Partnerships Lead

About This Role

Strava is the leading digital community for active people with more than 125 million athletes, in more than 190 countries. The platform offers a holistic view of your active lifestyle, no matter where you live, which sport you love and/or what device you use. Everyone belongs on Strava when they are pursuing an active life.

Come join the team working to unlock the next generation of storytellers and creators across sport and connected fitness. Content is the backbone of Strava today. Every activity shared and the story around it is a chance to inspire, motivate and connect through a common love of adventure and the athletic experience.

We are looking for a passionate Partnerships Lead to build out and execute our US strategy with key creators, community builders, brand partners and event organizers in sport. The ideal candidate is strategic-minded and capable of fostering significant partnerships within various categories. They are adept at identifying growth prospects and staying up-to-date with the latest trends in the sports industry, all while accurately assessing the outcomes of their efforts. This person understands the critical role that partners play in a network and the importance of activating the right athletes, groups and events to drive the growth and retention of our community.

Our team is fast, nimble and requires a creative and entrepreneurial mindset. You will manage a team of 2 U.S.-based Partner Managers who work closely with creators, pros, industry representatives and media companies shaping the digital landscape. This role is highly cross-functional and will work closely with Communications, Marketing, and global counterparts, as well as our Product and Engineering teams, to reimagine how our community motivates, connects and inspires.

This is a hybrid role based in our San Francisco office, with some travel (approximately 25%) required.

For more information on compensation and benefits, please click here.

You’re excited about this opportunity because you will:

• Define and lead end-to-end development of our partnerships strategy in the U.S., keeping your finger on the pulse of creator, industry and cultural evolutions to ensure Strava is well positioned to meet the needs of our current community and future growth audiences.
• Build and cultivate new relationships with high profile and diverse creators and their agents—the current and future storytellers, professional athletes, experts, and community builders in sport—to build their value through Strava.
• Drive product adoption through strategic partnerships with the most important U.S.-based digital creators, agents, event organizers, brands and digital content organizations relevant to our industry.
• Collaborate with internal product, business, marketing and country teams working across the emerging connected fitness ecosystem to identify opportunities and help deliver cohesive programs and partner-focused product improvements.
• Partner closely with the StratOps team to develop strategies and build scalable systems (workshops, programs, content) to reach more creators and organizations with education and resources; and be able to measure, report and connect the success of our partners to broader business trends and larger company initiatives.

You will be successful here by:

• Established creator and/or community relationships and known reputation for being an expert with a certain cohort of creators, ideally in running, cycling and the broader connected fitness and wellness industry.
• Proven track record to lead and negotiate sophisticated partnership agreements, including identifying strategic opportunities, managing stakeholder relationships, and navigating legal and financial terms to drive mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Experience recognizing creators that are about to break as well as a track record of mentoring and developing digital talent.
• Experience using data and analytics in the service of larger initiatives — ability to track, analyze and communicate key metrics and business trends.
• Experience articulating creator culture and feedback to internal stakeholders; knowledge of the talent and influencer space and the evolving players in the space.
• Expert knowledge of all social media platforms and how creators create content.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams to develop creative partner activations and moments.
• Experience in external facing roles; ability to represent Strava at events and industry functions with strong presentation skills.
• Deep passion for Strava and the health and wellness of the world’s athletes; you may not be a creator, but you understand the landscape and believe that high quality and inspiring content is important.

We’re excited about you because:

• 8+ years experience at a social media platform and/or in partnerships, working directly with creators (athletes, experts, public figures, podcasters, etc), content and talent management.
• BA/BS degree or equivalent experience in media and digital industry.
• Experience working in a fast paced, scrappy environment, thriving amidst ambiguity while ensuring executional excellence.
• 3+ years experience in managing and mentoring a team of high-performing individuals, with a strong track record of fostering collaboration, driving accountability, and achieving exceptional results through effective leadership.
• Proven track record of influencing cross-functionally and across all levels of management.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated experience thinking strategically about complex issues, leading to thoughtful recommendations and action plans.
• Deep knowledge of evolution in content, creators and platforms for reaching audiences.

About Strava

Strava is Swedish for “strive,” which epitomizes who we are and what we do. We’re a passionate and committed team, unified by our mission to connect athletes to what motivates them and help them find their personal best. With billions of activity uploads from all over the world, we have a humbling and adventurous vision: to be the record of the world’s athletic activities and the technology that makes every effort count.

Strava builds software that makes the best part of our athletes’ days even better. Just as we’re deeply committed to unlocking their potential, we’re dedicated to providing a world-class, inclusive workplace where our employees can grow and thrive, too. We’re backed by Sequoia Capital, TCV, Madrone Partners and Jackson Square Ventures, and we’re expanding in order to exceed the needs of our growing community of global athletes. Our culture reflects our community. We are continuously striving to hire and engage diverse teammates from all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives because we know we are a stronger team together.

Despite challenges in the world around us, we are continuing to grow camaraderie and positivity within our culture, and we are unified in our commitment to becoming an antiracist company. We are differentiated by our truly people-first approach, our compassionate leadership, and our belief that we can bring joy and inspiration to athletes’ lives — now more than ever. All to say, it’s a great time to join Strava!

Strava is an equal opportunity employer. In keeping with the values of Strava, we make all employment decisions including hiring, evaluation, termination, promotional and training opportunities, without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, physical handicap, mental disability, medical condition, disability, gender or identity or expression, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, marital status, height and/or weight.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

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