Director of Strategic Partnerships & Business Development

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Director of Strategic Partnerships & Development leads ISTH's efforts to build and diversify non-dues revenue in service of the Society's mission to advance the understanding, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of thrombotic and bleeding disorders worldwide. Reporting to the Executive Director & CEO, the Director will design and build ISTH's strategic partnerships and development function from the ground up, spanning corporate and industry partnerships, sponsorship, education and research support, and institutional giving. The Director will cultivate durable, mission-aligned relationships across a global partner community while establishing a sustainable foundation for long-term growth.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy & Revenue Diversification

• Develop and lead ISTH's strategic partnerships and revenue-diversification strategy, reducing concentration risk across partners, sectors, and revenue types.
• Analyze the current revenue mix, benchmark against peer international societies, and set measurable growth and diversification targets.
• Build a balanced portfolio of revenue streams impacting areas across annual congress, education, research, policy and awareness, institutional giving. 

Corporate & Industry Partnerships

• Design and launch a tiered Strategic Partner Program that converts episodic sponsorships into multi-year, year-round relationships.
• Cultivate, negotiate, and steward partnerships across pharmaceutical, diagnostics, medical device, and digital-health sectors.
• Serve as the senior relationship owner for ISTH's largest corporate partners, engaging in medical-affairs, commercial, and foundation counterparts.
  
  

Institutional Giving & Development

• Establish a funding pillar including research and fellowship funds, foundation grants, and institutional giving that diversifies beyond corporate support.
• Partner with foundations, and intergovernmental/NGO funders (e.g., WHO) on global health and LMIC-access programs.

Grant Writing & Proposal Development

• Lead the development of high-quality grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and funding applications to foundations, corporate foundations, and other funders in support of ISTH's research, education, awareness, and global-health priorities.
• Translate ISTH initiatives — fellowships, research funds, LMIC-access programs, and priority strategic initiatives — into fundable proposals tailored to each funder's mission, guidelines, and reporting expectations.
• Manage the full grants lifecycle: funder prospecting and cultivation, proposal and budget development submission, and post-award stewardship and reporting, in partnership with internal departments.
• Partner with program and scientific staff to source proposal content while preserving the scientific-independence firewall for funder-supported programs.

Congress Events & Sponsorships

• Develop and maximize Congress-related partnership and sponsorship opportunities, including exhibition, industry-supported symposia, digital and hybrid placements, in close collaboration with the Meetings & Events team.
• Develop year-round partnership opportunities around World Thrombosis Day, the Women's Health Initiative, and other mission-aligned platforms in collaboration with public affairs, marketing, education, and other relevant teams.

Compliance, Ethics & Scientific Independence

• Uphold and operationalize the scientific-independence firewall so that no funder influences SSC standards, guidelines/guidance, editorial decisions, or the scientific program.
• Ensure all relationships comply with the strictest applicable global transparency and disclosure regimes.
• Develop and apply grant-acceptance and partner-vetting policies, escalating edge cases through the appropriate governance channels.

Team Leadership & Operations

• Build and lead the Strategic Partnerships team through a phased approach aligned with revenue growth and organizational priorities; set goals, coach, and develop staff.
• Stand up the function's infrastructure — database, partnership prospectus and rate card, contract and approval workflows, and reporting dashboards.
• Own pipeline discipline, forecasting, and impact reporting with support from finance team; ensure relationships are held institutionally.

Knowledge & Skill Requirements

The Director of Strategic Partnerships & Business Development will be a seasoned leader with demonstrated success in strategic leadership, organizational management, and partnership development. This person will combine:

• Advanced degrees or a scientific/clinical background required.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in partnerships, innovative programming, grants, including relationship ownership.
• Demonstrated success building and diversifying non-dues or grants revenue and converting transactional sponsorships into multi-year partnerships.
• International/global experience and cultural fluency.
• Fluency in healthcare funder and industry relations and the compliance environment governing industry–society relationships.
• Experience building teams, systems, and pipelines from an early state.
• Exceptional relationship-building, negotiation, and written/verbal communication skills.

Core Competencies

• Strategic acumen — sees the whole revenue portfolio and builds durable value, not one-off wins.
• Ethical judgment & mission alignment — protects Society’s independence and reputation as the first consideration in every deal.
• Relationship cultivation & stewardship — builds trust with senior partners and turns relationships into long-term, institutional commitments.
• Global mindset & cultural competence — works fluently across regions, cultures, and markets in a truly international organization.
• Financial literacy & data-driven decision-making — sets targets, reads the numbers, and manages a pipeline with rigor and transparency.
• Team leadership & collaboration — builds and develops a team and collaborates across a matrixed, volunteer-led organization.

ISTH CORE VALUES

The ideal candidate will actively embody ISTH's core values in all aspects of leadership and decision-making.

• Trust – Demonstrated integrity, transparency, and consistency in all dealings
• Collaboration – Valuing diverse perspectives and partnering effectively with volunteer leadership and stakeholders
• Respect – Inclusive leadership and thoughtful engagement across disciplines, regions, and backgrounds
• Clear Communication – Timely, honest, accessible communication that ensures alignment and accountability
• Progress – Embracing innovation, data-informed decision-making, and thoughtful improvement
• Recognition – Cultivating a supportive culture that values contributions and strengthens connections within a global, distributed team

Work Environment

• This position is primarily sedentary, but may require the ability to lift and carry up to 30 lbs. of materials
• Weekend and after-hour work may be required as dictated by the event schedule
• Travel may be required for up to 5–20% of the work schedule
• This position is eligible for remote work

Equal Opportunity

ISTH is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer committed to building an internationally diverse and inclusive workforce. ISTH does not discriminate in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic. Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply; ISTH will provide reasonable accommodation throughout the hiring process and employment.