Partnerships Director

We're looking for a Partnerships Director to join our team in New York, New York. This role will help shape and lead Aimé Leon Dore's Partnership team. You will lead a growing team and collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Design, Marketing, Creative, and Legal, among others, to bring strategic partnerships to life—from ideation to launch and beyond.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and own a multi-year partnership strategy that aligns with broader brand and business goals, identifying whitespace opportunities for innovative and disruptive collaborations.
• Proactively identify and vet partnership opportunities based on brand fit, commercial potential, creative scope, and long-term relationship value.
• Stay ahead of emerging industry trends and evolving consumer behaviors to ensure partnerships remain relevant, forward-thinking, and impactful.
• Report regularly to executive leadership on pipeline progress, performance metrics, and partnership ROI.

Team Leadership & Development

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing partnerships team equipped to support a growing and diversified collaboration portfolio.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and KPIs to ensure accountability, alignment, and effectiveness across all partnership initiatives.
Create and continuously improve internal processes, frameworks, and toolkits to streamline partnership scouting, onboarding, and execution.

End-to-End Execution

• Manage the entire lifecycle of partnership projects—from concept development and pitch presentations through negotiations, contract execution, product development, and go-to-market rollouts.
• Lead partnership deal structuring, working closely with Legal to manage contracts, licensing agreements, and intellectual property considerations.
• Oversee production and operational timelines, ensuring collaboration efforts are executed flawlessly, on time, and within budget.
Analyze partnership performance post-launch, gathering insights to refine future strategies and improve effectiveness.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as the central point of contact between ALD and external partners, managing communications and expectations with clarity and professionalism.
• Partner with Product and Creative teams to ensure all collaborations maintain design excellence, brand consistency, and product feasibility.
• Align with Finance on forecasting, budgeting, and revenue modeling for partnership projects; collaborate with Legal on all compliance, rights, and deliverables.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of experience in strategic partnerships, brand marketing, business development, or integrated marketing;
• Demonstrated success in launching high-profile, multi-stakeholder collaborations from scratch with measurable brand and business impact
• Deep understanding of the product development lifecycle, creative processes, and go-to-market mechanics
• Strong background in negotiating and managing complex contracts, licensing/IP agreements, and cross-sector initiatives
• Proven team leader with experience hiring, mentoring, and scaling talent within fast-paced, creative environments
• Exceptional organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to thrive in ambiguity
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; adept at pitching, presenting, and relationship-building
• An articulate and persuasive communicator with strong storytelling instincts
• Comfortable navigating both creative and commercial priorities
• A collaborative team player and trusted leader who inspires confidence

Salary Range: $120,000 - $130,000