Our passion is to help startups succeed and that’s why we built the ultimate startup ecosystem: industry-specific accelerator programs, year-round investments, 500+ corporate partners, and hundreds of VCs in our network.

Simply put, we give startups the best possible chance to thrive and drive change in their industries.

Plug and Play is the world’s largest platform connecting large, innovative corporations with top startups disrupting fashion, consumer packaged goods, food service, quick service restaurants, retail, media, entertainment and advertising.

Our Plug and Play team is searching for a Corporate Partnerships Manager to be based in Chicago. The Corporate Partnerships Manager develops, maintains and expands the relationships between Plug and Play and the corporations. This role provides the unique opportunity to collaborate with top executives at all the innovative, major corporations, understand their needs for open, external innovation and engage with the startup community via our evolving programs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

New Business Development:
Identify growth opportunities, forge and develop relationships to enable continued rapid growth of Plug and Play
Manage and track a growth pipeline with large corporations

Contract Negotiation/Closing:
Work with the sales team and vertical director to close corporate partnership contracts from sourcing to contract signing.
Collaborate with ventures and partner success for effective onboarding of new partners.
Produce, organize and maintain internal and external sales and marketing materials like presentation decks, case studies, competitive intelligence and contact lists

Industry Though Leadership and Research:
Become a thought leader and drive the narrative for innovation, startups and venture capital in the industries to drive qualified inbound
Conduct research to identify new markets and industry sectors, conducting in-depth business analysis to identifying new competitive opportunities

Sales Leadership:
Manage and recruit junior sales staff, including corporate partnership associates.
Help define the next generation of products and services offered via our platform as part of the longest running program at Plug and Play AND go after green field opportunities with one of the newest programs.

Qualifications
Min of 3 years prior experience selling technology products into corporations or selling Corporate solutions
Experience with B2B based partnerships in Retail, Brand, Media and/or Advertising
An expansive network of clients where you have sold corporate solutions in the past
MBA studies in an United States University is a plus
Proven track record of effectively negotiating multi-million dollar business agreements and developing business relationships that impact company performance
Ability to manage complex projects and multi-task with excellent organization skills

Pays attention to both details and macro-level outcomes
Comfortable with Excel, Google Docs, Salesforce CRM and other technology solutions for driving sales
Strong internal and external communicator with strong interpersonal skills
Comfort with a fast-paced environment and changing requirements – Start-up experience a plus
Ability to flourish with minimal guidance, be proactive, and handle uncertainty and ambiguity
Can-do attitude, strategic thinker, and passion for new products and solutions
Great at sending detailed emails and professionally communicating Plug and Play’s value proposition
Self-motivated goal setter that is able to go above and beyond for reaching quotas in bringing corporate leads in and ultimately closing partnership and handling the whole relationship

• 
  All applications must be submitted in English