Senior Manager - Partnership Development

The Sr Manager of Partnership Development is responsible for identifying, structuring, and advancing high-impact digital partnerships that support brand growth, improve guest experience, and expand Inspire Brands’ digital ecosystem. 

Reporting to the Head of Partnerships, this role is primarily focused on partnership development—from opportunity sourcing through business case development and deal execution—while working closely with cross functional partners to ensure partnerships are positioned for successful implementation and long-term value. 

This role operates at the intersection of commercial development, strategic analysis, and cross-functional collaboration, serving as a key driver of Inspire’s digital partnership pipeline across advertising, loyalty, payments, and fulfillment. 

*This position requires being onsite 4 days per week, typically Monday- Thursday.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Partnership Development (Primary Focus) 

• Identify, source, and engage potential strategic partners aligned to digital, loyalty, media, payments, and guest experience priorities across Inspire brands.  

• Own the front-end partnership development process, including opportunity discovery, partner outreach, and early-stage evaluation. 

• Develop clear, data-driven business cases for partnership opportunities, assessing strategic fit, financial upside, guest impact, operational feasibility, and risk. 

• Structure partnership proposals, including value exchange models, commercial terms, success metrics, and high-level operating assumptions. 

• Prepare executive-ready materials and recommendations to support prioritization and decision-making. 

Cross-Functional Alignment & Deal Advancement 

• Partner closely with Product, Technology, Marketing, Loyalty, Finance, Legal, and Operations teams to validate feasibility and refine partnership models prior to launch.  

• Support negotiations by aligning internal stakeholders, clarifying requirements, and ensuring partnerships are structured for scalability and long-term value. 

• Collaborate with Finance to support financial modeling, forecasting, and investment trade-off discussions. 

• Ensure smooth handoff from deal development to partnership implementation, working in close coordination with the Head of Partnerships and partnership management leads. 

Portfolio & Performance Support 

• Monitor early performance indicators for newly launched partnerships and support optimization recommendations. 

• Track market trends, competitive activity, and emerging partnership models to inform pipeline development and innovation opportunities. 

• Contribute to the evolution of standardized partnership development tools, templates, and processes to increase efficiency and decision quality. 

EDUCATIONAL & EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS

• 4 yr degree in business, marketing, economics, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred. 

• 7 years of experience in partnership development, business development, strategy, or commercial roles, preferably within B2C, digital, or consumer brands. 

• Demonstrated experience building financially grounded business cases and advancing complex, cross-functional deals. 

• Strong understanding of digital ecosystems, including loyalty, media/advertising, payments, or platform partnerships (experience in restaurant, retail, or hospitality is a plus). 

• Highly analytical with the ability to translate data into compelling, executive-level narratives. 

• Proven ability to influence across a matrixed organization without direct authority. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with comfort presenting to senior leaders and external partners. 

• Self-starter who thrives in ambiguity and brings a proactive, ownership-oriented mindset. 

 

Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,000 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC restaurants worldwide.

We’re made up of some of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands, but we’re much more than just a restaurant company. We’re a team of hundreds of thousands who individually and collectively are changing the way people eat, drink, and gather around the table. We know that food is much more than a staple—it’s an experience. At Inspire, that’s our purpose: to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences.