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Corporate Partnerships Officer
Seattle Aquarium
Sales & Business Development
USD 34.37-38.46 / hour
Posted on Feb 7, 2026
Job Posting
Corporate Partnerships Officer
Department: Philanthropy
Reports to: Senior Manager, Grants and Corporate Partnerships
Status: Full-time, salaried, benefited position
Hours of Work: Standard Monday–Friday workweek, 8am–5pm. Occasional need for weekend or after- hours work as related to funder needs, deadlines, events, and other projects.
Position Overview
The Seattle Aquarium is a leading marine conservation organization with a global reputation. Delivering on our conservation mission, Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment, is more important now than ever before. Our current campus expansion with the Ocean Pavilion holds tremendous hope for revitalizing our city, and for leading animal welfare, conservation engagement and building awareness about climate change, plastic pollution, and sustainable seafood. In addition, we drive change and take direct action to conserve the one world ocean through field conservation and research programs, developing and advancing science-based ocean policy, and driving toward social change.
Currently, the Seattle Aquarium is the ninth-largest aquarium, by attendance, in the United States. Pre- pandemic annual attendance was 850,000 visitors and including our community-outreach and beach-based programs, we typically reach over one million people annually. The Aquarium employs 135 full-time employees, supports more than 1,200 volunteers, and has a 54-person board of directors. All staff, volunteers and board of directors ascribe to and conduct themselves in alignment with the Aquarium’s S.A.L.I.S.H. and D.E.I. values.
Position description:
The corporate partnerships officer contributes to the success of the Seattle Aquarium by building corporate partnerships with and raising funds from corporations and corporate foundations to support general operating and programmatic needs while working closely with staff, board members and other partners to achieve the annual and long-term fundraising goals of the organization. This position will expand and build upon the Aquarium’s reimagined Corporate Partnership program through cultivation and stewardship of corporate supporters and their employees, and procurement of corporate gifts and grants. A successful candidate will be able to inform strategy and effective approaches, partner with Aquarium board members, collaborate with staff colleagues across departments, and steward key corporate donor and volunteer relationships. This position reports to the senior manager, grants and corporate partnerships and works closely with the philanthropy and membership team.
Essential Functions
- Expand and manage the Aquarium’s corporate giving program, continuing the evolution from a transactional, events-based strategy to a holistic, relationship-based approach.
- Refresh annual strategy and program elements as needed to meet financial and activity metrics with a goal to grow the program.
- Manage a corporate portfolio of 75-90 corporations, including identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding corporate partners, including negotiation of agreements and recognition opportunities.
- Work with staff across the Aquarium to build an integrated plan for developing and maintaining relationships with corporations, including employee engagement opportunities for corporate partners.
- With senior manager, grants and corporate partnerships, write and prepare proposals to request and secure corporate gifts, report on progress, and steward the relationships through in-person meetings, engagement activities, and tours.
- Maintain the Raiser’s Edge records and system that tracks status of key corporate partners as well as activities to attract new partners.
- Ensure that aspirational engagement and stewardship strategies are in place for current corporate partners.
- Collaborate with the senior manager grants and corporate partnerships in crafting compelling and pertinent language to describe our key conservation initiatives and their impact for use in corporate grant proposals and materials.
- In consultation with senior manager, grants and corporate partners, complete corporate forecasting and budgeting needs.
- Partner with colleagues at Friends of Waterfront Park to engage corporate funders in the larger Seattle waterfront revitalization story.
- Provide senior manager, grants and corporate partnerships and vice president of philanthropy and membership quarterly assessments of goals, timelines, and resources necessary to ensure achievement of annual and long-term goals.
- Develop solicitation materials for corporate giving opportunities, in coordination with marketing- communications and program managers.
- With vice president of philanthropy and membership, complete a biannual corporate portfolio review.
Additional responsibilities:
- All Aquarium staff and volunteers are expected to participate in advancing and integrating into their work Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Regenerative practices in alignment with our S.A.L.I.S.H. Values.
- Serve as an articulate and passionate spokesperson for the Aquarium and its mission.
- Contribute to the effort to build a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization.
- Lead Aquarium donor tours as appropriate.
- Help staff Aquarium events.
- Honor the rights of our donors under the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Code of Ethics.
- Perform other related responsibilities to successfully achieve the Aquarium’s philanthropy goals and objectives as necessary.
Organizational Values & Culture
- Participate in advancing and integrating into their work Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Regenerative practices in alignment with our S.A.L.I.S.H. Values.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: The skills and abilities listed below may be demonstrated through a combination of relevant cultural and community programs, jobs, internships, volunteer experience, and/or formal or informal education. If you meet some of the requirements and you are passionate about our mission and our ocean, we encourage you to apply and look forward to learning more about you.
- Minimum two years of corporate fundraising experience, with demonstrated success in building corporate relationships, writing successful corporate proposals, closing corporate gifts, and stewarding corporate partners. Experience securing multi-year commitments from corporations is a plus.
- Knowledge of Seattle’s corporate landscape is a plus.
- Experience in building corporate partner/employee engagement opportunities a plus.
- Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Knowledge and utilization of Raisers Edge donor database or similar platform.
- Advanced presentation and Microsoft Office skills.
- BA/BS degree required, preferably in business, marketing, advertising, communications or journalism.
- Will consider other equivalent combinations of education and experience.
Working Conditions:
- Hybrid virtual/in-office model with minimum two days in office, including Thursdays.
- High energy needed for long hours when opportunities present themselves to apply for funding on short turn-around.
- Flexibility for evening or weekend work throughout the year to meet donor deadlines.
- Office work is performed in a semi-private work area. Corporate donor tours will occur in Aquarium exhibit areas, possible outdoor field excursions and off-site donor meetings.
- Work is highly collaborative in nature and requires the ability to meet in person, talk on the phone and via Zoom/Teams, and listen well for understanding.
- Some exposure to elements. Employees are located in campus environment with multiple buildings, outdoor and semi-covered areas. Travel between Aquarium buildings and meeting sites in all types of weather.
Salary and benefits:
$34.37 - $38.46/hour. Full-time staff are eligible for the Seattle Aquarium’s comprehensive benefits package to include medical, vision, dental, an employer-funded health reimbursement account, medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, 403b retirement fund with employer match, access to a subsidized ORCA pass, a Seattle Aquarium Family Plus membership and generous paid time off.
How to apply: The Seattle Aquarium is committed to expanding a diverse, equitable, and inclusive conservation movement. We are invested in building an Aquarium with a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, languages, cultural ways of knowing, and life experiences. We know research shows that society has conditioned communities of color, trans and gender non-conforming people, immigrants, people with disabilities, and other marginalized candidates to more frequently not apply to a job because they don’t feel that they meet all of the qualifications listed even if they are qualified. If you meet some of the requirements and you are passionate about our mission and our ocean, we encourage you to apply and look forward to learning more about you.
Interested candidates should upload a résumé to our online application to be considered. Application review will begin immediately.
Please let us know if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for this job by emailing us at jobs@seattleaquarium.org.
Note: If offered the position, candidates must pass a background check. Conviction record is not an automatic disqualifier; we are a second chance employer.
About the Seattle Aquarium: The Seattle Aquarium is a respected authority on Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and the world’s one ocean. Our team increases awareness and drives the change needed to preserve and protect our marine environment by providing excellent care and wellbeing for over 5,000 animals to create an inspiring visitor experience, offer engaging daytime and evening events, conservation education programs for people of all ages and backgrounds, community outreach to marginalized populations, research that advances understanding of animals in our care and their counterparts in the wild, advocacy and policy work, an award-winning volunteer program, high-impact marketing and communications, and more.
Our values, developed in conjunction with our staff, include commitments to adopting and promoting sustainable practices, creating awe-inspiring experiences, constantly learning and improving, fostering an inclusive community, maintaining scientific credibility through evidence-based practices and honoring our unique place by using our location and history as a lens for larger understanding.
Proudly accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, we’re among the top 10 aquariums in the U.S. by attendance, and we welcome over 1 million people each year guided by our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment. Learn more at SeattleAquarium.org.