Associate Vice President, Development and Strategic Partnerships

The Associate Vice President (AVP) of Development & Strategic Partnerships provides senior leadership for United Way of Central Maryland’s corporate fundraising and partnership strategy. This role leads the Development Division’s corporate engagement team, managing relationship managers while also stewarding a personal portfolio of high-value corporate partners.

The AVP is responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive, multi-year corporate fundraising and partnership strategy that drives sustainable revenue growth, deepens corporate investment, and strengthens United Way’s brand and community impact. This includes refining UWCM’s approach to strategic partnerships across philanthropic giving, sponsorships, in-kind contributions, employee engagement, and shared-value collaborations.

Serving as a key organizational leader, the AVP fosters cross-divisional collaboration to deliver integrated partnership solutions that align corporate priorities with community needs. The role represents United Way of Central Maryland with senior corporate leaders and external stakeholders at the local and regional levels, cultivating long-term institutional relationships that advance the organization’s mission.

This role combines strategy, leadership, and frontline relationship management to strengthen corporate partnerships, grow revenue, and deepen United Way’s long-term impact in the community.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

50% Strategic Corporate Partner Growth & Engagement

• Lead the development and execution of a corporate partnership growth strategy focused on deepening engagement, increasing investment, and securing multi-year commitments from an existing portfolio of corporate partners.
• Evaluate current partners for expansion potential based on business alignment, engagement history, workforce priorities, and CSR objectives.
• Segment the corporate portfolio by industry, partnership level, and engagement maturity to guide tailored growth and renewal strategies.

• Collaborate with Major Gifts leadership to align engagement strategies for corporate partners that have overlapping individual, executive, or board-level relationships.
• Collaborate with membership, marketing, research and other United Way teams to deliver integrated partnership solutions including sponsorships, employee engagement opportunities, and community impact initiatives.
• Secure unrestricted and program-specific corporate donations through grants, sponsorships, and employee engagement initiatives.
• Facilitate regular portfolio review sessions focused on renewal readiness, partner satisfaction, and growth opportunities.
• Ensure internal stakeholders are aligned around clear relationship ownership, shared goals, and consistent messaging to corporate partners.
• Ensure consistent and effective use of the CRM and establish clear standards for documenting roles, engagement activity, relationship ownership, and partnership history.
• Support the CEO, CDO, and Board of Directors in their corporate engagement efforts.
• Monitor and evaluate corporate and institutional fundraising trends, adjusting strategies to reflect best practices and emerging opportunities in philanthropy.
• Establishes, tracks, and achieves personal and team performance objectives as defined by corresponding performance metrics for revenue generation, donor engagement, and corporate relations strategies.
• Prepare and deliver regular reports, presentations, value communications and for internal and external stakeholders.

30% Management of Relationship Manager Team

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of relationship managers to achieve individual and collective fundraising, engagement, and partnership goals.
• Provide day-to-day supervision, including goal setting, performance management, feedback, and professional development to build a high-performing, mission-driven team.
• Support relationship managers in building and stewarding corporate and/or individual donor portfolios, ensuring consistent, high-quality donor experiences and long-term relationship growth.
• Ensure collaboration between relationship managers with Major Gifts, membership and other United Way teams to deliver integrated partnership solutions.
• Translate organizational fundraising strategy into clear team priorities, actionable plans, and measurable outcomes.
• Partner with senior development leadership to set revenue targets, track progress, and adjust strategies as needed to meet or exceed goals.
• Ensure best practices in donor stewardship, solicitation, and data management, including accurate and timely CRM use.
• Accompany and mentor relationship managers in donor meetings, presentations, and solicitations to build confidence and fundraising skills.
• Represent United Way at community, corporate, and volunteer events as needed to support relationship managers and advance fundraising efforts.
• Promote a culture of accountability, learning, and inclusion that reflects United Way’s values and commitment to equity.

20% Account Management

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for a portfolio of corporate partners, delivering strategic, high-touch account management that increases engagement and philanthropic investment at both the corporate and individual levels.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with C-suite executives, corporate leaders, employee campaign coordinators, ambassadors, donors, and prospective donors.
• Achieve assigned annual revenue, participation, retention, and engagement goals while contributing to the success of United Way’s overall campaign.
• Lead donor and partner conversations that deepen relationships, strengthen stewardship, and drive increased and sustained support.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of corporate, donor, and financial activity in the Development CRM system.
• Collaborate with Major Gifts, membership and other United Way teams to deliver integrated partnership solutions.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:

Education and/or Experience: Bachelor’s Degree and seven (7) years related experience in fundraising, including direct solicitation of six- and seven-figure gifts or sales/business development; institutional (foundation/corporate) fundraising experience strongly preferred. At least 4 years of management or leadership experience is desirable, customer relationship management, marketing, communications. High proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite is required. Mastery of in-person and virtual presentation technology is also required. Knowledge and application of CRM systems, electronic payments/pledging, performance tracking/reporting, and communications tools are a plus.

Language & Communications: Must be comfortable and adept in communicating with all levels of corporate partner staff, from front-line employees to executive management. Ability to develop and present high-quality presentations to a variety of group attendees and group sizes – from one-on-one to large meetings of 100+, in-person and virtually. Strong verbal and written communication skills are required as is the ability to persuasively present UWCM messaging verbally and in writing, adeptly respond to questions, and act as a positive and professional representative of United Way.

Personal Attributes:

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies to perform the essential functions of this position and achieve high performance:Mission focused – the ability to create real social change that leads to better lives and healthier communities.
Relationship oriented –an understanding that people come before process and is astute in cultivating and managing relationships toward a common goal.
Collaborator – understands the role and contribution of all sectors of the community and can mobilize resources through meaningful engagement.
Results driven – dedicated to shared and measurable goals for the common good, creating, resourcing, scaling, and leveraging strategies and innovations.
Brand steward – a steward of the brand and understands his/her role in growing and protecting the reputation and results of the greater network.
Strategic relationship building – develops and maintains strategic relationships that generate the resources necessary to support United Way’s mission.
Embracing and managing change – champions and facilitates change to ensure long-term community sustainability. He/she adapts successfully to changing needs while maintaining positive relationships with all constituents, internal and external.
Entrepreneurial and innovative – creatively seeks new opportunities to generate revenue and other resources that add greater value to the organization and the community.

Mathematical Skills: Ability to understand and calculate sales performance to goals. Ability to assess performance targets and potential opportunities, track, and report progress to goal.

Reasoning and Self-Management: Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills are required. Ability to assess complex situations and identify the critical components and dynamics to design creative and appropriate responses with options and solutions. Ability to work effectively with different temperaments/work styles and work independently and as a member of a team. Ability to manage issues and crisis calmly and effectively is necessary. Must be highly organized and able to plan and prioritize personal and team workloads to maximize use of time and meet varied, multiple needs.

Leadership: Ability to hire, train, and grow direct reports skills and performance. Positive attitude and self-confidence. Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to assess issues and develop plans and tactics to address those issues. Willingness to step up and support organizational goals and needs outside specific job criteria.

Other Critical Skills: Knowledge of the Central Maryland area with a strong network of relationships is preferred. Ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion and sound judgment to manage sensitive donors, internal and employee information is required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Employee is regularly required to talk or hear; sit; use hands to finger, handle, and feel; and reach with hands and arms. Must be able to lift up to 40lbs and make verbal presentations to groups (between 10-200 people). Specific vision abilities required by this job include appropriate vision needed to drive as required for a valid driver’s license.

ONBOARDING REQUIREMENTS:

Completion of Development Division orientation and systems training.

SALARY RANGE: $90,000 – $95,000