US Partnerships Lead

Were putting together a talented team to build the #1 training platform for Runners

We help everyday runners become outstanding by building an incredible app providing world-class training coaching and community for everyone whether youre improving your 5k time or training for your first marathon.

Were growing extremely fast! In November 2023 we closed a $6.5M funding round led by JamJar with participation from Eka Ventures Venrex and Creator 2024 we were selected by Apple as one of three global finalists for the2024 iPhone App of the Year reflecting the innovation and impact of what weve built & now in 2025 we have ****just been acquired by Strava!

Our ambition is huge: to become the go-to global leading training platform for millions of runners everywhere. Were growing with purpose and looking for people who want to build something meaningful with lasting impact. With the recent acquisition by Strava accelerating our journey now is a really magical time to join

What Youll Be Doing:

Runna is entering an exciting new phase of growth with the US our primary market focus in 2026. Were now seeking an experienced strategic and commercially minded Partnerships Lead to lead scale and elevate our partnerships function in the US.

This role is based in the US (ideally Boston or with weekly travel to Boston) and will sit at the centre of our expansion responsible for shaping the next chapter of Runnas partnerships engine across events and races fitness brands technology companies and the wider health & wellness ecosystem.

Over the past two years weve built high-impact partnerships with top marathon events (e.g. New York Road Runners) industry-leading fitness brands (e.g. luluelmon) and major tech platforms (e.g. Garmin). As we commit to making the US our priority market this role will lead the next phase of scale.

What Success Looks Like In This Role:

1) Build and Execute Runnas US Partnerships Strategy

• Own the US partnerships roadmap and execution directly tied to Runnas 2026 global partnership and growth goals
• Identify evaluate and prioritize strategic opportunities across the running industry with a particular focus on the race and event industry
• Bring deep category knowledge to guide where we play how we win and how partnerships drive commercial impact.
• Work cross-functionally with product content events and marketing to deliver integrated standout partner experiences.

2) Grow Manage and Optimize High-Value Partnerships

• Lead the full lifecycle of partnership development - from prospecting and pitching to negotiation and long-term optimization.
• Use your established industry network and experience to open doors and accelerate US momentum.
• Manage key relationships with empathy and commercial focus ensuring seamless delivery and measurable ROI.
• Consistently raise the bar on partnership quality scale and integration across Runnas ecosystem.

3) Lead Scale & Coach a High-Performing US Partnerships Team

• Hire manage and scale a growing US partnerships team (mirroring and expanding our UK model of 2 team members).
• Create clear structure coaching development paths and adherence to performance metrics.
• Champion Runnas culture collaborative ambitious and human - as you help shape our US hub.
• Build repeatable processes playbooks and frameworks to support long-term US growth.

What Youll Bring To The Team:

Were looking for someone with:

• Minimum of 5 - 8 years of experience in health fitness wellness or sports partnerships or sponsorship (e.g. brand partnerships strategic alliances sports marketing community partnerships sponsorships or related commercial roles).
• Demonstrated success managing high-value partnerships end-to-end from strategy through execution.
• Proven track record of leading and scaling a partnerships team - including hiring coaching and performance management.
• Strong commercial acumen and negotiation experience.
• Existing network in the broader health fitness or endurance space is a strong plus.

About you

• Youre a builder - comfortable owning ambiguity designing the plan and executing it.
• You operate with pace organisation and clarity; you manage complexity with ease.
• Youre a strong leader who knows how to coach motivate and empower talent.
• Youre a fast learner who thrives in a high-growth fast-moving environment.
• Youre personable collaborative and ideally passionate about running or endurance sports.
• Youre based in Boston or have the ability to travel to Boston weekly.

Were offering a salary of $120000-$130000 per year depending on experience plus participation in Stravas long-term incentive (stock) programs. Overview of our benefits is below:

Were also committed to continually evolving our benefits to support you as we grow. Here is a brief overview what we currently offer in the USA

• Flexible working we typically spend 23 days a week together in our Harvard Square office
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (which you can take whenever suits you) or unlimited holiday (role dependant)
• Runna subscriptions for you and 5 of your friends (get ready to be your friends fave person or save them for xmas presents!)
• Strava membership!
• Headspace membership
• Money every year to spend on gear events and the gym!
• Well give you a voucher to spend on our website so you can buy yourself new Runna kit (and will renew this every year on your work anniversary)
• Health insurance (including Dental and Vision) and workplace 401K scheme
• Modern Health is a mental wellness platform and app that combines technology with professional support to improve mental well-being and reduce stress
• Carrot fertility support - this benefits provider can provide inclusive fertility hormonal health and family-forming benefits to our global employee population and takes the burden off what we know can be a stressful process.

Interview process

We aim to keep the process transparent efficient and enjoyable:

1. Intro Chat with Jake Talent Lead (25-minute video call)
2. Interview with Katie Goble Head of Partnerships and/or Ashwin Raj GTM Lead (25-minute video call)
3. Take-Home Task (2-3 hours)
4. Task Review (90 minutes) with Lou (GM North America) Katie and Josh (COO)
5. Boston Office Visit to meet our US team

Youll hear from us with a final decision as soon as the process is complete.

Please let us know if theres anything we can do to better accommodate you throughout the interview process - this can be from scheduling interviews around childcare commitments to accessibility requirements. We want you to show your best self in the process so please speak to your Talent Partner!

How To Apply:

Please note we are unable to accept any applications outside of Workable. If you have any questions regarding the status of your application please email .

Still have questions or want to know more Check out ourCareers Page