Manager, Partnerships

Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Best Buddies is the largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people worldwide with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our programs empower people with IDD to form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure jobs, improve communication and advocacy skills, and live independently, while also offering support for their families.

Job Title: Manager, Partnerships
Department: State Operations and Programs
Reports to: Director, National Partnerships

Office Location: Miami, FL
# of direct reports: 0
Salary Range: 55K – 60K
Revised date: 5/20/2024

Position Overview: The Manager, Partnerships’ primary responsibility is to support Best Buddies International’s employment partner relationships – facilitating, developing, and supporting jobs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This position supports the creation and nurturing of employer partner relationships, and ensuring the long-term success of integrated employment by developing opportunities that are person-centered. The Manager, Partnerships, will also be responsible for sourcing candidates, making placements, and job-coaching them to independent status within designated employer partner locations. The Manager, Partnerships will provide support to meet the needs of program participants and employment partners, coordinating employment opportunities by matching participants to roles within the designated partnership locations. This includes supporting participants with their job-readiness needs, developing jobs, job-coaching, as well as partnership management components such as stewardship, metrics and data requests, project management, resource creation/management, inclusive workplace training facilitation, and administrative tasks as deemed appropriate by Director, National Partnerships. The Manager, Partnerships must comply with all state and federal regulations regarding reporting, certification, and health and safety, and must maintain an active awareness of and willingness to advocate for the well-being of all participants.

Job Requirements – Qualified applicants must have:

• Bachelor’s Degree and/or 4 years’ experience in employment, human resources, supported employment or key account management roles serving national/global organizations.
• Experience in supported employment or experience working with persons with disabilities a plus.
• Must be adaptable and able to effectively develop and balance multiple relationships, obtaining results from a variety of people at various levels.
• Exceptional presentation, communication, facilitation, project, and time management skills necessary.
• Strong written communicator who pays close attention to detail; demonstrates a strong initiative, drive for results and self-assessment skills as well as the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to address and resolve situations quickly, especially when challenges occur during the job placement process and throughout the lifecycle of support.
• Must be comfortable engaging with people with IDD, meeting new people, and addressing sensitive issues.
• Proven experience in account management, providing solutions-based customer service support, communicating across multiple audiences, and delivering a consistent and positive customer service experience while managing the expectations of employer partners.
• Must be comfortable with both local, national, and potentially international travel, use personal cell phone, and work evenings and weekends as necessary to accomplish job responsibilities.
• Strong Excel skills needed to manipulate data and report in a variety of formats based on employer requests.
• Must be comfortable utilizing multiple databases regularly to ensure all job development/coaching efforts are managed, recorded, and billed for appropriately.
• Demonstrates the ability to assess the resource needs for all stakeholders and to create and manage these resources along with the marketing team.

Job Duties include - but are not limited to:

Programs

• Collaborate with the Director of National Partnerships to sustain and grow employer relationships.
• Act as a liaison between employer partners and local Best Buddies Jobs teams.
• Identify employment needs and resolve issues with HR and Talent Acquisition teams.
• Define and meet employer needs while educating both partners and local teams on program specifics.
• Conduct job analyses and create job descriptions in collaboration with employers.
• Present the Best Buddies Jobs program at prospective employer meetings.
• Assess jobseekers’ skills and career goals to match them with suitable opportunities.
• Provide on-site and remote job coaching, aiming to gradually reduce support for independence.
• Manage jobseeker caseload from intake through placement and follow-along coaching.
• Develop existing client accounts and assist in expanding partnerships nationally and globally.
• Collaborate with National Jobs and Corporate Engagement teams to enhance support for partners.
• Utilize training programs and virtual support tools to expand partnership impact.
• Potential to utilize our Inclusion in Action training, as well as LifeSherpa virtual support to grow the footprint of these partners.
• Create and update resources in collaboration with the marketing/graphic design team.
• Follow up on leads from organizational stakeholders to develop new employer partnerships.
• Achieve placement targets in each location.
• Strategically grow the footprint and support for employer partners.

Marketing/Fund Development

• Work with local offices on fundraising events as needed.
• Provide information regarding potential donors/supporters to leadership as appropriate.
• Identify and cultivate employment partner relationships with the capacity to provide additional financial support and connect the interests and mission of these funding sources with the needs of Best Buddies International.
• Work to increase awareness of Best Buddies through local marketing, public speaking, and media initiatives.
• Identify innovative opportunities to integrate employment partner locations and employees with events such as our Friendship Walks, Champion of the Year galas, etc., creating possible intercompany competitions, awards and or recognition for locations that achieve outstanding walk results.
• Recruit, cultivate, and develop volunteers capable of making personal commitments and becoming directly involved in the solicitation process on behalf of Best Buddies.

Administrative

• Track placement activity within each location and employer partner as requested through databases and Excel workbooks.
• Maintain an organized filing system for all relevant paperwork and use SET-Works, Raiser’s Edge, and other databases effectively and appropriately to manage contacts.
• Prepare and present reports to employers regularly and ensure the field teams are inputting all information into the database in real-time in order to provide accurate data.
• Hold regular meetings with employer partners to strategize, as well as with field staff representatives to implement strategies.
• Administrative support for employer events and conferences as needed.
• Other duties as assigned by leadership.

Best Buddies® is an affirmative action employer, in addition to an EOE and M/F/V/PWD/PV employer. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are foundational to Best Buddies International’s core values and help the organization continue to achieve its mission. Here at Best Buddies, our goal is to lead and advocate for a more inclusive world.

Best Buddies offers a comprehensive and generous benefits program that include financial security, health and wellness and time off.

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