Dissecting the role of Director of Strategic Partnerships

The role of a Director of Strategic Partnerships is to serve as the lead liaison between the company and its partners, working closely with cross-functional teams to identify new opportunities and negotiate mutually beneficial agreements. This is a crucial position within any organization.

With a focus on relationship building, communication, and negotiation, the Director of Strategic Partnerships plays a vital role in driving revenue and expanding the company’s reach. Whether working in a corporate setting, non-profit organization, or start-up, the Director of Partnerships must possess a unique skill set to succeed in this highly dynamic role. In this article, we will dive deeper into the responsibilities, and key skills required to succeed as a Director of Strategic Partnerships.

How different companies describe a Director of Strategic Partnerships

We searched LinkedIn to find different companies that are currently looking for a Director of Partnerships. Here’s how they describe the role:

1- Epic Games

We are looking for a creative, strategic, self-motivated Partnerships Director to join our team and manage the day-to-day pitching for Fortnite and ongoing partnerships management for Epic’s first party game partnerships. You’ll work with strategic partners and internal Epic stakeholders to identify and execute new innovative programs that expand and optimize engagement for Epic. In this role, you’ll help deliver against the global partnerships vision and annual business / game goals. The ideal candidate knows how to work cross functionally with internal teams, how to negotiate partnership deals, and how to manage teams executing partnerships.

2- Tixr

As Director of Strategic Partnerships, you will be responsible for researching, planning and creating specific industry targets. Those will be developed in conjunction with the leadership team, based on your prior industry experience and passions. Your responsibilities include:

• Building vertical focused growth strategies and opportunities.
• Educating your network about Tixr.
• Working with other teams to ensure positive health and retention of partnerships.

Also communicating partner feedback to the company, creating an extensive and active sales pipeline of new business, teaming-up with other co-sellers as it strategically benefits the deal closing process and developing new business development opportunities that stretch beyond our current focus.

3- Geekdom

Our Director of Strategic Partnerships will be responsible for working with executive leadership to understand and continue to develop our partnership strategy. Also building and maintaining relationships with existing partners and sponsors, and developing strategic partnerships that add value to our community. You’ll have to arrange meetings with prospective sponsors, partners, and customers and identify and attend conferences and industry events. Other responsibilities may include: 

• Work with fellow staff members to develop, implement and promote special events to drive awareness and generate new member, mentor, and/or partner leads.
• Work with leadership to research, plan, and implement new target market initiatives.
• Track and report weekly partnership development metrics to our staff.

4- Designity

The role of Director of Partnerships is responsible for developing and managing strategic partnerships across the creative and tech industries, as well as educational institutions and communities. Also, developing and managing all day-to-day communications with partners, including creating and tracking incentives. It is important for the Director of Strategic Partnerships to gain an understanding of the competitive landscape and opportunities set for our subscription plans. With that information, they should be able to map those ‌external opportunities and priorities to realized partnership results. Other responsibilities include:

• Develop strategies to communicate, promote, and evaluate partnership opportunities on behalf of the organization.
• New customer acquisition through inbound, referrals, partnerships, and sales development.
• Vet, hire, develop, and train the appropriate team of Account Executives, Account Managers, and Sales Development Representatives.
• Retain and expand existing clients with a positive experience and ruthless execution of our playbook.

5- C2FO

Reporting to the SVP of Partnerships, the new Director of Strategic Partnerships will:

• Own a portfolio of strategic technology & channel partners focused on driving growth of our working capital network 
• Lead a cross-functional team across product, engineering, channel sales, operations, marketing, and finance to drive partnership success
• Identify and negotiate partnership expansion efforts, including the launch of new integrated product experiences, unlocking new markets, developing new go to market paths, and improving enterprise co-sell collaboration
• Set the long term vision, strategy, and goals for each of your partners, while ensuring seamless day to day operations and support
• Support new business development efforts and the evolution of our partnerships strategy
• Keep abreast of the evolving global B2B finance, working capital, lending, and payments landscapes to identify new partnership opportunities

Necessary skills for this role

When analyzing different listings for this role, we noticed that they require a common set of soft and hard skills.

• Strategic thinking and planning: ability to identify potential partnerships, evaluate their value, and develop a plan to establish and grow the partnership.

• Relationship building: strong interpersonal skills, ability to build and maintain strong relationships with partners and internal teams.

• Communication: excellent verbal and written communication skills, ability to clearly articulate the company’s value proposition and negotiate terms with partners.

• Negotiation: strong negotiation skills, ability to effectively negotiate mutually beneficial agreements with partners.

• Networking: extensive network in relevant industries, ability to make connections and build relationships with potential partners.

• Market and industry knowledge: comprehensive understanding of the market and industry trends, ability to identify new partnership opportunities.

• Project management: ability to manage multiple partnerships and projects concurrently, ensuring successful execution and delivery.

• Financial acumen: understanding of financial metrics, ability to evaluate the financial impact of partnerships and make data-driven decisions.

• Leadership: ability to lead cross-functional teams and effectively manage stakeholders within the company and with partners.

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The home for Partnerships People

Are you looking to step into your first partnership role or increase your performance and move up in your company? The Partnerships Career Progression Playbook has everything you need to be successful in your field. Apply to join Partnership Leaders and gain access to one of the largest networks of partnership professionals.