Strategic Partnerships Associate (Contract Position)

About Prelude

Prelude is a nonprofit on a mission to launch students into purpose-filled lives that lead to economic freedom. We partner with top companies and innovative schools to deliver paid, yearlong internships that help high school students from lower-income communities build skills, confidence, and career connections. Our model uniquely benefits everyone: students gain real experience and social capital, schools strengthen career readiness, and employers develop talent while driving community impact.

About This Role

Prelude is at a pivotal point in its growth, and we’re looking for a strategic, entrepreneurial contractor to help shape what comes next. As our Strategic Partnerships Associate, you’ll join a fast-moving, mission-driven team and play a key role in expanding our employer network. You’ll be responsible for identifying and cultivating high-potential partnerships that drive Prelude’s growth. That includes researching prospects, crafting compelling outreach, qualifying leads, and setting up high-value conversations with Prelude’s leadership. This role is high-autonomy, high-impact, and central to helping us meet our growth goals for the coming year. It’s a great fit for someone who’s excited to do meaningful, flexible work and contribute to a model that’s expanding opportunity for youth nationwide.

Role Type: Contractor Role, approximately 10-15hrs/week, with flexibility by season

Location: Remote USA

Compensation: $30-40 per hour (depending on experience)

Reports to: Sarah Barrett, Managing Director, Strategy & Operations

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify and research high-potential employer prospects aligned with Prelude’s mission
• Craft and send personalized outreach that sparks interest and open doors
• Build early relationships with prospective partners and serve as a strong first impression of Prelude
• Manage follow-ups, calendar coordination, and CRM updates to keep leads moving
• Support prospect calls with background research, notes, and relationship strategy
• Help map out new sectors, job functions, and geographies to guide growth strategy
• Maintain systems to track outreach and analyze conversion trends
• Collaborate regularly with Prelude’s senior team to share insights and align on strategy, goals and priorities

What You Will Gain:

• Strategic experience at the frontlines of nonprofit growth — You’ll play a key role in shaping how Prelude scales, gaining insight into how mission-driven organizations grow through partnerships and relationship-building
• High-autonomy, high-impact work — You’ll own major parts of the outreach and pipeline process, with the opportunity to influence strategy, test new approaches, and see direct results from your work
• Firsthand exposure to an innovative model for youth economic mobility — You’ll get a close look at how Prelude connects high school students from underserved communities to real career opportunities, and what it takes to make that work
• Cross-functional collaboration with a small, fast-moving team — You’ll work directly with Prelude’s leadership, gaining visibility into nonprofit strategy, storytelling, and operations
• Portfolio-worthy work and skills — From relationship-building to systems design to strategic research, you’ll build experiences and artifacts you can point to in future roles - especially in impact-oriented, entrepreneurial environments

You Might Be a Great Fit If…

• You’re a clear, compelling communicator (especially over email) and can quickly build credibility with new contacts
• You thrive in autonomous roles, with a track record of managing projects or pipelines and driving them to completion
• You’re energized by diving into new markets, spotting patterns across sectors, and identifying where Prelude can add real value
• You bring strong strategic judgment and can craft thoughtful, persuasive narratives that open doors to partnership
• You’re organized and process-minded, with sharp attention to detail and strong follow-through
• You’re adaptable, resourceful, and comfortable navigating ambiguity in a fast-moving, mission-driven environment
• You care deeply about expanding opportunity for young people and are excited to help scale Prelude’s impact

Bonus if you have…

• Experience in business development, recruiting, partnerships, or consulting
• Familiarity with workforce development, education, or employer engagement
• Comfort with tools like LinkedIn, email outreach platforms and/or CRMs (or can learn quickly!)