Partnership Manager

Reports to: Chief Partnerships Officer

Supervises: Volunteers, Interns

Schedule: Full-time, salary

Wage Scale: $56,000 - $62,000 annual equivalent salary

FLSA Status: Exempt

PENCIL’S VISION AND CORE COMMITMENTS:

PENCIL links community resources to Nashville Public Schools to help young people achieve academic success and prepare for life.

PENCIL exists to create a world where Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) students and teachers have equitable access to resources and opportunities, empowering students to succeed now and in the future. We will do this by creating a community that respects the unique perspectives and experiences of all stakeholders through proactive listening, continuous learning, and tireless advocacy for every student.

Our work is guided by the needs of MNPS, is student centric, and is achieved through intentional partnerships and tangible engagements.

As the PENCIL team, we will:

Be collaborative and inclusive —By encouraging conversations that amplify and uplift the voices of all students and communities, especially those marginalized by inequitable systems.

Act with transparency and integrity —By striving to continually educate ourselves, intentionally recruit and retain diverse staff and stakeholders, and encourage everyone to share their authentic perspectives and experiences to our work.

Demonstrate kindness and gratitude — By valuing the unique experiences that each student, staff, and community member bring to our work.

POSITION SUMMARY:

This position is responsible for managing and directing all phases of PENCIL Partnerships and other PENCIL-related volunteer programs within a designated portfolio of Metro Nashville Public Schools. A primary focus is the onboarding of new community Partners and volunteers and ongoing successful relationship management with existing constituents (businesses, volunteers, donors, organizations, etc.) and school personnel.

The Partnership Manager will play a significant role in successfully fulfilling the specific outcomes and objectives identified in PENCIL’s annual strategic plan, therefore having a diverse skill set and ability to successfully manage multiple high-level relationships simultaneously is critical.

This position's main goal is to ensure the productive engagement of business and civic partners with MNPS to increase the academic success of students while supporting school staff and strategic plan objectives.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Serve as the primary account manager for PENCIL Partnerships; ensure that all partners are successfully navigated through the PENCIL Partner Continuum; personally contact Partners on a regular basis to best support Partnerships

Build strong working relationships with MNPS administrators, school principals, academy coaches and school staff through ongoing communications and collaborative initiatives; ensure continuous collaboration between PENCIL and MNPS district executive leadership, and align Partnership engagement with MNPS strategic initiatives

Document all activities in the designated customer relationship management tool (Salesforce) in a timely, accurate and complete manner to show a full picture of all partnerships, ensuring that data is kept current at all times

Provide support on all PENCIL virtual tools including PENCIL Connect and PENCIL Me In; offer encouragement and positive reinforcement to stakeholders in utilizing these tools

Research, identify and follow up on potential partnership prospects as guided by the needs of your set school portfolio

Support PENCIL's Pack4Success initiative by curating volunteer projects with MNPS and attending or cohosting projects throughout the year

Work collaboratively and proactively with PENCIL's marketing and communications team to assure Partners are receiving appropriate amounts of information and being appropriately recognized by PENCIL

Attend networking opportunities, professional development, and community events to promote PENCIL, recruit Partners, and further your professional learning

Provide support to the Development Team for grant applications, reports, and other submissions as needed

Routinely take the lead at representing PENCIL in stakeholder meetings (i.e. Information Sessions, Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Academies of Nashville, National and Local Conferences)

Performs other functions as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION – Bachelor's Degree is preferred or equivalent experience

SKILLS –

Successfully manage multiple high-level relationships simultaneously

Demonstrate exceptional written and oral communication skills

Have exceptionally strong inter-personal skills, including the ability to read and respond to body language

Demonstrate intermediate computer skills, including a working knowledge of Salesforce (or similar CRM), Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom

Be comfortable, confident, and outgoing in various types of social settings

Work independently and proactively without daily instruction, but also be an engaged and participatory member of the larger team

Practice strong conflict resolution skills

Be able to problem solve, set and accomplish goals, and meet deadlines

Stay organized and keep accurate, detailed, and thorough documentation of activities

Be fluent in a language other than English (preferred)

EXPERIENCE – A minimum of two years of successful work experience; ideally in volunteer management, customer relations, public education, nonprofit development, community engagement, and/or account management. A minimum of one-year experience working with school leadership and staff is preferred.

CONFIDENTIALITY – ability to manage sensitive information in a professional and confidential manner as outlined in PENCIL’s Confidentiality Policy

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Must be able to travel or virtually connect to schools and Partners on a daily basis; local travel can be extensive, and reliable daily transportation is required.

Moderate physical activity performing somewhat strenuous daily activities of a primarily administrative nature.

Manual dexterity sufficient to reach/handle items, works with the fingers, and perceives attributes of objects and materials.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

The employee is required to stand, walk, climb and balance.

WORK SCHEDULE & HOURS:

PENCIL’s office hours are Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm. Work hours and location can be flexible as long as objectives are met. Occasional evening and weekend hours for special events may be needed.

DIVERSITY & EQUAL OPPORTUNITY:

PENCIL is committed towards developing a diverse staff that reflects the community we serve. Research shows that candidates from underrepresented communities often do not submit a resume if they do not feel highly qualified in all areas, therefore we extend an invitation to all candidates to apply, especially those from historically underrepresented communities, including but not limited to, those identifying as Black/African American, Indigenous/Native, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern/North African and other people of color; LGBTQ+ candidates; and candidates with disabilities.

PENCIL is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

This job profile is not intended to be all inclusive of tasks required, it is to provide a general description of essential job responsibilities.