Sprout Social is seeking a strategic, results-oriented leader for our Partnership teams. This senior leader will manage our growing, innovative, value-driving partner ecosystem. This leader will also partner with our product and revenue teams, as well as legal, data science, investor relations and other teams within the organization. They will be responsible for maintaining the relationships of our existing social network, community platform and business tools partners.
Sprout Social is used by over 30,000 brands worldwide including the Chicago Bulls, Sony Electronics, Indiana University, Make-a-wish Foundation, Edelman, and Subaru. These businesses rely on Sprout to create stronger relationships with their customers through social media. This role will ensure we can continue to deliver innovative products to our customers and elevate our brand value around the world.
As the Partnerships Senior Leader, you will identify, cultivate and manage relationships with all key external partners including social networks, community platforms and business tool integrations. The ideal candidate is at the intersection of strong strategic and analytical thinking combined with leadership skills to drive change and growth. You have a proven track record of navigating new waters, building personal rapport, and cultivating iron-clad relationships at external organizations with like minded companies. You're comfortable supporting everything from collaborating with senior stakeholders to project management to pitching new ideas. The ability to travel (at a minimum quarterly) and previous experience managing relationships with social networks or other technology companies is ideal, but not required.
We pride ourselves on exceptional people and relationships and this role is about the ability to orchestrate, support and navigate multiple relationships and partnerships with skill and aplomb. Whereas at other companies partnerships may be transactional and solely revenue-driven, the partnerships at Sprout are mission critical.
Qualifications
These are the minimum qualifications that our hiring team is looking for in this role:

• 8+ years of proven success forming and managing relationships with external parties (customers, vendors, etc.)
• A strong understanding of Channel and Partnerships with experience in a direct vs in-direct investment strategy
• Experience influencing cross-functional teams in a complex organization to drive growth
• Project management experience coordinating multiple projects or initiatives from start to finish

Additionally, these are the preferred qualifications that would indicate a particularly strong candidate:

• Deep understanding of different product needs across markets and how cultural perspectives influence go-to-market plans
• Ability to pitch new ideas, cultivate opportunities (immediate and long-term) and persuade others to prioritize and take action
• Experience using project management software and tools like Jira
• Experience creating and implementing new processes / frameworks / operating models

Within 1 month, you will...

• Complete Sprout Social's new hire training & onboarding program alongside other new Sprout team members. You'll gain a broader understanding of our products and how your role fits into the organization.
• Understand the ins and outs of our partner relationships, how we work together with each partner, and how each partner differs from one another.
• Develop relationships with our key points of contact throughout the organization.
• Become introduced to our key points of contact throughout our partner organizations.
• Understand how the Partnerships Team operates and the goals and objectives for our team and our different partnerships.

Within 3 months, you will...

• Create a cross-functional strategy for how the teams will focus from both a product and revenue channel opportunity perspective
• Become well versed in our partner plans, goals and KPIs to increase internal adoption and drive external partner success.
• Optimize and improve frameworks that track and increase visibility into the status of open partner initiatives.
• Oversee maintenance and updates of the Partnerships internal Wiki page.
• Drive discovery strategy and generate conversations with companies that reach out to Sprout with an interest in partnering together.
• Develop senior level relationships across the organization in order to better collaborate cross-functionally.

Within 6 months, you will...

• Liaise with Marketing and Sales/Success participants on respective partner initiatives and influence priorities.
• Help coordinate internally and with our partners to track our 2021 Objectives & Key Results.
• Become an expert on Partner Compliance.
• Coordinate with internal teams to prepare for the Partner Quarterly Business Reviews.
• Drive discovery conversations with companies that reach out to Sprout with an interest in partnering together.

Within 12 months, you will...

• Fully own one or more partner relationships.
• Drive decisions internally and with our Partners and implement realistic, challenging and strategic Objectives & Key Results.
• Be an onboarding mentor for future Partnerships team hires.

Of course what is outlined above is the ideal timeline, but things may shift based on business needs and other projects and tasks could be added at the discretion of your manager.
About Sprout Social Sprout Social powers open communication between individuals, brands and communities through elegant, sophisticated software. We are relentless about solving hard problems for our customers and committed to both customer and team success. Our team's shared belief in Sprout's mission promotes a culture of openness, empowerment and fun.
We're proud to regularly be recognized for our team, product and culture. Our benefits program includes:

• Insurance and benefit options that are built for both individuals and families
• Progressive policies to support work/life balance, like our flexible paid time off and parental leave program
• High-quality and well-maintained equipment-your computer will never prevent you from doing your best
• Wellness initiatives to ensure both health and mental well-being of our team
• Ongoing education and development opportunities via our Grow@Sprout program, employee-led diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and mentorship programs for aspiring leaders
• Growing corporate social responsibility program that is driven by the involvement and passion of our team members
• Beautiful, convenient and state-of-the-art offices in Chicago's Loop and downtown Seattle, for those who prefer an office setting

Whenever possible, Sprout wants to provide our team with the flexibility to work in the location that makes the most sense for them. For those that prefer an office setting, this role may be based in our Chicago or Seattle locations. If you prefer to work from your home, we can accommodate that for many locations across the United States. We are not set up in all states, however, so please take a look at the drop down box in our application to see whether your state is listed.
Sprout Social is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and an Affirmative Action Employer. We do not discriminate based on identity - race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex (including sexual identity), age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, order of protection status, citizenship status, arrest record or expunged or sealed convictions, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local law. Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in our 2021 DEI Report .
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [email protected] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. We'll do all we can to ensure you're set up for success during our interview process while upholding your privacy, including requests for accommodation. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.
For more information about our commitment to equal employment opportunity, please click here (1) Equal Opportunity Employment Poster (2) Sprout Social's Affirmative Action Statement (3) Pay Transparency Statement .
When you apply for employment with Sprout Social, we will process your job applicant data, including your employment and education history, transcript, writing samples, and references as necessary to consider your job application for open positions. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our Privacy Policy. California residents have additional rights and should review the Additional Disclosures for California Residents section in our Privacy Policy.
Additionally, Sprout Social participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law.