Education Sales & Partnerships Manager

Job description

RAFT (Resource Area For Teaching) is a nonprofit dedicated to making hands-on STEAM learning accessible to K–8 students across the country. We partner with educators, schools, after-school programs, and youth-serving organizations to bring learning to life through affordable, standards-aligned curriculum kits, camp programs, and professional development. Our programs incorporate upcycled materials and are grounded in a simple belief: every student deserves access to engaging, high-quality learning, regardless of their zip code. We are looking for a driven, mission-aligned Education Partnerships Representative who is excited about building relationships and expanding RAFT’s impact across the U.S. education market. In this role, you will connect with school districts, individual schools, after-school and out-of-school time (OST) programs, summer camps, libraries, makerspaces, community centers, homeschool programs and co-ops, and education nonprofits. Your goal will be to understand their needs, introduce them to RAFT’s products and programs, and develop relationships that grow into long-term partnerships. You will own the full partnership cycle, from prospecting and discovery to product walkthroughs, proposals, and closing. You will also work closely with our marketing team to coordinate outreach around key education buying cycles, share insights from the field, and maintain an organized and active pipeline in HubSpot. FY27 is an exciting and important year for RAFT. We are expanding our national reach and growing our portfolio of products and programs. This role will play a key part in that growth by helping more educators and organizations discover RAFT and, ultimately, bringing hands-on STEAM learning to more students across the country. This role is based in San Jose, CA and requires regular on-site work (minimum 3-4 days per week). What You Will Do Build and grow partnerships with schools, districts, OST programs, summer camps, libraries, makerspaces, community organizations, and homeschool networks across the country. Own the full partnership cycle, from prospecting and discovery through product demonstrations, proposals, closing, and ongoing follow-up. Connect partners with the right RAFT solutions by understanding their program goals, instructional needs, and available resources. Help partners navigate funding opportunities, including Title I, Title IV-A, ELO-P, ESSER, and other state and federal funding sources that may support their programs. Represent RAFT at key education conferences and events, including BOOST, ACA National, CASBO, NSTA, CAN Site Coordinator Symposium, CCSA, and CUE/STEAM Symposium. Conference participation is an important part of building relationships and developing new opportunities. Build and actively manage your pipeline in HubSpot, maintaining accurate records of outreach, conversations, opportunities, and next steps. Develop quarterly outreach plans identifying priority accounts, contacts, opportunities, and activity goals. Partner closely with Marketing to coordinate outreach with campaigns, education buying cycles, and key market opportunities. Bring the voice of the customer back to RAFT by sharing market insights, common objections, emerging needs, and partner feedback with the broader team. Deliver results by meeting or exceeding quarterly pipeline expectations and annual revenue goals. What We Are Looking For Required 2+ years of B2B sales, partnerships, or business development experience, ideally within education, edtech, curriculum publishing, youth programs, or nonprofit program sales. Experience prospecting, developing relationships, and closing opportunities with school administrators, program directors, district-level decision-makers, or other institutional partners. A self-starter who is comfortable building a pipeline, creating new relationships, and managing opportunities independently. Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to build credibility and connect with a variety of audiences. Experience using HubSpot or a comparable CRM to manage contacts, pipeline activity, follow-up, sequences, and reporting. Comfortable working within the seasonal rhythms and buying cycles of the education market. Nice to Have A genuine interest in STEAM education, youth development, or expanding access to educational opportunities. Experience working in or partnering with a nonprofit organization with an earned-revenue model. Why RAFT At RAFT, you will have the opportunity to combine relationship-building and sales with work that directly supports educators and expands access to hands-on STEAM learning. Make an impact. Your work will help bring engaging, hands-on learning experiences to more students and communities. Help build our next stage of growth. RAFT is expanding nationally, giving you the opportunity to develop new markets, relationships, and partnerships. Represent a growing portfolio. You will have multiple products, programs, and services to offer based on each partner’s needs. Have ownership. You will have the autonomy to develop relationships, manage your pipeline, and shape how you approach your market. Work collaboratively. You will partner closely with Marketing and other teams, with campaigns and resources supporting your outreach. See the results of your work. As part of a small, collaborative team, your contributions will be visible and directly connected to RAFT’s growth and impact. Be rewarded for results. We offer a competitive nonprofit compensation package that includes base compensation and a performance-based bonus. Work with flexibility. RAFT offers a hybrid work environment that balances collaboration with flexibility and independence.