Vice President, Business Development – Strategic Partnerships

Soles4Souls

Vice President of Business Development leading strategic partnerships for Soles4Souls, focusing on retailers, footwear, and apparel brands. Driving product donations, financial contributions, and innovative partnership solutions.

Posted 5/1/2026full-timeRemote • 🇺🇸 United StatesLeadWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Develop and execute strategies to grow a portfolio of corporate partnerships, with a focus on retailers, footwear, and apparel brands.
Drive both product donations and financial contributions, aligning partner goals with Soles4Souls impact model.
Identify opportunities across inventory management, sustainability, and circularity to position Soles4Souls as a strategic partner.
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing business development team, fostering a culture aligned with Soles4Souls’ values.
Set clear goals, KPIs, and accountability measures for team performance.
Mentor team members to strengthen partnership development capabilities and executive presence.
Build team structure and capabilities to support future growth.
Collaborate cross-functionally with leaders across the organization.
Identify, cultivate, and manage relationships with corporate partners to secure long-term, high-impact partnerships.
Build and maintain senior-level relationships across brand, retail, and manufacturing organizations.
Ensure strong partner engagement, retention, and expansion opportunities.
Design and implement partnerships that go beyond product donation, including CSR programs, cause marketing campaigns, and strategic collaborations.
Lead the full partnership lifecycle: prospecting, needs analysis, solution development, pitch, negotiation, and execution.
Create tailored, compelling presentations and proposals aligned to partner priorities.
Drive outreach to corporations to engage them in product philanthropy and responsible inventory solutions.
Represent Soles4Souls at industry events, conferences, and within key retail and footwear networks.
Leverage market insights and relationships to unlock new partnership opportunities.
Partner with CSR, marketing, supply chain, and sustainability teams within partner organizations to build integrated programs.
Collaborate internally across marketing, logistics/operations, finance, and leadership to ensure successful execution.
Contribute to executive strategy, board materials, and organizational planning.
Establish and achieve product acquisition and cause marketing goals, metrics, and milestones.
Track and report on performance, including footwear and apparel-specific KPIs.
Own the business development budget, including forecasting, scenario planning, and resource allocation aligned to strategic priorities.
Manage financial performance against revenue and product targets, providing regular reporting to senior leadership.
Support long-term strategic planning processes.

Requirements

What you’ll need

10+ years of experience in business development, corporate partnerships, or sales
Strong experience within retail, footwear, and/or apparel industries preferred
Proven success leading and developing high-performing teams
Demonstrated success building and managing enterprise-level partnerships with global brands
Experience managing budgets and aligning financial performance with strategic goals
Established network within the retail and brand ecosystem is a plus
Experience with product-driven partnerships, including inventory, supply chain, or sustainability initiatives
Demonstrated ability to close complex deals in entrepreneurial or fast-paced environments
Strong communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills
Passion for product philanthropy, sustainability, and purpose-driven work
Valid driver’s license

Benefits

Comp & perks

medical insurance with 72.5% employer coverage
HRA account
100% dental insurance & vision coverage
long-term disability
life insurance
401K with up to 6% employer match
professional development benefits
open FTO
paid parental leave

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

business developmentcorporate partnershipssalesbudget managementnegotiationKPI trackingproduct philanthropysustainability initiativesinventory managementcause marketing

Soft Skills

leadershipteam developmentcommunicationstakeholder managementmentoringcollaborationstrategic planningrelationship managementgoal settingexecutive presence

Certifications

valid driver’s license