Partnerships Manager, South Australia

Drive commercial partnerships that power emerging tech in South Australia

We’re looking for a Partnerships Manager to lead the charge on partnerships in South Australia - with a strong focus on corporate engagement, commercial outcomes, and driving value for founders and partners.

This role plays a critical part in supporting Stone & Chalk's mission to accelerate the growth of emerging tech ventures by creating value through partnerships that unlock opportunities, deliver impact, and generate revenue. Partnerships must create value not just for external partners, but for our founders and residents - connecting them to meaningful commercial opportunities and strategic outcomes.

Reporting to the General Manager, South Australia, and working closely with the national partnerships team, the Partnerships Manager ensures that local delivery aligns with national strategy while contributing to a strong, outcomes-focused innovation community in South Australia.

You’ll be part of a purpose-driven team that believes in the power of emerging technology and the impact of ambitious founders.

Success means hitting targets, building strong partnerships, and helping shape a national innovation community that delivers for founders.

About us

At Stone & Chalk, we are driven by the mission to accelerate Australia’s transformation into a sustainable, technology-driven economy.

Through our innovation hubs in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide, we provide startups and scaleups with the resources, connections, and strategic support they need to thrive.

We create meaningful impact, make swift decisions, and build a culture rooted in trust.

Responsibilities

Partnership development and management

• Identify, develop, and manage partnerships across corporates, industry bodies, academia, accelerators, and government.
• Prioritise corporate partnerships that align with Stone & Chalk’s commercial strategy and value proposition.
• Own the full partnership lifecycle: prospecting, proposal development, negotiation, onboarding, activation, and reporting.
• Build a deep understanding of partner needs and identify relevant opportunities across programs, residents, and national capabilities.

Ecosystem engagement

• Maintain strong relationships with ecosystem stakeholders including startups, scaleups, government, academia, investors, and collaborators.
• Ensure these relationships are purposeful, mutually beneficial, and aligned to broader national priorities.
• Collaborate with national partnerships and marketing teams to connect local initiatives with national outcomes.

Activation and program delivery

• Support the design and delivery of ecosystem and partner activations with the partnership and marketing team, such as workshops, roundtables, reverse pitches, and networking events.
• Work cross-functionally with internal teams to ensure activations are well executed, aligned with strategic goals, and support resident success.

Collaboration and contribution

• Contribute to a collaborative, high-performing team culture by communicating openly and working across functions.
• Represent Stone & Chalk in a professional, credible manner with external stakeholders.
• Support a culture of commercial focus, strategic alignment, and shared accountability.
• You're proactive, adaptable, and unafraid to take initiative - someone who’s comfortable figuring things out and learning as you go, whilst aligning back to national initiatives and strategy.
• You take initiative, are open to feedback, and thrive in environments where you can figure things out as you go.
• You bring energy, resilience, and a strong sense of ownership - comfortable operating in ambiguity and focused on delivering impact.
• You align with Stone & Chalk’s values: collaborative, candid, and committed to supporting founders and building Australia’s innovation economy.

Essential skills and experience

• Proven experience in business development, account management, or partnerships, with a track record of originating and delivering commercial outcomes.
• Ability to clearly articulate complex value propositions and adapt messaging to different stakeholders, from founders to senior executives.
• Strong stakeholder engagement background, ideally across both corporate and government sectors.
• Experience managing or developing corporate partnerships with measurable commercial and strategic value.
• Confident communicator with experience negotiating, presenting, and managing executive-level relationships.
• Experience working in or alongside a high-performing partnerships or sales team.
• Strong organisational, prioritisation, and execution capability.
• Sound judgement, resilience, and professionalism in fast-paced and evolving environments.

Desirable skills and experience

• Familiarity with emerging technology, startups, or innovation ecosystems.
• Understanding of or connection to South Australia's innovation and industry landscape.
• Ability to navigate complexity across internal and external environments.
• Interest in the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in Australia’s future economy.

Success metrics

• Commercial and revenue targets achieved through corporate partnerships.
• New partners and members onboarded and activated.
• Strong ongoing engagement and feedback from partners and residents.
• High-quality delivery of strategic activations.
• Visible contribution to national strategy and outcomes in SA

Working at Stone & Chalk At Stone & Chalk, we're committed to fostering innovation and supporting founders. Our team values collaboration, integrity, and a shared passion for technology's potential to shape Australia's future. We offer a dynamic environment where your contributions directly impact the success of emerging ventures.

Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Apply now via Seek

We’re reviewing applications as they arrive, so don’t wait – submit yours today!