Director of Partnerships

Opportunity

We are looking for a Director of Partnerships to join the Founders Forum Group team, working across our events and Tech Nation team.

Reporting to the Group CEO, you will be responsible for creating and delivering the Group’s partnership/sponsorship strategy across our Events and Tech Nation programmes. Initial focus will be largely on developing and securing partners for Tech Nation initiatives.

The role will include negotiating major commercial partnerships with corporate stakeholders and tapping into international governments grant opportunities. The partnership strategy will support initiatives including; annual accelerator programmes, entrepreneur events, and third party event partnerships.

You will collaborate with a wide team across the Founders Forum Group, and manage 3 direct reports.

You will be responsible for delivering our revenue strategy to enable us to deliver an unrivalled experience for our entrepreneurs, and exceptional value for our sponsors/partners.

About Founders Forum

Founders Forum Group is an event-powered community and family of businesses supporting innovative entrepreneurs at every stage of their journeys. Founded in 2005, our invite-only forums unite founders, investors, corporate and government leaders to tackle era-defining questions in iconic locations across the globe.

Since 2019, Founders Forum has partnered with Informa Tech to celebrate the strength and diversity of UK tech through London Tech Week.

In 2023, Founders Forum acquired Tech Nation. The transfer will see FF Group continue to execute against Tech Nation’s mission to empower tech entrepreneurs, scale innovative startups, and provide a united platform for UK tech founders.

Responsibilities will include:

You will be responsible for leading and creating growth opportunities, and fostering long term relationships to shape and drive revenue growth for our programmes, community-driven events, and digital content.

• Building and executing new business development and account management plans for all events. Take a lead role in drafting wider group commercial partnerships with partner events or businesses, supporting the CEO with business development initiatives.
• Identify, win and manage new partnerships, either for events, programmes, sponsorships or initiatives across the whole group. This will involve becoming a part of our community, building relationships with some of the most influential brands.
• Be a leader for the Head of Partnerships and sales team: coach people who are newer to a sales role and provide growth opportunities.
• Building and executing high impact sales strategies for the Founders Forum and Tech Nation portfolios. Most of our events are supported and co-hosted with our partners; and in collaboration with our content and community team, we aim to seamlessly integrate sponsors and founders in the 'event and community' experience. This will involve understanding customer needs; building pipelines; writing business proposals; drafting and reviewing Customer Contracts and negotiating with multiple stakeholders for a win/win outcome.
• Working closely with customers to ensure ROI and quality of experience. Customer satisfaction is key for FF to efficiently grow and be recognised as a category leader.
• Staying abreast of trends and changes in the business world locally and internationally. This will involve proactively developing yourself, staying abreast of the changing business/industry landscape.
• Strategy and propositions: Working alongside the team to develop new event propositions, ensure the design is relevant and timely for our partners, and scoping relevant packages.
• CRM management: Working with the team to keep Customer information/records up to date such as interactions, transactions, pipelines, new business account plans.
• Reporting: You are able to use numbers to make an argument and tell a story. Manage sales forecasts and prepare and present analysis on a regular basis.
• Attend/participate in Founders Forum/Tech Nation events and industry relevant seminars, associations, events, conference and competitor events where appropriate. This will involve supporting our partners onsite and may involve international travel.
• Collaborate on cross-group sales as and when required.

Measurements of success will involve:

• Personal and team revenue targets
• Relationship management with key stakeholders at the most senior level
• New business revenue against target/KPIs
• Forecasting accuracy
• Sponsor conversion, retention, and growth

Requirements

• You’ve had 5+ years experience in a sales-related role, with experience selling events, digital media or community programmes.
• You are commercially minded and strategic, able to identify opportunities and craft propositions that fit well with the Founders Forum and Tech Nation brands
• You have experience with typical sales and marketing tools (Salesforce & Hubspot)
• You thrive in fostering relationships and connecting the dots, bringing our community and partners together to create value.
• You are an effective communicator with strong interpersonal skills capable of influencing and managing stakeholders
• You work well in a team and have good leadership skills
• You are able to think critically and flexibly, and make changes where necessary to achieve goals
• You have entrepreneurial drive – you are creative, resilient and proactive
• You are structured, organised, self-driven and able to project manage multiple projects, in a deadline-orientated environment
• You have some knowledge of the tech and/or startup marketplace and are intrigued to know more
• You are based in the UK

Benefits

We offer a range of flexible, discretionary benefits to our team. These currently include:

• 25 days contractual annual leave
• Enhanced discretionary leave provision, including an additional day off for your birthday and leave between Christmas and New Years Day
• The option to work remotely anywhere in the world for 3 weeks/year (1 week at Easter and 2 weeks during July and August)
• Private healthcare package
• Mental health, wellbeing, and learning and development stipends
• Lunch 1x/week, office snacks, and regular team drinks
• Quarterly team activities and annual team trip/day out
• Access to the Founders Forum Group network of businesses and wider tech ecosystem

We currently have a hybrid working model with 4 days spent in the office and 1 day with the option to work remotely/from home.

Founders Forum Group’s Values

Community first

More than just fellow founders. Everything we offer is centred around the founders we work alongside. A goldmine of information, support and opportunity for our community. Our experience and connections allow us to offer unparalleled guidance, advice and events. We are committed to being there for the highs, the lows and everything in between. A trusted ally, driving positive action by championing the people behind great ideas and building real relationships.

Entrepreneurial to our core

Preserving our startup mentality is the key to being able to empathise with and fully support our growing community. Just like the founders we work with, entrepreneurship runs through our veins. We drive change and unearth new ways of thinking by reframing the way we approach an idea. We look at the possibilities of business through a new lens. Seeking out potential in every aspect of life, passionately pursuing new ideas.

Founding the future

We are forward thinkers. Always at the forefront of innovation. Our foot is firmly planted on the accelerator as we gain understanding of what tech is coming and new trends that will shape our lives. We have a hunger for knowledge and find joy in discovery, paving the way for a new way of thinking. This is the room of people you want and need to be in, to drive yourself and your business forward.

Excellence without ego

We don't take ourselves too seriously, but are proud of what we do. We work together, recognising the expertise of those around us, and understand the value in differing points of view. We are committed to excellence and always hold ourselves to the highest standard.