funding alignment & compliance), and Marketing/Communications (outreach and positioning).

• Contribute to organizational strategy and senior leadership planning.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.

• 10+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in nonprofit, workforce development, higher education, economic development, public sector, community engagement, business development, talent acquisition, or a related field.

• Proven track record in developing and managing strategic partnerships with nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, employers, philanthropic organizations, or other mission-aligned stakeholders.

• Experience in designing and implementing outreach, partnership development, or talent acquisition strategies that yield measurable growth and impact.

• Background in leading and developing high-performing teams, including coaching managers and cultivating a collaborative, mission-driven culture.

• Strong strategic planning and project management abilities with the capacity to translate organizational priorities into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.

• Proficiency in using CRM and project management systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, Workable, Asana, Airtable, or similar) to manage pipelines, relationships, forecasting, and reporting.

• Demonstrated capability to analyze data, discern trends, and leverage insights to inform strategy, enhance performance, and communicate results.

• Outstanding relationship-building, facilitation, presentation, and communication skills with the ability to engage diverse audiences from community organizations to executive leadership and funders.

• Experience in cross-department collaboration and balancing competing priorities in a dynamic, collaborative environment.

• Commitment to Lead For America's mission and a passion for empowering communities through place-based leadership and locally rooted talent.

• Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working within or alongside national service programs, AmeriCorps, community development organizations, rural initiatives, workforce development, or community-based nonprofits.

• Familiarity with place-based development, collective impact, talent pipeline development, or community leadership models.

• Experience in securing, managing, or overseeing partnerships that entail financial commitments, sponsorships, grants, or cost-sharing agreements.

• Experience in crafting regional or national partnership strategies across multiple states or geographic markets.

• Experience aiding organizational growth through ecosystem building, community engagement, or cross-sector collaboration.

• Understanding of grant-funded programs and aligning operational strategies with grant requirements and outcomes.

• Experience representing an organization at conferences, public events, and external stakeholder meetings.

🏝️ Benefits

• Salary and benefits:

• Below is the anticipated minimum and maximum salary range we can offer at this time. The starting salary is influenced by the role and experience level. Given these factors, the salary range below may vary significantly. Please note that salaries are expected to increase over time with enhanced experience, inflation adjustments, and organizational growth, and that for most roles, there are substantial opportunities for advancement.