Partner Relations Manager - DACH Region

Hybrid - Fixed-term contract, 12 months (Maternity Leave Cover) - Native-level German fluency required

About Us

Universum is a global leader in employer branding insights and research. For over 35 years, we have been helping the world’s top employers understand, attract, and retain talent.

At Universum, we don’t just shape employer brands — we shape the future of work. As the world’s leading employer branding agency, we partner with companies across the globe to define and communicate what makes them truly exceptional places to work.

You can learn more about us here.

Job Description

Are you energized by the thrill of building something from scratch - identifying the right partners, making the first contact, and turning a cold lead into a lasting relationship?

We’re looking for a Partner Relations Manager with a genuine sales drive to join our DACH team and take ownership of our university and institutional partnerships across the region.

This is a role where outreach and new business development sit at the heart of what you do. You’ll be prospecting, pitching, and closing new partnerships while nurturing existing ones - all in service of connecting talent with the employers they want to work for.

Key Responsibilities

What You'll Do

• Proactively identify and approach universities, student organisations, and professional associations across the DACH region to establish new partnerships.
• Own the full partnership development cycle - from sourcing leads and building a prospect pipeline to pitching, negotiating, and closing agreements.
• Maintain and grow existing partner relationships, ensuring targets for survey distribution and participation are met.
• Own your projects end-to-end - setting targets, managing budgets and timelines, adapting strategy as needed, and tracking progress toward your objectives.
• Develop creative outreach campaigns across email, social media, and other channels to engage new partners and drive survey participation.
• Organize workshops with partners, sharing insights from survey results and advising on how to apply them to strengthen their communication and employer offering.

What You Bring

• 2+ years of experience in a similar role, ideally combining new business development with account or relationship management.
• Proven success in sourcing leads, building prospect pipelines, and closing partnership or commercial agreements against defined targets.
• A track record of building and maintaining strategic relationships with universities, student organisations, professional associations, or similar partners.
• Experience in project management, including familiarity with project management and CRM tools.
• Strong stakeholder management skills - both internal and external.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong storytelling and communication skills - you can make a compelling case for why a partnership makes sense.
• Native-level fluency in German (written and verbal) - essential.
• Professional-level English (written and verbal).

What We Offer

• Competitive salary.
• 30 vacation days, plus 2 wellness days and 2 volunteer days.
• Competitive pension scheme.
• Annual wellness grant of SEK 3,000.
• Central office location.
• Flexible hours and hybrid working (3 days in office, 2 days remote).
• A vibrant, international team with global reach.

Ready to join us?

Our recruitment process is ongoing, so don’t wait to submit your application. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences - diversity makes us stronger.

Please note that only applications submitted through our career portal will be considered: https://universumglobal.careers.haileyhr.app/en-GB/job/964f513e-996d-4cef-9319-cfb7a5580408/c72423e2-8d0a-4aeb-8e6b-768f42c1201c/06bc98d4-3a36-43f3-abe1-8d0159bc52b1