Manager of Corporate Partnership

Description

About Denver Botanic Gardens: Green inside and out, Denver Botanic Gardens was founded in 1951 and is considered one of the top botanical gardens in the United States and a pioneer in water conservation. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, The Gardens has a robust living plant collection, natural history collection and art collection along with temporary art exhibitions. The Gardens is a dynamic, 24-acre urban oasis in the heart of the city, offering unforgettable opportunities to flourish with unique garden experiences for the whole family – as well as world-class exhibitions, education, and plant conservation research programs. 

For more information, visit us online at www.botanicgardens.org.

Along with the mission of bringing plants to people, our Core Values are a fundamental driver of the Gardens culture. They are:

Sustainability. We are devoted to an institutional, environmental and human sustainability.

Diversity. We champion inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility for all we encounter, and also support programmatic, ecological and plant diversity.

Relevance. We make connections with all people using a lens of inclusion, equity and responsiveness.

Transformation. We believe ever-evolving public gardens change the world and lead to positive transformation of human spirit and knowledge. 

Denver Botanic Gardens is currently seeking a Full Time Manager of Corporate Partnership in our Membership Department! Read below to see if the requirements might be a good fit for you:

Applications will be accepted through October 24, 2026or until a candidate is found

Position Summary

The Corporate Partnerships Manager oversees Denver Botanic Gardens’ corporate partnerships program, including the cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and renewal of corporate sponsorships, memberships, foundation gifts, in-kind contributions, and customized partnerships.

This position is responsible for achieving annual revenue goals, maintaining a strong corporate prospect pipeline, and developing mutually beneficial partnerships that support the Gardens’ funding priorities.

The role requires strong self-direction, strategic relationship management, and cross-departmental collaboration. This position manages the corporate partnerships program and revenue portfolio but does not currently supervise staff.

Requirements

General Duties and Responsibilities

• Develops and manages an annual corporate partnerships strategy to meet or exceed revenue goals, including renewals, upgrades, new sponsorships, corporate memberships, corporate foundation opportunities, and in-kind partnerships.
• Maintains an active portfolio and pipeline of corporate prospects and partners; tracks progress toward revenue goals and provides regular updates on pipeline activity, sponsorship fulfillment, and partner engagement.
• Secures corporate sponsorships for approved Denver Botanic Gardens events at York Street and Chatfield Farms, including the Summer Concert Series, Spring Plant Sale, Lavender Festival, Pumpkin Festival, Glow at the Gardens, Blossoms of Light, Trail of Lights, and other programs. 
• Secures additional sponsorships for exhibitions, education programs, free days, and other opportunities.
• Identifies, cultivates, and solicits prospective corporate partners through tailored strategies that align their interests with Gardens opportunities.
• Develops proposals, negotiates agreements, manages partner correspondence and follow-up, and coordinates with Gardens staff to advance corporate partnership opportunities.
• Oversees corporate partnership fulfillment and activation, including sponsor recognition, benefits, hospitality, marketing materials, webpages, onsite activations, tickets, and post-event reporting.
• Collaborates with Development, Marketing, Events, Membership, Volunteer Services, Education, Exhibitions, Operations, and other teams to develop and execute corporate partnership packages and ensure sponsor benefits are delivered accurately and on time.
• Raises restricted current-use funds, as appropriate, in support of the Gardens’ mission and funding priorities.
• Secures in-kind contributions and vendor discounts to support Gardens programs and events. Collaborates with internal teams to steward vendor relationships and identify opportunities for deeper corporate engagement, including food and other donations for volunteer-intensive activities such as the Spring Plant Sale, Pumpkin Festival, and Glow at the Gardens.
• Plans and implements activities, renewals, and solicitations for the Corporate Membership program in coordination with Membership and other Development managers, as appropriate.
• Coordinates corporate donor cultivation, stewardship, and acknowledgment events.
• Collaborates with Volunteer Services and Events to develop and execute corporate volunteer opportunities that deepen sponsor engagement with the Gardens.
• Welcomes and engages corporate sponsors onsite during public events and SCFD Free Days.
• Maintains accurate and up-to-date corporate partner records in Salesforce or other CRM and membership databases.
• Manages corporate funding budget parameters and monitors revenue performance against annual goals.
• Manages ongoing relationships with corporate partners, providing communication and stewardship before, during, and after sponsored programs and events.
• Participates in Development Department planning, budgeting, and evaluation.
• Regular attendance at the worksite is required. As with all positions at Denver Botanic Gardens, the incumbent must be in good performance standing to be eligible for remote work. Remote work is at the discretion of management.
• All Gardens employees must be committed to the mission of connecting people with plants, especially plants from the Rocky Mountain region and similar regions around the world, providing delight and enlightenment to everyone.

Position Qualifications: Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of membership-based organizations.
• Demonstrated fundraising, sponsorship, or consultative sales skills.
• Ability to influence decision-makers at all levels.
• Knowledge of budgeting and sales goals.
• Must be a skilled negotiator.
• Ability to form and maintain positive relationships with varying personality types over time.
• Knowledge of corporate fundraising environments is a must.
• Must have proven excellent customer service, interpersonal, and communication skills in dealing with the public.
• Ability to maintain stability under pressure and able to deal well with stressful situations.
• Ability to be flexible and willing to modify plans when necessary, throughout the day.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends and/or holidays.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Suite products, specifically Word, Excel and Outlook and Teams.  
• Ability to work overtime as necessary.
• Must be a positive representative of the Gardens both internally and externally at all times.
• Must work with respect and cooperation at all times with fellow employees and the public.
• Must be committed to working safely at all times.

Experience/Education:

• Bachelor’s degree and/or combination of education and equivalent experience is required.
• Minimum of five years of relevant experience in nonprofit development, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, fundraising, business development, or a related field required.
• Experience managing corporate relationships, sponsorships, or partnership programs preferred.
• Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM database preferred.

Travel:

Up to 25% travel required. Requires the ability to travel to remote locations (or other Garden locations) where environment may vary significantly.  

Denver Botanic Gardens has an incredible benefits package for eligible employees!

Our major benefits include a choice of Medical Plans, a Dental and Vision Plan and Life Insurance Plan. We have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA).

The Gardens offers a generous Retirement Savings Plan with Company contribution of 6% after one year of service for eligible participants.

The Gardens also offers paid holidays, vacation, sick time, and access to personal lines of insurance. Additional benefits include short-term and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and an RTD ECO pass.

For eligible employees, The Gardens employment also includes a complimentary Denver Botanic Gardens Membership, access to Gardens education classes and summer concert tickets.  

Come work for a place that offers you SO much more than just a paycheck!