Director of Community Partnerships and Talent

About Lead For America

Lead For America (LFA)  is dedicated to providing place-based service opportunities to local individuals to help mission-driven organizations advance solutions that are informed by place and responsive to community. The American Connection Corps (ACC), launched by LFA in 2021, is an  AmeriCorps service program focused on closing the digital divide in digitally disconnected communities. Supported by a broad coalition of partners including AmeriCorps and major corporations, ACC has members serving in 30+ states across the country.

Department Context:

The Community Partnerships & Talent team leads the strategy and execution of how Lead For America activates local talent and builds the partnerships in the community where we work. The team operates in close collaboration across the organization to ensure alignment between community needs, program delivery, and strategic growth.

They partner closely with the Programs team to maintain a continuous, year-round feedback loop that aligns partnership development and talent strategy with programmatic priorities for ACC and emerging programs. The team also works alongside Marketing and Communications to clearly articulate and refine the organization’s value proposition, with Development to ensure alignment with grant requirements and funding strategy, and with Government Relations to identify opportunities for public sector partnership and expansion.

This team operates at the intersection of:

Community and Host Site needs

Local talent development

Mission-aligned partnerships

The department is responsible for building and sustaining a place-based ecosystem where:

Community organizations (host sites) serve as partners and co-creators of impact

Members are recruited from and activated within their communities

Systems and strategies align talent supply with community demand

Role Expectations:

The Director serves as the organization's strategic leader for community partnership growth and talent activation, ensuring Lead For America develops the relationships, systems, and talent pipelines necessary to expand its impact in communities nationwide.

This role reframes traditional recruitment into a two-sided, mission-driven system:

Community partners (host sites) who define needs and co-invest in solutions

Local talent (members) who bring lived experience and leadership

The Director is responsible for:

Building and scaling a national portfolio of community-based host site partnerships

Developing and implementing a place-based partnership strategy by analyzing current and recent cohorts to identify priority regions, technical sectors, and other considerations, enabling more focused and strategic recruitment and partnership efforts

Designing place-based talent pipelines aligned with those partnerships for meaningful immediate-term, medium-term, and long-term outcomes

Ensuring strong alignment between community-defined needs and talent placement

Leading a team of Managers that deliver on both impact and sustainability goals

Reporting to the COO, this role serves as a key strategic partner to senior leadership, funders, and cross-functional teams.

What You’ll Do:

1. Community Partnership Development & Strategy (Host Sites) – 30%

Lead a mission-aligned approach to identifying, engaging, and securing host site partnerships.

Develop and implement a national partnership strategy aligned with programmatic, geographic, and funding priorities

Build and manage a robust pipeline of host site partners across nonprofits, government, and local institutions

Lead a consultative, relationship-centered approach to partnership development (not transactional sales)

Identify priority regions and sectors in collaboration with Programs, Development, and Government Relations teams

Represent LFA at conferences, convenings, and community events to expand partnerships

Design and refine outreach strategies (campaigns, webinars, referrals, ecosystem partnerships)

Ensure partnership models support both community impact and financial sustainability

2. Partnership Stewardship & Host Site Success – 20%

Ensure host sites are engaged as long-term partners and set up for success

Build and oversee systems for partner onboarding, engagement, and retention

Establish a host site success framework, including training, tools, and ongoing support

Collaborate with Program teams to ensure host sites can effectively support members

Create feedback loops to continuously improve the partner experience

Develop long-term relationships that extend beyond single program cycles

3. Community Talent Strategy & Member Recruitment – 25%

Lead a place-based approach to recruiting and selecting members aligned with community needs

Design and execute a community-centered talent strategy aligned with host site demand

Ensure recruitment prioritizes locally rooted, diverse candidates reflective of the communities served

Oversee a pipeline of candidates in the local markets LFA serves, improving both quality and…