Partnerships Manager

First, the honest bit:

This is a volunteer role. We're not going to dress that up. But if you're the kind of person who wants to use your great commercial or partnership skills to do something that genuinely matters, and be part of the most exciting chapter in our story so far, read on.

Space North East exists because too many men in our region are struggling in silence. We run free, peer-led wellbeing services six days a week peer support groups, boxing, yoga, walking groups, and workshops. No referrals, no waiting lists, no clinical jargon. Just a community-led space where men can turn up and talk with other lads who understand.

Currently, we fund that work ourselves, mostly through Coffee Space, our mobile coffee van and workplace wellbeing activation, the only one of its kind in the UK built specifically around men. We've already worked with the likes of Sage, Barbour, Taylor Wimpey, BAM and Sunderland AFC.

This is the big one. We're opening a permanent coffee shop and community space in Sunderland city centre, a front door to everything we do, and rolling out Mission
2030, our plan to take Space around the North East.

To do that, we need to grow our corporate partnerships from a handful of brilliant relationships into a proper engine. That's where you can come in and help us to build on our existing network.

• Grow our corporate and community partnerships. Build and manage relationships with North East employers, from the first conversation through to a signed partnership and long-term renewal.
• Develop our existing partnership strategy. We've done some amazing work so far, but we need a little help to take us to the next level.
• Support the Coffee Space pipeline. Work with James and the team on outreach, follow-ups and converting interest into bookings.
• Be a connector. Open doors through your own network and represent Space at business events across the region.
• Help shape the offer. You'll have a real say in how our partnership products evolve as we grow; this isn't a "do as you're told" role.

• You've done business development, sales, partnerships, fundraising or account management in any sector. Charity experience is nice, not essential.
• You can hold a room and hold a conversation. Comfortable talking to an HR director one day and a site manager in a hard hat the next.
• You get why male mental health matters. Maybe you've lived it, maybe you've seen it up close. Either way, you care.
• You're a self-starter. We're a small team moving VERY fast; you'll get support and trust, not micromanagement.
• Ideally based in the North East, but not essential.

• A front-row seat (and a real role) in a genuine growth story, coffee shop launch, regional expansion, national ambition.
• Direct mentoring from James and full access to our strategy, tools and networks.
• Real, demonstrable impact you can point to: partnerships you built, funding the free services that change men's lives.
• Expenses covered, references gladly given, and first consideration if this becomes a paid role as we grow, which is the direction of travel.