Back to jobs

Director of Strategic Partnerships

Chicago, Illinois, United States

At Instawork, our mission is to create meaningful economic opportunities for local businesses and skilled hourly professionals in communities around the world. We're building the leading AI-powered labor marketplace—and we're looking for exceptional talent to help us scale quickly and make an even greater impact. Backed by world-class investors like Benchmark, Spark Capital, Craft Ventures, Greylock, Y Combinator, and others, we’re transforming the way the world works.

We’re looking for a dynamic Director of Strategic Partnerships to lead and grow Instawork’s Higher Education vertical and help manage our Higher Ed corporate partnerships. In this high-impact role, you’ll be the key contact for our Higher Ed business line, maintain strong industry relationships, and help manage a curated portfolio of our university-focused MSA relationships.  

This high-energy, client-facing role is ideal for someone with strong sales acumen and a deep understanding of the university and hospitality industries. You’ll play a key role in shaping our presence across the sector by building trusted relationships, identifying business opportunities, and ensuring Instawork becomes your partners' go-to staffing and hiring solution.

What You’ll Do

  • Lead Higher Ed strategy - Serve as the primary point of contact across all university departments.  
  • Lead Higher Ed system-level sales - coordinate business development efforts across major university systems (e.g., CUNY, SUNY, University of Texas, California State System, University of Georgia).
  • Represent IW at key Higher Ed conferences (NACAS, NACUFS, NAEP, etc.) to build relationships and thought leadership.
  • Oversee the Higher Ed RFP calendar; respond to all applicable opportunities.
  • Visit key markets and business units to build relationships with regional executives, engage directly with key decision-makers, and strengthen Instawork’s visibility and strategic presence.
  • Partner with the Instawork Sales team on strategic opportunities to accelerate deal velocity and expansion
  • Act as a hospitality industry expert, advising partners on how Instawork aligns with their staffing needs
  • Collaborate cross-functionally to enhance the customer experience and unlock new growth channels.
  • Travel Requirement: ~50% travel expected for campus visits, conferences, and corporate partner meetings.

What We’re Looking For

  • 7+ years of experience in a Higher Ed/Hospitality-focused role, preferably in a partnerships, sales, or enterprise account role
  • Familiarity with navigating campus departments (dining, facilities, procurement, etc)
  • Experience working with corporate partners such as Aramark, Compass and Sodexo 
  • Proven track record of exceeding sales and revenue targets
  • Excellent communication and negotiation skills with a consultative, solution-oriented approach
  • Strong problem-solving skills and ownership mentality—you're proactive, not reactive
  • Proficiency in Salesforce and managing complex pipelines
  • Skilled in stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration
  • Passion for Instawork’s mission and a drive to make a measurable impact
  • Entrepreneurial mindset with creativity and agility to adapt in a fast-paced environment
  • Willingness to travel to partner sites, conferences, and events as needed

For IL based applicants: 

  • This role offers a compensation package that includes a base salary and performance-based quarterly bonuses, with total earnings ranging from $130,000 to $200,000.
  • This position is eligible for equity in the form of stock options
  • This position is eligible for Instawork benefits, including:
    • A variety of medical, dental, and vision plans with coverage beginning on the date of hire
    • Flexible paid time off
    • At least 8 paid company holidays annually
    • Home office stipend
    • Phone stipend
    • Commuter stipend
    • Supplemental pay on qualified leaves
    • Employee health savings accounts (HSA) contribution
    • Flexible spending plans
    • 401K plan
    • Perkspot - discount program through Lumity

Various factors are considered when determining compensation, including a candidate’s professional background, experience, and location. Final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed above.

Instawork Values

  • Bias for Action -- We are a growing team and an evolving product. We want a team of do’ers to drive the company forward, even if it means making decisions with incomplete information or being wrong.
  • Act Like an Owner -- Treat this company as though it is your own. Execute on the fundamentals, and act creatively to drive growth. Your ability to drive impact in any part of our company is only limited by your courage and conviction, not your job title.
  • Always Be Learning -- We are changing an entire industry. We strive to learn from each other and get better each day, week, and month, so that our team’s learnings can compound and we can all improve, together.
  • Empathy, Trust, Candor -- Empathy for our business partners and professionals means we put ourselves in their shoes. Empathy for our colleagues means we are always upfront and honest with each other, which comes from trust.

Sound like your kind of challenge? Join us in shaping the future of flexible work in hospitality.

#LI-AH1

#LI-Hybrid

About Instawork

Founded in 2015, Instawork is the leading flexible work app for local, hourly professionals. Its digital marketplace connects thousands of businesses and more than five million workers, filling a critical role in local economies. Instawork has been featured on CBS News, the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Associated Press, and more. In 2022, Instawork was ranked among the country’s top 10% of fastest-growing companies by Inc. 5000 and was included in the Forbes Next Billion Dollar Startup list. Instawork was also named the 2022 ACE Award recipient for “Best Innovation” and one of the “Best Business Apps” by Business Insider. Instawork helps businesses in the food & beverage, hospitality, and warehouse/logistics industries fill temporary and permanent job opportunities in more than 25 markets across the U.S. and Canada. 

At Instawork, we constantly evaluate how to build an optimal work environment for success. Currently we operate on a hybrid model, but we remain open to adapting our policies to meet the needs of our evolving business and team dynamics. As we continue to grow, we're seeking candidates who are excited about contributing to our in-person culture and open to the idea of working in-office up to 5 days a week.

For more information visit www.instawork.com

We value diversity on our team and firmly believe Instawork is stronger when we hire people who make their own unique contributions to our culture. We welcome all applicants and encourage candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. 

To learn more about our company values, please visit: https://info.instawork.com/about

Personnel Privacy Policy

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

U.S. Standard Demographic Questions

We invite applicants to share their demographic background. If you choose to complete this survey, your responses may be used to identify areas of improvement in our hiring process.
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Instawork’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.