Partnerships Manager

About Pilotbase: Pilotbase is the operating platform for modern flight training. We help flight schools, aviation academies, and collegiate programs manage scheduling, training records, aircraft, and student progress — all in one place. As aviation undergoes a generational transformation driven by a pilot shortage, regulatory evolution, and a shift toward data-driven operations, Pilotbase is building the platform that will define how the industry grows.

Partnerships are central to how we do that. Our ecosystem spans everything from the aircraft to the back office; these sources collectively make Pilotbase more valuable to every customer it touches. We are early in building this function the right way, and this hire is a significant part of the Pilotbase journey.

Job Overview: Aviation is a relationship-driven industry, and Pilotbase is increasingly at the center of it. We have existing partnerships with some of the most recognized names in the space — and a growing pipeline of relationships that will shape what the platform becomes over the next several years. What we need is someone who can own the execution of that ecosystem.

Not someone to hand things off to — someone to take real ownership. That means managing the relationships we have, deepening the integrations that matter, and proactively sourcing the new partnerships that belong in the portfolio. Working with the VP of Partnerships on direction, this person makes it happen.

If you are the kind of person who gets genuinely excited about finding the right partner, building the relationship from a cold outreach, and closing the agreement that nobody else saw coming — this role was built for you. We want the right person to apply, which means being honest about what this role is and is not. All partnerships are not measured by revenue alone.

We care about integration depth and data quality. If what excites you most is hitting channel sales quota metrics, this may not be the right fit. This is a high-volume portfolio role.

If you thrive on one deep, bespoke relationship at a time, the breadth here may not suit you. This is a highly cross-functional company with everyone being critical to success. Starting at the top, everyone at the company gets into the weeds and works across departments.

Solo operators will struggle.

Responsibilities

: Own the Partner Portfolio You will be the day-to-day owner of a broad and growing portfolio of Pilotbase partnerships. That means keeping relationships active with a 10/10 satisfaction rating — and doing it across a lot of partners simultaneously without things slipping through the cracks. Manage existing partnerships across aviation specific verticals Expand the current partners’ potential through joint engagement plans, deeper integrations, and creative GTM efforts Maintain complete and current records for every partner in the CRM: contacts, contract status, activity log, integration health, and renewal dates Run a consistent quarterly business review cadence with priority partners and deliver written summaries after each Flag renewals proactively and escalate partner issues on a clear timeline Source Net-New Partnerships This is not a manage-what-exists role.

A meaningful part of the job is identifying and pursuing new partnerships that belong in the Pilotbase ecosystem — across every category we work in. Proactively identify, research, and initiate conversations with prospective partners across industry verticals Qualify new partnership opportunities against a clear framework and bring vetted targets to the business for evaluation and deal structure Always build and maintain a healthy pipeline of prospective partnerships in the CRM Represent Pilotbase at industry events and in the aviation community as a relationship builder and brand ambassador Deepen Integration and Data Value The most valuable partnerships at Pilotbase are not just contractual — they are deeply integrated.