Partnerships Manager

We are looking for someone who can spot the right opportunity, start a thoughtful conversation and turn interest into a lasting commercial relationship. You will work directly with our co-founders to bring Dose of Reality to more brands and larger independent agencies, with the freedom to help shape how we grow.

About Dose of Reality

Good decisions start with understanding people. Dose of Reality makes deep qualitative research instantly accessible through a searchable library of real people's lives. We combine in-home interviews and participant contributions with technology that helps teams find the evidence that matters to them.

Brands and agencies can explore the library, shape our questions and commission their own research. We are preparing for our public launch in January 2027 and building a small team to bring rich human understanding into everyday marketing decisions.

Why this role matters

You will help build our route into brands, from understanding who holds the budget to finding a reason for them to care now. You will also develop relationships with larger independent agencies and spot relevant opportunities in media, culture and other organisations that need to understand people better.

The commercial focus is our Shape subscription and commissioned research. You will own the work that keeps opportunities moving: imaginative outreach, useful conversations, demonstrations and careful follow-up. James and Mark will work alongside you on the story, pitches and closing, and will continue to lead major enterprise and global deals.

Why join us

• Get in early. Join a very small team at the first stage of its growth, with as much room to develop your role and career as you can take on.

• A useful product. Help clients make decisions informed by real lives and first-hand evidence.

• Room to make your mark. Shape our partnerships approach, messaging and ways of working.

• Direct access to the founders. Learn alongside James and Mark, supported by their industry network.

What you will do

• Choose where to focus. Research priority brands and larger independent agencies; identify the advocates, decision makers, budgets and buying cycles behind each opportunity.

• Create attention and consideration. Find useful ways to reach people through relevant insights, introductions, events, industry communities and content partnerships. Brief the founders on the articles, talks or demonstrations that will help.

• Open doors thoughtfully. Write personal outreach, pick up the phone, send a short video, arrange a coffee or record a relevant demo. Choose the approach that fits the person and the opportunity.

• Move good opportunities forward. Run discovery conversations and platform demos, connect client challenges to Shape and commissioned research, and bring the founders in when their expertise will help.

• Make introductions count. Follow up on referrals from investors, advisors and partners, giving each relationship the attention and context it needs.

• Own a reliable pipeline. Keep our CRM current, record context and next actions, and follow up around the prospect's priorities and budget timetable.

• Build trust over time. Help interested teams make the internal case for Dose, navigate different stakeholders and stay engaged when the timing is not right yet.

• Bring learning back. Share objections, buyer feedback and promising use cases with the founders, research and product team so we improve what we offer and how we explain it.

What you will bring

• Hunger to sell and grow. You want to win new business, develop quickly and take on more as the business grows.

• An understanding of how marketing and insight teams work, plus the curiosity to learn how different organisations buy.

• The confidence to introduce a business people may not have heard of, explain its value clearly and ask good questions.

• Empathy and good judgement. You listen, write with care and build relationships people want to continue.

• Creativity in finding a way in, and resilience when a worthwhile conversation takes time.

• The organisation to manage multiple relationships, keep commitments and turn a promising meeting into a clear next step.

• Some experience in partnerships, agency new business, business development or another commercial role, ideally with examples of opportunities you have helped create.

You might be in an agency new business team, a specialist business development consultancy or a research or marketing technology business. The ability to open doors matters more than the name on your CV. We are flexible on years of experience. If you are earlier in your career or coming from a different route, show us what you have made happen so far.

What success looks like

In your first three months, you will learn the product, agree a focused target list, own follow-up and establish a credible pipeline. You will test different routes into brands and show which are progressing. We will agree practical objectives together, covering commercial outcomes, relationship quality and a pipeline the team can trust.

How we will work

This is a full-time role working directly with James and Mark. We are remote first within the UK, with flexibility around life and family alongside team and client commitments. You will travel to London, and to wherever key clients are based, for important meetings and events, with business travel paid. You do not need to live in London; visits might be roughly fortnightly, depending on opportunities.

Our target start is February 2027. An earlier start in January could be discussed if it works for both sides.

Pay and benefits

The package below reflects the current proposal and will be confirmed before an offer is made.

• £45,000 annual base salary, with an annual performance bonus of up to £10,000. Objectives and bonus terms will be agreed in advance.

• A review of potential share options after your first year, based on performance and subject to scheme terms and approval. This is a review opportunity, not a guaranteed grant.

• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays and your birthday off.

• Employer pension contributions of 3% of full basic salary, with employee contributions of 5%.

• Up to 20 working days of full sick pay in a rolling 12 months, followed by statutory sick pay.

• A healthcare cash plan and life cover of four times salary, subject to cover being arranged and policy terms.

• Company laptop and agreed home-working kit and costs; family-first flexible working; agreed learning and development; cycle to work on request; short periods working abroad with prior approval; and two in-person team days a year with travel paid.

How to apply

Email james@dose.fyi with your CV or LinkedIn profile, a short note on why this interests you and an example of an opportunity you helped create. Let us know if you need adjustments to the hiring process.