Senior Project & Partnerships Lead (fluent Dutch required)

As Senior Project & Partnerships Lead, you are responsible for leading and delivering complex, partnership-driven crisis response projects from end to end. You combine strategic oversight with hands-on execution, ensuring that corporate partnerships translate into concrete, measurable impact on the ground. You operate at the intersection of business and humanitarian aid, aligning stakeholders, structuring projects, and driving results. In this senior role, you take full ownership of execution, lead and direct the team responsible for delivery, and work closely with the Director to align on goals, priorities, and impact. You are both the strategic connector and the operational driver who ensures initiatives are delivered efficiently, collaboratively, and with lasting impact.

A recent example illustrates the scope of this role. When a school bus serving 610 children in Ukraine was destroyed, immediate action and cross-organisational coordination were required to restore access to education. As Senior Project & Partnerships Lead, you take ownership from the moment the need is identified. Together with your team, you align a Dutch transport partner to provide a replacement bus, mobilise additional corporate partners to collect school furniture and learning materials, coordinate logistics and communication, and ensure the project is delivered on time, within scope, and with clear reporting on impact. From urgent need to operational delivery and partner visibility, you own the process end to end.

About People for People

People for People Foundation connects businesses to targeted humanitarian aid. We turn collective commitment into tangible action, restoring lives in times of crisis. Founded by bunq, Bird, and Picnic, we bundle the strength of the private sector to act fast, effectively, and where it matters most.

As we continue to grow, we are strengthening our organisational structure to ensure projects are led sustainably and with full ownership. This role plays a key part in that next phase.

About the Role

As Senior Project & Partnerships Lead you will strengthen and activate relationships with new and existing corporate partners, maximising their full potential for positive change. By mobilising companies’ resources, expertise, and networks, you translate crisis response needs into concrete action and turn goodwill into tangible, measurable results.

This is a senior and entrepreneurial role that combines strategic partnership management, strong hands-on project management, and marketing & communication leadership. While partnerships are an important part of the role, the core of this position lies in leading and delivering complex, multi-stakeholder crisis projects from A to Z.

You build and deepen partnerships, translate crisis-driven initiatives into compelling collaboration opportunities, and act as the key link between partnerships and marketing & communications. You ensure that the right expertise is mobilised, that stakeholders are aligned, and that opportunities are strategically positioned and effectively communicated. With a solid understanding of marketing and communications, you are comfortable contributing hands-on where needed.

In this role, you are accountable for execution. You create clarity in complexity, structure projects, manage timelines and dependencies, and ensure delivery. Projects should be entrusted to you with full confidence, knowing they are in capable hands and will be led to successful completion.

You will be part of our small management team and hold direct responsibility for leading, coaching, and developing a team of partnership managers and marketing & communications professionals. You set the strategic direction, provide clear priorities, and ensure the team is aligned, empowered, and delivering high-quality results.

Given the intensive collaboration with Dutch partners, full professional fluency in Dutch (spoken and written) is required for this role.

Key Responsibilities

Crisis project management
Lead and coordinate cross-organisational crisis response projects involving corporate partners from concept to implementation. This is a core part of the role. You act as the bridge between urgent needs on the ground, operational execution, and partner engagement. You develop clear project plans, define milestones and responsibilities, align internal and external stakeholders, manage timelines and dependencies, and proactively mitigate risks. You ensure projects are delivered efficiently, responsibly, and with measurable impact. You are comfortable switching between strategic oversight and operational detail when required. You take ownership and drive projects to completion.

Strategic partnership development
Further develop and lead the partnerships strategy across different types of corporate partners. Define how we position ourselves, engage different partner profiles, and evolve partnerships over time. Continuously refine the strategic approach to ensure alignment between People for People’s mission, crisis response priorities, and the long-term engagement of corporate partners. You identify opportunities within existing partnerships and proactively unlock additional potential, always with a clear focus on impact and execution.

Corporate activation & relationship management
Unlock and mobilise the full potential of corporate partners by identifying what they can realistically contribute, such as products, services, logistics, expertise, or networks. Serve as a senior point of contact and build strong, trust-based relationships through clear and compelling communication. While relationship owners manage day-to-day contact, you ensure overall strategic alignment, manage expectations at a higher level, and translate urgent needs into well-structured collaborations that deliver tangible results.

Strategic communication & visibility (MarCom)
Take strategic ownership of marketing and communications for partnership-driven projects, ensuring results are visible both to partners and externally. You work closely with the Crisis Response Lead, partners, and internal teams (PR, content, and marketing & communications) to design communication plans that clearly demonstrate how contributions are making a difference. You understand how to position partnerships in a way that strengthens both impact and long-term engagement. You are a naturally excellent communicator and act as a central connector across stakeholders. A true linchpin who ensures alignment, clarity, and consistency in messaging across all parties involved.

You have 5+ years of experience in partnership and complex project management, preferably in a startup, scale-up, or dynamic environment where ownership and execution are essential. Experience leading multi-stakeholder projects with full end-to-end responsibility is strongly preferred.

You thrive in a fast-paced organisation, enjoy building and structuring processes, and are comfortable taking accountability for results. You combine strategic thinking with operational strength and are not afraid to step into the details when needed.

Full professional fluency in Dutch (spoken and written) is a strict requirement due to frequent interaction with Dutch-speaking partners.

You recognise yourself in the following competencies:

1. Exceptional communication skills: Strong verbal and written communicator, able to engage corporate stakeholders with clarity, empathy, and conviction.

2. Stakeholder & project management: Highly organised and capable of managing complex projects across multiple stakeholders. You create structure, maintain oversight, and ensure delivery.

3. Entrepreneurial & builder mindset: Thrives in a dynamic environment and enjoys creating structure where it does not yet exist. Comfortable with ambiguity and proactive in turning ideas into action.

4. Strategic & solution-oriented thinking: Able to connect needs with opportunities, think creatively about solutions, and design partnerships that are meaningful, realistic, and executable.

5. Collaborative & lead-by-example approach: Naturally builds strong relationships across teams and with partners based on trust and shared purpose. Leads by example, staying hands-on in projects while aligning and guiding the team toward clear outcomes.

Our Behavioural Commitments:
At People for People, we believe our greatest asset is our environment. We are deeply committed to nurturing and protecting our thriving, inclusive, and agile culture. It is the heartbeat of everything we do. Our behavioural commitments are the cornerstone of this mission. Take a moment to read through them - do you see yourself in this picture?

• Take ownership and deliver results.

• Embrace agility and iteration.

• Collaborate and communicate openly.

• Act with integrity and respect.

• Learn continuously and apply insights.

• Support and empower others.
  

What we offer

• Employment for 32 to 40 hours per week.

• NGO Market-aligned salary (€3.800 - €4.500 gross per month) + 8% holiday allowance.

• 25 vacation days, flexible public holidays so you can take them when it works best for you, and an extra day off on your birthday.

• MacBook for professional use.

• Inspiring, supportive work environment with barista-quality coffee, warm lunches, snacks, and monthly after-work drinks.

• A senior role with real ownership, autonomy, and the opportunity to create measurable societal impact.
  

Sounds like you?

If this sounds like the right next step in your career, and you are ready to take ownership of impactful, complex projects, we’d love to hear from you. If there’s a potential match, we’ll start with a brief introduction call, followed by two interviews to explore your experience, leadership style, and fit for the role and our mission.

Equal Opportunity Employer

People for People celebrates diversity and is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected.