Senior Manager, Partnerships and Engagement (California)

Position Summary: The Senior Manager, Partnerships & Engagement (California) will be the Foundation's primary representative on the West Coast, responsible for growing corporate and community partnerships throughout California with an immediate focus on the Foundation's flagship national retail partnership and its major annual giving campaign. This person will lead partnership growth and activation planning across California locations and build a network of local autism nonprofits and direct service organizations that serve as the face of the Foundation at in-store and community activations. This person will also serve as the on-the-ground lead for California signature events including the STARS of the Spectrum Concert Series, LA Marathon endurance events, and a potential California Flutie 5K, and will take on select regional development, marketing, and mission-based growth opportunities as capacity allows.

Responsibilities:

Corporate Partnerships

Partnership Management

·      Manage relationships with existing corporate partners across California, including franchisees, store managers, and owners.

·      Provide support to participating stores and fundraising partners, both in-person and remotely, throughout the year.

·      Contribute to the growth of existing California corporate partnerships and build a pipeline of prospective corporate partners beyond the Foundation's flagship partnership.

Activations

·      Manage the organization and logistics of in-person and remote activations with corporate and autism-serving partners across California.

·      Plan and execute activations that increase fundraising while driving engagement and awareness in the local community.

·      Attend in-person activations at storefronts, businesses, and partner locations to represent the Foundation's mission and support fundraising.

·      Track store-by-store participation, funds raised, and community impact, and report results to Foundation leadership and the national partnership team.

Community Partnerships & Local Nonprofit Engagement (California)

·      Serve as the primary contact for autism-serving nonprofits and direct service organizations participating in California activations, ensuring timely, professional communication and support.

·      Build and grow a pipeline of local nonprofit and direct-service partners so that funds raised in a given community are reinvested there, with these organizations serving as the face of the Foundation at that community's activations.

·      Develop a repeatable process for selecting, briefing, and rotating community partners across activation sites.

·      Ensure community partner relationships and goals are being met at each participating location.

Southern California Mission Development

·      Build and maintain deep knowledge of the Southern California autism and disability services landscape, including direct service providers, regional nonprofits, and advocacy organizations.

·      Create and maintain a working directory of potential community partners by region, capacity, and services offered.

·      Represent the Foundation at regional conferences, meetings, and community events to build visibility and identify new partners.

Signature Events and Initiatives

·      Coordinate the planning and execution of Flutie Foundation signature events — including the STARS of the Spectrum concert and Flutie 5K — covering venue selection, logistics, partner and vendor recruitment, and day-of execution.

·      Advance the Foundation's strategic mission initiatives, including STARS of the Spectrum, by managing relationships with autism self-advocates, families, partner organizations, and sponsors.

·      Support Foundation third-party and peer-to-peer fundraising campaign initiatives, including LA Marathon endurance events, coordinating athlete support, logistics, and race-day execution.

Partnership Growth & National Support

·      Identify and help cultivate additional corporate and cause-marketing partnership opportunities in California beyond the Foundation's flagship partnership.

·      Support national Development team priorities, which may include donor stewardship, third-party fundraising, and other initiatives, as capacity allows.

·      Partner closely with Foundation staff across development, marketing, and mission teams to keep California activity aligned with national strategy.

·      Bring a strategic, growth-oriented lens to California partnership and program development, balancing event execution with longer-term initiative building.

Qualifications

·      Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a customer service mindset.

·      Proficiency in CRM and project management tools such as Monday.com, Bloomerang, RunSignUp, and other Peer-to-Peer Platforms as required (or willingness to learn quickly).

·      Comfortable as a visible, public-facing representative at store and community events; highly organized across many simultaneous partner sites.

·      Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred

·      Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across teams, with vendors, volunteers, and external partners.

·      Basic proficiency with social media and capturing photo/video content for use in posts

·      Financial awareness and comfort with budgets, tracking expenses, and basic reporting.

·      Availability to work occasional evenings and weekends for events.

·      Familiarity with, or ability to quickly learn, the Southern California autism/disability services and nonprofit landscape.

·      Strong communicator able to work independently while staying closely connected to an East Coast–based team.

·      Based in Southern California with the ability to travel regularly across CA and periodically to the Northeast.

·      Passion for the Flutie Foundation’s mission and commitment to inclusion, empowerment, and community for people and families with autism. 

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary range: $70,000–$75,000, commensurate with experience. Benefits include Health, Dental, and Vision insurance; 401(k) with employer match; Flexible PTO and paid holidays; mileage/travel reimbursement for regional travel; and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

To Apply:

Please CLICK HERE to apply. Questions? Please email nsavarese@flutiefoundation.org.