Program Associate, Strategic Partnerships

About FIRE

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression(FIRE) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending liberty, freedom of speech, due process, academic freedom, legal equality, and freedom of conscience on our nation’s college campuses. Please visit thefire.org to gain a sense of our work and mission.

Position Description

FIRE is seeking a Program Associate for our Strategic Partnerships team. This individual will collaborate with teams across FIRE to capitalize on opportunities, identify gaps in the marketplace, and build strategic partnerships. The Program Associate will also manage FIRE’s speakers bureau, as well as provide administrative support for evaluating partners and proposals, events and conferences, and maintain metrics for reporting.   

The Program Associate will report directly to FIRE’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, while working closely with teams across the organization.

The duties for this position include, but are not limited to:

• Research and lead-sourcing

• Collaborating with internal teams at FIRE to understand the opportunities and gaps they’ve identified
• Researching, identifying, and proposing opportunities for future partnerships
• Managing vetting partners and proposals
• Staying up to date with ongoing work from other departments at FIRE to proactively identify opportunities for collaboration

• Administrative duties

• Overseeing administrative duties related to partnerships including contracts, payments, etc.
• Creating and managing a system for tracking metrics related to our partnerships and events
• Managing the ordering of inventory for items related to conferences and external events
• Assisting with reporting to internal and external stakeholders, digest updates, board reports, KPIs, etc.

• Portfolio support

• Assisting with projects related to existing partnerships such as content drafting, copy editing, research, etc. 
• Assisting with the management of timelines and deliverables for existing partnerships

• Event and conference support
  • Representing FIRE at various conferences to find new potential partners
  • Directly managing or assisting with several conferences throughout the year including sponsorships, payments, communication with organizations, materials, budgeting, metrics, and staffing
  • Supporting FIRE’s external events as needed including drafting invitations, assembling invite lists, coordinating with hosts or speakers, preparing swag or literature as needed, and identifying opportunities for events
• Speakers Bureau
  • Managing the intake of requests for FIRE staff to speak at events
  • Negotiating honorarium and expenses for speaking engagements
  • Identifying opportunities to elevate our speakers and increase visibility of the speakers bureau
  • Tracking metrics relevant to speaking engagements such as requests, honorarium, and travel expense payments

The expected start date for this position is as soon as possible.

Qualifications

A successful candidate will have a college degree in a related field. Experience in a nonprofit organization with a similar mission and/or experience working with diverse audiences is preferred.  Most importantly, the candidate must demonstrate a knowledge and passion for FIRE’s mission. 

A candidate must also be able to demonstrate:

• The ability to articulate FIRE’s mission to familiar and unfamiliar audiences
• Strong communication skills, particularly written 
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects at once
• The ability to comfortably use Google Docs and Sheets
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt to changing situations
• The ability to work well under pressure 
• The ability to engage with leadership and stakeholders
• The ability to communicate and coordinate with different departments within FIRE to achieve shared goals 
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team
• The ability to identify and propose new ideas
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Willingness to learn CRM and event management software.

Salary and Compensation

Starting salary is negotiable and depends upon experience and education level. FIRE conducts periodic evaluations where employees may receive raises or bonuses for outstanding and excellent work. FIRE also offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes employer-paid comprehensive health, dental, and life insurance; a Section 125 Flexible Spending Account option; matching retirement contributions; and a generous paid time-off plan.

Applications 

Applicants should provide a resume and cover letter, salary requirements, and contact information for at least two professional references. All applications are confidential. 

FIRE is an equal opportunity employer.