Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager
Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager
Somerset House does not receive any core public funding, therefore income from partnerships is especially important. We have an excellent track record of working with corporate partners, including a number of Awards at the UK Sponsorship Awards, and have ambitious plans to grow the number and value of corporate partnerships in the coming years.
Working in close collaboration with the Head of Development, the Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager will have a systematic approach to cultivation, stewardship and engagement in support of Somerset House. They will excel at building relationships, account managing a portfolio of existing partners, as well as cultivating a pipeline of prospective partners with a view to converting these into new business.
Somerset House is an inspiring cause to support, and there is a real opportunity to create rewarding associations with corporate partners across activity including public programming, artist studios and our work developing pathways for young people into the creative industries.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy
- Lead the development and delivery of the overall Corporate Partnerships strategy, across membership, sponsorship and corporate philanthropy, working closely with the Head of Development to align this with the long-term vision and income targets for the Development department
- Oversee the corporate pipeline ensuring clear prioritisation, systematic cultivation plans, and strategic focus on high-value opportunities
- Working with the Senior Stewardship Manager, develop rights and stewardship frameworks for corporate partnerships that deliver meaningful partner experience whilst balancing cost of delivery
- Work strategically with the Commercial teams to embed ways of working which encourage commercial clients to continue and deepen their engagement as corporate partners
- Contribute to departmental financial planning through oversight of Corporate Partnerships income targets, pipeline forecasting, and long-term growth projections
- Oversee corporate alignment and reputational risk across partnerships, escalating where appropriate to the Head of Development and Senior Leadership
Account Management
- Act as key relationship manager for all corporate sponsors and partners, providing outstanding donor care and cultivating long-term strategic alliances that extend beyond single projects
- In collaboration with the Senior Stewardship Manager and Partnerships Coordinator, oversee partnership delivery to ensure measurable impact and strong partner satisfaction
- With the Partnerships Coordinator oversee accurate tracking of partner benefits, contractual delivery and CRM data integrity across the portfolio
- Work with the Senior Stewardship Manager and Partnerships Coordinator to deliver strategic and impactful corporate communications
- Work with the Senior Stewardship Manager to ensure evaluation and reporting is strategic, insightful and delivered to partners in a timely manner
- Review and improve account management tools, reporting frameworks and cross-departmental processes to strengthen consistency and effectiveness
- Liaising with Somerset House Trust’s Head of Legal, negotiate and finalise sponsorship and partnership contracts
New Business
- Grow and manage a personal portfolio of constituents, using systematic processes and solicitation plans for the identification, cultivation and stewardship of donors and prospects
- Drive pipeline development through market insight, sector analysis, and networking to position Somerset House as a key cultural partner for corporate companies
- Identify, develop, and secure high-value corporate partnerships across Somerset House programmes and key institutional priorities, with a focus on multi-year strategic partnerships
- Lead the development of well-crafted and persuasive proposals and decks aligned with corporate objectives and Somerset House’s mission
- Work collaboratively with the Director, Head of Development and Trustees to strategically cultivate and steward key corporate contacts, preparing briefings and cultivation plans as necessary
- Review the current corporate membership offering, with a view to refreshing this scheme and increasing both numbers and value
Operations & Data
- Provide regular reports, updates and analysis on your portfolio including financial reporting and pipeline analysis
- Record all relationships, activity, pledges, donations and contracts promptly and accurately on the CRM system
- Ensure compliance with the Fundraising Code of Practice, GDPR and Somerset House’s Fundraising Policy
- With the Partnerships Coordinator, oversee due diligence and prospect research for corporate partners, producing detailed reports to support cultivation, engagement and risk management
Leadership
- Represent Somerset House at industry events and networking opportunities to build strategic corporate relationships
- Work collaboratively with the Senior Brand Partnerships Manager to manage the workflow of the Partnerships Coordinator
- Develop strong internal relationships in order to support fundraising activity and relationship management
- Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required in the post
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable track record of cultivating corporate support, working to income targets and securing contracts / partnerships at the five and six-figure level
- Experience of managing, creating and shaping corporate membership schemes
- Account management experience in a commercial or not-for-profit setting
- Evidence of successful delivery of stewardship and cultivation activity
- Excellent working knowledge of fundraising best practice, including GDPR and the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Practice
Desirable
- Experience of securing gifts at the seven-figure level
- Experience of fundraising or account management in the arts or creative sectors
Skills
- Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to negotiate, collaborate and influence internal and external stakeholders
- Excellent written skills with the ability to craft compelling proposals and decks
- Confidence in establishing and managing complex stakeholder relationships, with ability to negotiate and manage expectations
- Meticulous attention to detail
- Tact and discretion
- Strong networking skills and ability to build relationships at a variety of different levels
- Willingness to work collaboratively to strengthen and implement Somerset House’s Development strategy and to shape compelling team-wide funding propositions
- Excellent administration skills and ability to manage a wide and varied workload
- Confident CRM system user (Raiser’s Edge NXT and Tessitura in particular)
- Strong financial literacy and experience of reporting on fundraising activity and the value of the prospect pipeline
Benefits
Mental Health & Wellbeing
- Contribution towards eye tests and glasses
-Trust life insurance scheme
- We offer winter flu vaccination vouchers
* dependent on the needs of the role
Holiday
Other Leave
Benefits
Discounts, offers and free stuff
-The list is endless and includes tickets to Somerset House events and entrance to other London Heritage sites
-
-Discounts in Somerset House cafes and restaurants
-Discounts with various high street retailers and restaurants
-Discounts to local leisure centres
*following 3 months of employment
About Somerset House Trust
Somerset House is actively anti-racist and you can read about our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging
here. We are working hard to ensure our people, our onsite community and our sector reflect, represent and include all of society.
Our Commitment to Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging:
discrimination
in the initial screening stage of our recruitment process. This reinforces our commitment to focusing on the skills and qualifications of all applications from the start.
We're committed to creating an inclusive recruitment process. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to help you perform at your best. We're open to adjusting our process to accommodate your needs please email people.team@somersethouse.org.uk.
The Trust reserves the right to close a job before its application deadline.
Please only apply if you have the right to work in the UK; the Trust cannot currently offer sponsorships.
And finally.... the use of AI in your application
In your application, we want to hear from you in your own voice about your skills, experience, and how you align with the job expectations and desire to work at Somerset House Trust. All applications are reviewed by members of our team.
Documents
Our Hiring Process
Don't worry if you don't see any roles you want to apply for now. Register your interest to allow us to contact you when a suitable role meeting your criteria comes along. Unfortunately, the Trust cannot sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.