Associate Senior Manager - Corporate Partnerships

Location: Bengaluru, India

About U&I
U&I is a nonprofit HQ’d in Bangalore, with around 160 learning centres across 40 cities and about 4,500+ weekly volunteers. Its Teach programme supports 5,000+ children from underserved communities through volunteer-led learning, mentoring and life skills.
Corporate Partnerships builds the CSR partnerships and employee volunteering programmes that fund and grow this work.

The role
You will own U&I's corporate partners end to end: from the first pitch to the proposal, through delivery and reporting, to renewal and growth. You will lead a team of partnerships managers and hold a few key accounts yourself.
To every partner you look after, you are the voice of U&I and of the programme they fund. You own the partnership, its wins and its losses. You bring structure to every conversation, deliver on time, and tell partners what is happening before they have to ask.

What you will own
Partner relationships

• Own a portfolio of partners, with a few key accounts of your own and escalation for the rest.

• Run a check-in rhythm for every partner through the year, whenever they were onboarded.

• Build relationships with partner leadership, not only the day-to-day contact. When a contact changes, keep the partnership.

• Be an equal in the room. Explain why our programmes work the way they do, and say no well when a request does not fit.

Growth and sales

• Pitch to new prospects brought in by the outreach team, and take meetings through to proposals and agreements.

• Plan renewals around each partner's budget cycle.

• Grow grant sizes as partner companies grow, and introduce corporate volunteering to CSR partners.

• Negotiate budgets and defend essential line items that keep programmes running.

Programme design and delivery

• Work with programme, child development, MEL and corporate volunteering teams to turn partner needs into CSR projects and volunteering engagements.

• Track MOU deliverables and fund utilisation with programme and accounts teams. Raise gaps early, plan reallocations, and get stalled activities moving.

• Own reports and impact data with MEL, including partner data requests.

• Firefight challenges as they come up, such as a centre closing or a visit falling through. Solve them with internal teams and tell partners early, in terms they can take to their leadership.

• Be present at centre visits and high-stakes partner events.

The team

• Lead 2 to 3 partnerships managers: set weekly priorities, track monthly & QTRly goals, balance portfolios, coach, and review their partner communication.

• Run the team's tracking system so every deadline, report and renewal is visible early.

How we will measure success in the role

• Renewals closed on time, by value

• Renewal conversations started in line with each partner's budget cycle

• Growth from existing partners, through upsell and cross-sell

• New partnerships closed

• MOU deliverables and fund utilisation on track through the year

• Reports delivered on time

• Every partner checked in on rhythm, including contact with their leadership

• Partner risks flagged early, not at year end

• Team: portfolios balanced, deadlines met, people retained

Who we are looking for
Must have

• 5 to 8 years in CSR partnerships, fundraising, account management or B2B sales.

• Has owned a partner or client portfolio, renewed it and grown it. You can show what you personally brought in.

• Has managed people or coached a team, formally or informally.

• Delivery discipline: you track commitments, meet deadlines and communicate before you are asked.

• Read data well and turn it into a clear story for a partner.

• Writes clearly: proposals, reports and partner updates.

Nice to have

• Knowledge of CSR compliance and reporting in India.

• Experience with education, child development or volunteering programmes.

• A corporate network in Bengaluru and other major metros.

What this role is not

• Not a coordinator role. You own the partnership and its outcomes, not only the communication and delivery.

• Not a role that says yes to everything. Our programmes are built on years of research and practice. We adapt within reason, and we don't redesign them for one funder.

• Not a volunteering delivery role. The corporate volunteering team designs and runs events. You make sure they happen and land well for the partner.

Your first 90 days

Month Focus
1 Learn the portfolio and the Teach programme. Meet each key partner and visit centres. Review every MOU, utilisation status and renewal date.
2 Take over your key accounts and the team's renewals due in the next two quarters. Set up the check-in rhythm and team tracking.
3 Close or advance the renewals in your window. Agree growth targets for each partner with your manager.

By month 6, you handle partner relationships on your own, and every renewal due in that period is closed or has a clear path.

Hey! Before you Click on "Apply Now"
This form will take 20 minutes for you to fill and submit, so make sure to grab something to drink, so you are seated comfortably and most importantly Not in a Hurry!

Why is it long you ask?
Good question, We'd Love to know the fun side of you before we get in touch with you with our Capes on.