Senior Partnerships Associate

We're putting together a talented team to build the #1 training platform for Runners

We help everyday runners become outstanding by building an incredible app providing world-class training, coaching and community for everyone, whether you're improving your 5k time or training for your first marathon.

We’re growing extremely fast! In November 2023 we closed a $6.5M funding round led by JamJar with participation from Eka Ventures, Venrex and Creator Ventures. In 2024, we were selected by Apple as one of three global finalists for the iPhone app of the year, reflecting the innovation and impact of what we’ve built & in 2025 we were acquired by Strava!

Our ambition is huge: to become the go-to global leading training platform for millions of runners everywhere. We’re growing with purpose and looking for people who want to build something meaningful with lasting impact. With the recent acquisition by Strava accelerating our journey, now is a really magical time to join. 🚀

What You’ll Be Doing

We’re seeking an experienced hands-on Associate Partnerships Manager to help maintain and scale Runna’s US race partnership programme/ one of our key growth areas. Based in New York City (3 days per week in-office), you’ll be responsible for managing and growing, and driving the end-to-end success of our race partnerships. This includes identifying and onboarding new races, optimising existing programmes, making data-led decisions, reporting on performance, and supporting ad-hoc brand activations around major race weekends

As a Partnerships Manager, your role will include:

1. Optimising and developing Runna’s existing race partnerships (US focus)

   1. Lead the management of Runna’s existing race partners, particularly in the US, ensuring strong relationships and best-in-class execution across the full race journey (pre-race, race weekend, and post-race).

   2. Continuously test, analyse, and optimise race partnerships using data and insights, reporting on performance, identifying trends, and making clear, data-led decisions to improve engagement, conversion, and runner experience.

   3. Collaborate with race and brand partners to refine content, communications, and value propositions, ensuring they remain relevant, compelling, and effective.

   4. Work cross-functionally with internal teams (Product, Marketing, Content) to align race partnerships with launches, seasonal moments, and broader brand initiatives.

   5. Keep partners informed on product updates and new features, clearly articulating how these improve outcomes for both partners and their runners.

2. Growing Runna’s race partnership programme

   1. Proactively identify, evaluate, and secure new race partnerships across our US market, with a strong focus on selecting the right races that align with Runna’s growth and brand strategy. You’ll fully own race selection - identifying standout opportunities, prioritising them, and bringing them live as official Runna training partnerships.

   2. Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of race partnerships: from discovery and negotiation, through onboarding, launch, day-to-day management, optimisation, and renewal.

   3. Act as the primary owner of race performance, ensuring races are optimised on an ongoing basis, refining positioning, messaging, and execution to drive runner engagement and commercial impact.

   4. Work closely with local, in-market contacts to support localisation and deepen understanding of regional race calendars, runner behaviour, and competitive landscapes.

3. Managing, scaling, and supporting the wider partnerships function

   1. Set clear priorities, processes, and ways of working to ensure the race partnership function operates efficiently and delivers consistently high-quality outcomes.

   2. Support the wider Brand Partnerships team on an ad-hoc basis, particularly around major race weekends — helping bring partnerships to life through on-the-ground activations, content, and experiences.

   3. Support additional areas within the Partnerships team (e.g. B2B initiatives), contributing to new channel testing, experimentation, and scaling high-potential opportunities.

   4. As part of a small, fast-moving team, occasionally jump in to support other areas of the business where needed, including working with ambassadors, events, or contributing to product initiatives where partnerships play a role.

What You’ll Bring To The Team:

• 2–3 years’ experience in partnerships, sponsorship, or race/events management, ideally in running or endurance sports.

• Experience in Account Management / Project Management or other equivalent

  • Data-driven, using insights to optimise partnerships and make informed decisions.

  • End-to-end partnership ownership: identifying, onboarding, and optimising races.

  • Day to day management of current partners to ensure they are driving maximum returns, they are a happy Runna partner and they are delivering on all contractural assets.

• NYC based proactive, and highly organised, able to manage multiple priorities and partners.

• Comfortable with CRM and project management tools (e.g., Hubspot, Asana or equivalent).

• Collaborative and adaptable, supporting ad-hoc brand or race activations as needed.

Bonus Points If You Have:

• Experience within the running / endurance space

Compensation Overview & Benefits:
We’re offering a salary of $95,000 - $105,000 per year, depending on experience, plus participation in Strava's long-term incentive (stock) programs.

Overview of our benefits are below:We’re also committed to continually evolving our benefits to support you as we grow. Here is a brief overview what we currently offer in the USA 🇺🇸

1. 🏢 Flexible working – we typically spend 3 days a week together in the office.

2. 🏝️ 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays (which you can take whenever suits you)

3. 📱Free Runna & Strava subscriptions for you and 3 of your friends (get ready to be your friends fave person or save them for holiday presents!)

4. 🧘 Headspace membership

5. 💸 Money every year to spend on gear, events and the gym!

6. 🏥 Health insurance (including Dental and Vision) and workplace 401K scheme.

7. 💖Modern Health is a mental wellness platform and app that combines technology with professional support to improve mental well-being and reduce stress

8. 🥕Carrot fertility support - this benefits provider can provide inclusive fertility, hormonal health, and family-forming benefits to our global employee population and takes the burden off what we know can be a stressful process.

Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to better accommodate you throughout the interview process - this can be from scheduling interviews around childcare commitments to accessibility requirements. We want you to show your best self in the process, so please speak to your Talent Partner!