Partner Relationships Manager

About the role

Free Wheelchair Mission (FWM) is a humanitarian, faith-based, non-profit organization based in Irvine, California, USA. Our mission is to “Transform lives through the gift of mobility to people with disabilities living in developing nations as motivated by Jesus Christ.” We are focused and committed to being a leading provider of mobility in developing countries, bringing transformation that opens doors to education, employment opportunities, and community.

This position will focus on the management, cultivation, and growth of FWM’s working relationships with its international distribution partners and suppliers. The Partner Relationships Manager will manage an assigned portfolio of partners and suppliers, leading communication and strategy implementation to support them in executing successful distributions. The role involves working closely with FWM’s internationally based independent contractors and the Programs Operations & Compliance team to ensure distribution partnerships are retained in good standing, aligned with FWM’s mission, and growing in distribution capacity.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the main point of contact for an assigned portfolio of distribution partners and gift-in-kind suppliers, managing partner strategy, needs, orders, scheduling, and documentation.
• Build and maintain strong, supportive, and mission-aligned relationships.
• Facilitate strategic communication and meetings for FWM and partner c-suite and senior executive leadership.
• Manage strategy for regular communication and work closely with internationally based independent contractors to facilitate check-ins, virtual, and in-person trainings.
• Support partners in navigating FWM’s distribution process and reporting requirements with the help of FWM’s international independent contractors.
• Collaborate with the Senior Programs Compliance Manager to manage partners’ understanding and adherence to FWM’s compliance guidelines and program audits.
• Work with the Logistics Manager and Senior Programs Compliance Manager to track partner distribution projections.
• Work with the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager to track partner performance and progress toward goals.
• Identify opportunities for partner development and recommend resources or assistance.
• Identify new partnership prospects, review partner applications, and implement annual and long-term partner growth strategy as outlined by the Director of Programs Partnerships.
• Manage the new and recurring partner contractual agreement process.
• Assist the Senior Programs Compliance Manager with onboarding new partners and integrating them into FWM systems and expectations.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date assigned partner records and correspondence in the database (Salesforce).
• Work with team members to prepare internal reports, dashboards, and updates for senior leadership.
• Encourage and facilitate impact reporting through the collection of photos, stories, and impact data to support marketing and development needs.
• Collaborate with leadership on key partnership initiatives, such as potential Vision Trips, webinars, events, and global conferences.
• Travel approximately 20% of the time, or as required, to maintain strong relationships.
• Perform other administrative duties as assigned in support of daily job duties by direct supervisor.
• Participate in offsite staff development and fundraising events, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Share the message of Free Wheelchair Mission and our vision.

Requirements

• Must be bilingual in Spanish (ability to read, write, and speak professionally).
• B.A. Degree required – M.A. preferred, in a relevant background.
• Minimum of 2 years in nonprofit program or development work.
• Intermediate computer skills in MS Word, Outlook, and Excel are a MUST; Salesforce skills are a plus.
• Ability to work as part of a team, interact diplomatically, and build relationships with diverse partners, agents, and groups both domestically and internationally.
• Outstanding verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

Physical Demands

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

Pay

Compensation is dependent upon qualifications and experience, with an annual salary range of $65,000–$80,000.