Senior Manager, Business Development and Partnerships in Toronto

About Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada: Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada is the only national foundation exclusively dedicated to addressing urgent needs and improving outcomes of children and youth involved in the child welfare system. Guided by a bold five-year strategic plan and Impact Framework and working alongside roughly 100 child-and-youth serving organizations across the country, the Foundation is focused on driving meaningful, measurable change through outcomes-based partnerships, philanthropy, and systems-level influence.

The Ideal Candidate: You are a proactive, relationship-focused, results-driven business development professional who brings persistence, sound judgment and confidence when engaging senior decision-makers. You know how to build trust, understand what matters to partners, identify common ground, and create opportunities for them to make a long‑lasting impact. You are collaborative, highly organized, and comfortable managing complex, strategic relationships with multiple stakeholders. Most importantly, you are inspired by the opportunity to connect corporate Canada with meaningful ways to improve outcomes for children and youth involved in the child welfare system.

The Opportunity: For an experienced business development professional, this is an opportunity to bring what you do best to a mission that matters. You’ll have the space to build new relationships, help shape the growth of CAFC’s corporate partnerships, and work alongside senior leaders and Board members to create tangible impact for children and youth across Canada.

The Senior Manager, Business Development, leads corporate business development for the Foundation. This role is responsible for growing the number and scale of CAFC's major corporate partnerships by identifying high‑potential companies and sectors, opening doors, building relationships where none previously existed, and converting opportunities into meaningful, multi‑year partnerships. The Senior Manager also leads a portfolio of complex corporate accounts where senior corporate executives and Board members are often involved.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead CAFC’s corporate business development, building and growing a pipeline of new major corporate partners, with a primary focus on opportunities of $50K–$100K+ and multi‑year partnerships.
• Lead proactive outreach to prospective corporate partners, including companies where CAFC has no existing relationship, to secure first meetings.
• Leverage Board, volunteer and existing donor networks to open doors and make introductions.
• Partner with the Prospect Development Manager to identify and prioritize target sectors, companies and decision‑makers, assess qualified prospects and independently sourced opportunities, and move the strongest opportunities into active cultivation.
• Develop strategies to move qualified opportunities from initial meeting through cultivation, proposal, solicitation and close, owning follow‑up and next steps to maintain momentum across the pipeline.
• Mobilize CAFC’s CEO, Board members and volunteers at key points in the solicitation process, preparing them with clear briefings, asks and follow‑up plans.
• Track and report leading pipeline indicators, including new qualified prospects, first meetings, qualified opportunities, proposals, solicitations, pipeline value and new revenue secured, flagging risks and stalled opportunities early.
• Manage a portfolio of complex, high‑value corporate partnerships with many moving pieces, including multi‑year agreements, investments across several programs, sponsorship, employee engagement and executive or Board‑level relationships.
• Coordinate the involvement of CAFC’s CEO, Board members and senior corporate executives in these relationships, preparing briefing notes, talking points and meeting strategy, and owning follow‑up.
• Lead renewal and growth conversations, positioning new and existing partners for larger, multi‑year commitments rather than one‑time gifts.
• Work with Stewardship, Impact (Programs), Finance and Communications colleagues to deliver on partnership commitments and report on impact.
• Contribute to annual and campaign fundraising strategy and planning in collaboration with the Development team.
• Serve as a visible ambassador for the Foundation at events, meetings, and sector convenings, strengthening CAFC’s reputation, credibility and relationships, as required.
• Contribute to other strategic business development and partnership initiatives as opportunities and organizational priorities evolve.

Essential Qualifications and Competencies:

• Relevant experience, typically 6+ years, in new partner or client acquisition and relationship management within fundraising, business development, corporate partnership, sales, sponsorship or comparable partnership and revenue‑generating environment.
• Relevant post‑secondary degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated track record of building a pipeline from scratch and securing new partnerships, not just managing an existing portfolio.
• Experience leading complex, multi‑stakeholder accounts and working directly with senior executives, CEOs and Board members.
• Comfortable making proactive outreach to new companies as a core, daily part of the role; experience securing gifts or partnerships in the $50K+ range, with multi‑year commitments an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to understand corporate priorities, identify areas of alignment, and develop partnership opportunities that deliver both philanthropic impact and business value.
• Experience monitoring and managing a prospect pipeline through defined stages.
• Growth‑minded and proactive: energized by identifying new prospects, opening doors and creating new philanthropic partnerships.
• Persistent and resourceful: comfortable reaching out to companies with no prior relationship to CAFC, and following up thoughtfully and strategically to build momentum.
• Results‑oriented: motivated by measurable pipeline, solicitation and revenue outcomes, and accountable for moving opportunities forward.
• Strong business judgment: able to understand organizational priorities and develop mutually valuable corporate partnerships while maintaining a clear focus on philanthropic purpose.
• Exceptional relationship‑builder: credible and confident engaging corporate executives and senior decision‑makers, comfortable making the ask and navigating a partner’s questions or hesitations.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to craft compelling proposals and partnership strategies.
• Highly organized with strong planning and administrative skills, capable of managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Creative, proactive, and solution‑oriented, with strong initiative, tact, diplomacy, and attention to detail.
• Skilled in leveraging donor and corporate engagement tools, including Raiser's Edge, Microsoft Suite, and equivalent platforms.
• Committed to upholding the Foundation’s VOICE values: Vital Learning & Innovation, Open Communication, Inclusion & Diversity, Care & Compassion, and Empowering Accountability.

Assets (non-essential):

• Lived experience with the child welfare system.
• Charitable‑sector experience is an asset but not required; strong candidates from corporate sales, business development, consulting or sponsorship backgrounds are welcome to apply.
• CFRE accreditation.
• Bilingual in English and French.