---
title: 'Partnerships Manager at Ignite Reading'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/partnerships-manager-ignite-reading-united-states-06x1dqpht25g'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-10'
---

# Partnerships Manager at Ignite Reading

- **Company:** Ignite Reading
- **Location:** United States
- **Compensation:** $90k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** remote
- **Posted:** 2026-06-15
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ignite-reading/1ae8995e-5714-4278-905d-c8b93aa19eef/application

**Skills:** K-12 education technology sales, MEDDPICC methodology, HubSpot, Conversation intelligence platforms, AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude)

> The Partnerships Manager drives revenue by acquiring new K-12 district clients through full-cycle sales. The role involves prospecting, conducting discovery using MEDDPICC, and closing contracts for small-to-mid-sized districts while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

## Job description

Today, 67% of students and 82% of low-income students can’t read at grade level by the end of third grade. That’s when students are supposed to go from learning to read to reading to learn. It’s America’s number one education crisis and we know how to fix it. Ignite Reading delivers one-to-one virtual tutoring that teaches every student the foundational skills they need to become a confident, fluent reader. We pair students who need extra support with expert reading tutors who provide daily, 15-minute, Science of Reading-based instruction that rapidly closes their decoding gaps. We focus on the foundational reading skills—phonics, phonemic awareness, and sight words—kids need to master so they can decode a sentence. Students in Ignite Reading’s program achieve over 2 weeks of reading skills growth per week of instruction, and notably all students achieve the same outstanding results including students with IEPs, multilingual learners, students of color and those receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Ignite Reading is a mission-driven public benefit corporation. We believe we can do well for our team members and shareholders while we solve one of the nation’s biggest challenges. We believe we will be more successful with a diverse team and are seeking candidates who have lived experience related to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

## Your Role

As a Partnerships Manager, you are at the heart of our mission to ensure every child has the chance to become a confident reader. You’ll spend your days connecting with small-to-mid-sized K–12 districts, sharing how Ignite Reading’s 1:1 virtual literacy program can change their students' lives. This is a full-cycle sales journey where your discipline and curiosity shine. You’ll guide districts through thoughtful discovery and clear execution, ensuring our solutions fit their unique needs. While you’ll take the lead on most partnerships, you’re never alone—our senior team is always ready to step in and support you with complex contracts or pricing. If you are a Science of Reading enthusiast who loves building meaningful relationships and wants to help kids access the instruction they deserve, we’d love to meet you.

## Key Responsibilities

Generate Revenue & Acquire New Clients

- Prospect, qualify, and close new district opportunities within defined territory parameters
- Own Discovery → Demo → Proposal → Contract for assigned accounts
- Meet quarterly and annual quota targets

Pipeline Development & Prospecting Discipline

- Build pipeline through outbound prospecting, events, referrals, and SDR-sourced leads
- Conduct structured discovery using MEDDPICC methodology
- Run certified Ignite Reading demos once certified

Account Scope

- Focus on small-to-mid-sized districts
- Navigate multi-stakeholder environments with structured buying processes
- Escalate enterprise-level or state-wide opportunities to Director/VP

Cross-Functional Collaboration

- Partner with Customer Success for smooth handoffs post-close
- Support pilots as pathways to broader adoption
- Collaborate with Directors on complex or high-value opportunities when required

## Qualifications

K–12 EdTech Sales Foundation

- 2–4 years of experience in K–12 education technology sales with consistent quota attainment
- Experience selling to principals, curriculum directors, literacy coordinators, and school-level leaders
- Exposure to district procurement processes
- Demonstrated ability to independently manage small-to-mid-sized district opportunities from prospecting through close

AI-Enabled Sales Discipline

- Active use of AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, or similar) to improve research, outreach personalization, and call preparation
- Strong CRM discipline and comfort using tools such as HubSpot and conversation intelligence platforms
- A mindset of optimization — you consistently look for ways to improve efficiency, increase conversion rates, and shorten sales cycles

Core Competencies

- Clear, confident communicator who can educate district stakeholders without overcomplicating the message
- Coachable and growth-oriented — you actively seek feedback and apply it quickly
- Ownership mentality — you manage your pipeline with discipline and accountability
- Resilient and persistent — you handle rejection professionally and stay focused on long-term wins
- Detail-oriented with strong HubSpot hygiene and reliable follow-through
- Willingness to travel up to 65-70%

Mission Alignment

- Genuine passion for literacy equity and closing achievement gaps
- Energy and optimism even in challenging environments
- Commitment to serving students and educators, not just hitting numbers

Why Join Ignite Reading? Transparent Compensation At Ignite Reading, we've embraced a transparent compensation structure to promote fairness and equity, provide accountability, and build trust within our organization. Salary: $90,000 base / OTE $180K+ (this role is full-time, exempt) The same role receives the same compensation, with no negotiation.

We also ensure you have the tools you need to thrive both in and out of work. 📈 Employee Stock Options - we want our success to be yours too 🩺 Medical, Dental, and Vision plans to support you and your well-being (80% employee coverage, 70% dependent coverage) 🏥 Short-term Disability (100% employer paid) 🏦 401(k) retirement plans with company contribution 👶 12-weeks paid parental leave 🌴 Unlimited vacation days (+ 12 paid holidays) 💻 Technology Stipend 🧘 Wellness Stipend 🛟 Voluntary Life Insurance 👩‍💻 Professional Development Stipend We believe in building and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer where all applicants are considered for employment without attention to color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. Research shows that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds often don't apply for roles if they don't meet all the criteria – unlike majority candidates meeting significantly fewer requirements. We strongly encourage you to apply if you’re interested! We are seeking candidates who have lived experience related to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are a virtual organization with headquarters in the California Bay Area.

## About Ignite Reading

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Ignite Reading provides one-to-one, virtual, Science of Reading-based tutoring to help K-8 students in school districts close foundational reading gaps and become confident, independent readers.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2020
- **Founders**: Jessica Reid Sliwerski (CEO) and Evan Marwell

## Core Business
- **Industries**: Education, EdTech, Early Literacy Intervention
- **Target customers**: B2B – school districts and individual schools across the United States; serves students in over 20 states
- **Mission**: To ensure every child learns to read proficiently—ideally by the end of first grade—when early intervention has the greatest long-term impact.

## Products & Services
- **Ignite Reading Tutoring Program**: A high-dosage virtual tutoring program where each student receives 15 minutes of daily 1:1 instruction from a certified literacy tutor. The curriculum is aligned with the Science of Reading and focuses on closing decoding gaps. The program includes centralized scheduling, district-level reporting, and progress monitoring administered by tutors.
- **Assessment & Progress Monitoring**: Detailed reporting at the district, school, and student levels that tracks skills improvement and identifies where students need more support. Assessments are built into the tutoring sessions and are designed to be actionable for teachers.
- **Acquired Esteam.ai (2025)**: An AI-driven education startup that adds automatic speech recognition (ASR) and real-time skill mapping to help tutors hyper-target instruction. This tool allows for AI-powered assessments that listen as students read and guide tutor focus to the exact skills each student needs.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly available (private company)
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding – $46.75 million (Series B of $36.8M closed October 2024, plus earlier Series A of $10M in 2023 and a grant)
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Rethink Education (lead in Series A), Emerson Collective, Owl Ventures, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, College Board, Accelerate (grant)
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Acquired AI startup Esteam.ai in September 2025 to enhance personalization.
  - Johns Hopkins University study found the program dramatically increases first-grade literacy outcomes.
  - 483 employees (0.6% annual growth) across 16 countries.
  - Expanding district partnerships and serving students in 22+ states.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Science of Reading alignment**: All instruction is based on decades of evidence-based reading research.
- **Scalable virtual model**: Districts can launch a pilot and quickly expand to thousands of students without adding staff, disrupting schedules, or increasing teacher workload.
- **Consistent 1:1 tutor-student relationship**: Each student works daily with the same certified tutor, building trust and confidence.
- **Data-driven**: Real-time skill mapping and reporting give districts clear, defensible outcomes.
- **Proven results**: Students achieved 2.4 weeks of reading growth for every week in the program, with no achievement gaps for students of color, low-income students, students with IEPs, or multilingual learners (from initial pilot data).
- **AI augmentation**: The Esteam acquisition integrates AI for real-time assessment without replacing the human tutor, combining technology with personal connection.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scaling district-wide adoption** of the tutoring program across the U.S., especially to meet the goal of the “First Grade Promise” (reading on time by end of 1st grade).
- **Deepening AI integration** to further personalize instruction at scale, enabling tutors to focus on the precise skill gaps of each student.
- **Strengthening evidence base**: continued research partnerships like the Johns Hopkins study to validate impact and drive adoption.
- **Expanding partnerships** with school districts and possibly state education agencies.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven culture**: Employees are directly contributing to solving the national reading crisis and improving students’ life outcomes.
- **Impact**: Visible, measurable progress in student literacy, with opportunities to see data and success stories.
- **Growth opportunity**: As a Series B company with an expanding product (including AI), there is room for career development and ownership.
- **Remote-friendly**: The tutoring model is virtual, and the workforce spans multiple countries, suggesting a flexible, distributed work environment. Many roles can be performed remotely.
- **Collaborative team**: Company values emphasize consistent, evidence-based instruction and support for educators; work culture centers on “human care and AI precision.”
- **Active hiring**: As of mid-2026, the company had 4 open positions (Events Marketing Manager, Sales Development Representative, Partnerships Manager, General Interest) with strong quarterly and yearly growth in job postings.

## Sources
1. [Ignite Reading Homepage](https://ignite-reading.com/)
2. [Ignite Reading Careers](https://ignite-reading.com/careers/)
3. [Ignite Reading About Us](https://ignite-reading.com/about-us/)
4. [Ignite Reading LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignitereading)
5. [CB Insights Company Profile](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/ignite-reading)

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