Partner Development Manager at Educational Theatre Association

Description

Who We Are

The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire and support theatre education. We are home to the International Thespian Society, the honorary organization for high school and middle school theatre students, and we host the International Thespian Festival (ITF)—a premier event celebrating student artistry and achievement.

About the role

The Partnership Development Manager grows and sustains revenue-generating partnerships that advance EdTA's mission and strengthen the experience of theatre educators, students, and event attendees. This role leads sponsorship renewals and new business development across sponsorships, exhibits, and advertising placements. The manager owns the partnership pipeline from prospecting through contract execution and oversees fulfillment in collaboration with Marketing and Events teams, ensuring partners receive clear value and mission-aligned outcomes. This position also collaborates with the Educational Theatre Foundation on corporate partnership cultivation. The ideal candidate is relationship-driven, metrics-minded, and skilled at translating EdTA's impact into partnership value that feels authentic and mutually beneficial.

Requirements

A typical day may include

• Conduct renewal conversations with current sponsors, identifying upsell opportunities that align their objectives with EdTA programming and events
• Research and qualify new partnership prospects, developing tailored proposals that connect business goals to mission impact
• Collaborate with Marketing and Events teams to design sponsorship packages and ensure seamless partner activation at conferences
• Manage pipeline activity in CRM, tracking outreach, proposals, contracts, and revenue forecasts
• Coordinate with Operations and Finance on contract execution, invoicing timelines, and payment tracking
• Attend virtual meetings with corporate foundation contacts to explore grant-based partnership opportunities
• Prepare for upcoming event travel to support sponsor relations and networking at the International Thespian Festival

About you

• You are passionate about building authentic relationships that create value for both organizations and mission-driven causes
• You are curious about what motivates corporate partners and skilled at asking questions that uncover alignment between business objectives and nonprofit impact
• You have stellar communication skills—you can craft compelling proposals, lead confident sales conversations, and maintain warm ongoing relationships with diverse stakeholders
• You bring empathy and confidence to partnership conversations, understanding both the pressure sponsors face to demonstrate ROI and the importance of maintaining organizational integrity
• You're excited to travel periodically to represent EdTA at events, meet partners face-to-face, and experience the energy of the International Thespian Festival
• You're organized and metrics-minded, comfortable managing a sales pipeline, tracking multiple relationships simultaneously, and reporting on partnership activity and revenue
• You have 3-5 years of experience in partnership development, sponsorship sales, business development, or related revenue-generating roles
• You're comfortable working independently in a remote environment while staying connected to a collaborative team

Nice to have but not necessary

• You have experience in association management, nonprofit partnerships, or education sector sales
• You have worked with CRM systems (Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar) to manage sales pipelines
• You have experience developing corporate foundation partnerships or grant-based sponsorships
• You have attended or worked in live events, conferences, or festivals and understand the sponsor experience from both sides

Benefits

Why Choose Us

EdTA offers the opportunity to do mission-driven work that directly impacts theatre educators and students across the country. You'll join a passionate team that values creativity, collaboration, and integrity, with the flexibility of remote work and the energy of connecting with our community at inspiring events like the International Thespian Festival.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary: $75,000 to $80,000 annually
• Standard benefits through Rippling PEO including health insurance, retirement plan, paid time off, and more
• This is a remote position with travel required for EdTA conferences and events, and occasional sponsor meetings