US Director of Partnerships

We're putting together a talented team to build the #1 training platform for Runners

We help everyday runners become outstanding by providing world-class training, coaching and community for everyone, whether you're improving your 5k time or training for your first marathon. To date we have built iOS, Android and Apple watch apps that help people achieve their goals by coaching them through the full journey and syncing to their favourite fitness devices.

We’re growing extremely fast and in November 2023 closed a new £5M funding round led by JamJar with participation from Eka Ventures, Venrex and Creator Ventures. We want to grow as fast as we can into the future and are looking for individuals who will help us get there. For more about our background and growth check out our Careers Page!

We’re now looking ahead to the future and the people who want to help us build and scale Runna. Our aim is to reach millions of subscribers in the next 5 years and be the go-to training platform for any runner. Now is a magical time to join, we're still small, and everyone makes a foundational difference.

Requirements

Who we’re looking for

We’re seeking an experienced, dynamic, and driven Director of Partnerships, US to lead our partnership go-to-market (GTM) channel – a key growth area for Runna. This role will be based in the US (Ideally Boston, otherwise with a maximum with 6 - 7 hour time difference to our London HQ) and will be crucial to expanding our presence, particularly in the US market.

You will be responsible for owning the entire partnerships channel and working with the team to develop new opportunities and manage relationships with key partners, including top marathon events (e.g. New York Road Runners), fitness brands (e.g. Brooks), and tech companies (e.g. Strava, Garmin). You will report directly to our Chief Operating Officer (COO), Josh who leads all of Runna’s GTM functions, and work very closely with Katie (Head of Partnerships, based in UK) and Louis (GM, North America).

As Director of Partnerships, your role will include:

1. Developing and Executing the Partnerships Strategy

• You will be responsible for working with the UK team to shape the overarching strategy of our partnerships GTM stream, and ensuring that this strategy is consistent and aligned to our overall company and growth ambitions.
• You will need to help drive our reporting to ensure we can clearly see how successful and viable each of our our partnerships are and where there is scope for improvement.

2. Winning (and fulfilling) new business, and maximising our existing partnership relationships

• You will work to expand our partnerships portfolio across races, brands and technology companies. This will involve breaking upon the door for new partnerships (through existing contacts you have), leading commercials negotiations, and demonstrating the ability to work cross-functionally / inspire action from the wider teams (e.g., social content and ambassadors, tech team) to get deals over the line / fulfil them as necessary.
• You will be responsible for working with the team to deliver as much value as we can for partners such that we have a reputation as the #1 partner in the industry; if required, you will be the key escalation point for our partners to support them on all partnership matters

3. Leading and Scaling the Partnerships Team, and acting as a leader to the broader team

• You’ll be managing a talented and expanding team across the UK and US (currently 3-4 team members, including the Head of Partnerships). We expect you to drive team growth and ensure that all team members are developing, learning, and achieving their full potential.
• Equally, you will be responsible for being a culture carrier to the UK and US teams. Each day, you should live and breath our Runna values.

What experience we’re looking for

If you don’t quite meet all of the below skills, we’d still love to hear from you as we might be able to tweak the role slightly or offer you a position better suited for you. You can apply directly below or contact us if you’re still unsure.

A degree isn’t required for this role, but we do need you to have 5 - 10 years of solid experience, particularly in the fitness industry, and connections in the running space.

About you:

• You have experience in partnerships, particularly within the running, industry - with established connections in marathons, brands, and tech companies.
• You’re a proven leader with experience managing and scaling a team (and take their development seriously)
• You’re strategic, with a track record of successfully executing growth strategies through partnerships
• You are data and results-driven. You’ve got experience analysing the success of B2B(2C) partnerships from a commercial perspective whilst maintaining strong relationships
• You’re proactive, organized, and ready to roll up your sleeves to make things happen
• You’re passionate about running and want to help build the leading training platform for runners

Interview process

Our aim is to keep the interview process as straightforward and enjoyable as possible, and will consist of the following stages:

1. Kick off! Please apply via Workable!
2. Introductory chat (30 minutes video call with @Nat [head of people and talent])
3. Introductory chat (30 minutes video call with @Josh [COO])
4. Take home task (~60 minutes)
5. Interview (60 minutes video call with @Josh / @Katie [head of partnerships])
6. In-person chat (30-60 minutes with @Lou [US GM]). If this doesn’t work, can be remote!
7. Office visit to our London HQ 🇬🇧  (in-person chat with founders and the rest of the team). If for whatever reason this doesn’t work, we’ll fly out to you.

Once the process is finished, we promise to let you know our decision as soon as possible.

Benefits

Benefits and options

We offer a competitive salary of $115k - $160K dependent on location and experience, plus equity in the form of Runna stock options.

We'll be growing our package of benefits over time. We currently offer:

• Flexible working (we typically work 2-3 days in our office in Harvard Square)
• Salary reviews every 6 months or whenever we raise more investment
• 22 days of holiday plus bank holidays
• A workplace pension scheme
• A brand new Macbook, a running watch of your choice, and anything else you need to do your best work
• Private health insurance
• Enhanced family care policy (3 months fully paid leave when a new Runna joins the family, fertility support & other benefits)
• An hour slot each week (during work time) to do a Runna workout

Still have questions? Check out our Careers Page and FAQ.