US Partnerships Lead, Runna
$120-130k
+ Long-term incentive (stock) programs
More information about location
2-3 days a week in office (Harvard Square, Boston)
Tailored running training plans
Be an early applicant
Tailored running training plans
101-200 employees
Be an early applicant
$120-130k
+ Long-term incentive (stock) programs
More information about location
2-3 days a week in office (Harvard Square, Boston)
101-200 employees
Company mission
To make running training effective, enjoyable and easy for everyone.
Role
Who you are
- 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
- You’re a builder - comfortable owning ambiguity, designing the plan, and executing it
- You operate with pace, organisation, and clarity; you manage complexity with ease
- You’re a strong leader who knows how to coach, motivate, and empower talent
- You’re a fast learner who thrives in a high-growth, fast-moving environment
- You’re personable, collaborative, and ideally passionate about running or endurance sports
- You’re based in Boston or have the ability to travel to Boston weekly
What the job involves
- Runna is entering an exciting new phase of growth, with the US our primary market focus in 2026. We’re 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 Runna’s partnerships engine across events and races, fitness brands, technology companies, and the wider health & wellness ecosystem
- Over the past two years, we’ve 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
- Own the US partnerships roadmap and execution, directly tied to Runna’s 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
- 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 Runna’s ecosystem
- 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 Runna’s culture, collaborative, ambitious, and human - as you help shape our US hub
- Build repeatable processes, playbooks, and frameworks to support long-term US growth
Application process
- Intro Chat with Jake, Talent Lead (25-minute video call)
- Interview with Katie Goble, Head of Partnerships, and/or Ashwin Raj, GTM Lead (25-minute video call)
- Take-Home Task (~2-3 hours)
- Task Review (~90 minutes) with Lou (GM North America), Katie, and Josh (COO)
- Boston Office Visit to meet our US team
- You’ll hear from us with a final decision as soon as the process is complete
Our take
As a way to keep fit, running has shot up in popularity in recent years, partially due to accessibility, especially during the pandemic. But for those who want to take running to the next level – whether that be a 5K or a marathon – it can be difficult to know where to start in terms of a training plan. Runna supplies an app with personalised training plans for all types of runs, to help people achieve their running and fitness goals.
Runna was founded in 2020 by running enthusiasts for running enthusiasts, in response to the lack of tools – save paying a professional trainer – available to help runners train. Although there is a wealth of day-to-day running apps available, where Runna stands out is in providing training plans for specific races, which can be distinguished by distance and goal time. In addition, it does this whilst maintaining a sense of community, which has proven to be a popular feature amongst other running apps, and still caters to a range of experience levels.
Runna has seen consistent subscriber growth since its launch, serving thousands of users globally. The company plans to build and scale into the future, reach more customers, and expand its team. An acquisition by fitness giant Strava will help it on its way to achieving these aims.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Funding (last 2 of 3 rounds)
Nov 2023
$6.7m
SEED
Dec 2022
$2.6m
SEED
Total funding: $10.2m
Company benefits
- Own a part of Runna: We want you to own a part of the company you're building. Everyone who joins Runna receives a generous stock options package
- Grow with us: As one of our early hires, you'll have a unique opportunity to shape and influence Runna's product and culture from the beginning
- Learn and develop: We work with all of the latest tools and technologies so you can learn at the cutting edge of product development
- Team socials: We're a friendly bunch and like to make work-like fun, whether that's lunches and dinners or our bi-weekly team run
- Paid vacation: We want people to take time off to rest and rejuvenate. Runna offers 25 vacation days + bank holidays
- Tools: You'll receive all new equipment including a laptop, running watch of your choice, and anything else you need to do your best work
- Get paid to Run(na): We have a dedicated hour block each week where you'll get paid to run! Whether you want to build up to your first 5k or do that tough intervals sessions it's up to you!
- Enhanced family care: 3 months fully paid when you welcome a new Runna into the family, as well as fertility support & a host of other benefits
Company HQ
Vauxhall, London, UK
Leadership
Dom Maskell
(Co-Founder & CEO)Previously an Officer Cadet at the RAF and worked both as a Business Analyst and later Product Manager at McKinsey & Company.
Ben Parker
(Co-Founder & Head Coach)Former Personal Trainer and Running Coach. Owned Ben Parker Fitness. Previously a Spin & Pilates Class instructor at Roehampton Club, and Activities Manager at Mark Warner.
Walter Holohan
(CTO)Initially joined Runna as a Technical Lead before being promoted to CTO. Prior to Runna, they were a React Native Developer at 11:FS, a Full Stack Engineer at Nationwide Building Society and a Director at Spartn.
Salary benchmarks
We don't have enough data yet to provide salary benchmarks for this role.
Submit your salary to help other candidates with crowdsourced salary estimates.
Share this job
View 9 more jobs at Runna