Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships and Strategic Innovation

Position: Senior Manager of Corporate Partnerships & Strategic Innovation

Location: Houston, Texas

Employment Type: Full-time, Salaried, Non-Exempt

Reports to: Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships & Strategy

Position Summary

Genesys Works Houston is seeking a dynamic and strategic leader to serve as Senior Manager of Strategic Innovation & Corporate Partnerships. This role is ideal for a collaborative thinker who thrives at the intersection of relationship management, business development, and strategic execution. The Senior Manager will drive revenue and impact by expanding internship opportunities, maintaining strong relationships with corporate partners, overseeing key elements of our 3-Year Strategic Plan, and translating insight into action across teams. The ideal candidate brings a track record of success in B2B partnership management, exceptional time management, strong data fluency, and the ability to lead through influence and innovation.

Core Responsibilities

Corporate Partner Relationship Management

• Cultivate, expand, and renew internship commitments with a portfolio of 25–40 corporate partners.
• Build deep relationships with decision-makers across departments to broaden partnership scope and increase engagement.
• Partner with the Executive Director and Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships to strengthen relationships with C-suite and senior leaders.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to partners by communicating impact, aligning goals, and reinforcing shared commitment to workforce equity and talent development.

• Lead efforts to secure internship seats that generate earned revenue and align with Genesys Works Houston's strategic revenue model.
• Develop targeted growth strategies to increase the number of paid internships across industries, departments, and corporate locations.
• Use data insights, market analysis, and relationship intelligence to identify high-potential partners and close new internship opportunities.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure timely contract execution, onboarding, and integration of interns into host companies.
• Track and report revenue tied to internship placements to inform forecasting, budgeting, and performance goals.

Strategic Planning & Execution – Organizational

• Serve as the internal lead for managing the implementation of the GWH 3-Year Strategic Plan.
• Translate long-range strategic goals into actionable workstreams across departments.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to ensure cross-functional alignment, execution milestones, and reporting of outcomes.
• Track progress on strategic initiatives and prepare quarterly updates for the Executive Director and Board of Directors.

Corporate Partnerships Strategy Development

• Lead the development and execution of the annual Corporate Partnerships team strategy in alignment with broader organizational goals.
• Identify market trends, labor shifts, and sales insights to refine outreach tactics, messaging, and team priorities.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of industry trends, nonprofit sector insights, and local data reports from key partners such as Good Reason Houston and United Way, using this information to inform strategy and drive impact.
• Establish annual goals, team KPIs, and metrics that drive internship seat growth, client satisfaction, and innovation. Metrics should be informed by both historical data and current market trends and influences.
• Foster a team culture of continuous improvement by integrating learning and feedback loops into quarterly planning.

Team Management & Development

• Supervise, mentor, and support Corporate Partnerships Manager(s) and/or Specialist(s).
• Provide clear expectations, onboarding, coaching, and professional growth plans.
• Foster a team culture of accountability, collaboration, and high performance.
• Track and report team progress against KPIs to program and executive leadership.

Internship Operations & Onboarding

• Collaborate with operations and partnership support staff to ensure:
• Timely acquisition of job descriptions, billing details, and worksite information.
• Execution of contracts, compliance documents, and internship timelines.
• High-quality onboarding experience for interns and supervisors.
• Maintain accurate and timely data entry and reporting through Salesforce.

Sales & Marketing Enablement

• Partner with Marketing and Communications to co-develop pitch decks, one-pagers, and other brand-aligned assets.
• Train Corporate Partnership staff on message alignment and effective use of materials.
• Design and implement year-round engagement strategies, events, and communications for partner cultivation and retention.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Support

• Serve as a core member of the LT2 (Leadership & Tactics) Team, helping drive organizational effectiveness.
• Collaborate with Program and Operations to:
• Address workplace concerns and ensure intern support.
• Align partner expectations with program outcomes.
• Monitor collections and billing processes.
• Document and share best practices, success stories, and insights across the organization.

External Engagement & Brand Representation

• Represent Genesys Works in local workforce and business forums, corporate roundtables, and industry events.
• Build strategic alliances with ecosystem leaders that enhance visibility and open doors to new partnerships.
• Champion GWH's mission by highlighting success stories and strategic alignment with industry needs.

Key Competencies

• Strategic planning and execution (org-wide + departmental)
• Corporate sales and partnership cultivation
• Data analysis, forecasting, and market research
• Team leadership and coaching
• Time and project management
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Proficiency in Project Management Systems such as
• Proficiency in business analytics platform/service to visualize, analyze, and share data insights, such as Power BI.
• Proficiency in key platforms required, including Salesforce, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), and other relevant systems. Must be comfortable navigating databases, spreadsheets, and cloud-based tools
• Knowledge of corporate structure and roles like CSR- Corporate Social responsibility, TA- Talent Acquisition, CIO Chief Information Officer, ESG- Environmental, Social and Governance.

Physical Requirements

Including, but not limited to, standing and sitting for long periods; speaking loudly and clearly; moving boxes; seeing and hearing things both near and far away; and reaching, stooping, kneeling, and fine-finger and hand manipulation in the use of a computer, chalkboard, dry erase board, or projector. Employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform activities such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, and extensive reading. Employees may be required to walk for long distances at partner schools, corporations, or other relevant sites. Most work environments are climate-controlled, open space floor plans. Requests for reasonable accommodations should be sent to National Human Resources.

Compensation

In our quest to be a nonprofit employer of choice, we offer:

• Competitive compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• Generous time off to include vacation, wellness, and 10 company-paid holidays
• 403(b) retirement savings plan with company match
• Communication allowance
• Flexible work arrangements
• Fun company-sponsored events and celebrations to honor our students and staff

EEO Statement

Genesys Works is an equal opportunity employer that celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment for all employees. Employment decisions at Genesys Works are based on organizational needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications without regard to age, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, marital status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran or disability status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local laws, except where a bona fide occupational qualification exists. Genesys Works will not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind based on any these characteristics. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion among our staff and corporate partners are essential to successfully executing our organizational mission. As such, we seek to recruit, support, develop, and retain high-caliber talent from a diverse candidate pool that both complements and reflects the students we proudly serve.

Commitment to Diversity

Genesys Works is an equal opportunity employer that celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment for all employees. Genesys Works will not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion among our staff and corporate partners are essential to successfully executing our organizational mission. As such, we seek to recruit, support, develop, and retain high caliber talent from a diverse candidate pool that both complements and reflects the students we proudly serve.

Commitment to Inclusivity

Genesys Works remains committed to fostering a more equitable, inclusive and united society. We stand in solidarity with members of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities and seek partnerships that help dismantle the systems that lead to inequity in pursuit of a more just community.