Manager – Strategic Partnerships
Any COMPASS Group Office location across Australia
About the Role
The Strategic Alliance Group (SAG) is a trusted business partner to Compass Group Australia (CGA) executive leadership, responsible for strengthening client partnerships and supporting long-term contract retention strategies.
The Manager – Strategic Partnerships plays a critical role in retaining CGA contracts through proactive, insight-led client engagement. The role focuses on developing senior-level client advocates, identifying contract risk, supporting growth opportunities, and embedding a strong retention culture across the business.
This is a senior, influential role requiring strong stakeholder engagement across CGA and client organisations, including up to Executive Director and Managing Director level.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Client Relationships
- Build and maintain trusted, multi-level relationships with key internal and external stakeholders
- Act as a client advocate while developing strong Compass Group advocates within client organisations
- Identify, engage, and influence client decision-makers to support contract retention and growth
- Serve as a representative of CGA executive leadership within client organisations, including C‑Suite engagement
Retention Risk & Commercial Insight
- Manage confidential contract risk and retention strategy data within CRM to support accurate forecasting.
Identify and escalate contract risk to MD level as required.
Guide pre-emptive retention strategies aligned to client insights and contract lifecycle requirements.
Growth & Value Creation
- Identify growth opportunities outside the formal retention cycle.
Support renegotiation opportunities, service extensions, margin improvement initiatives, and net-new growth.
Retention Culture & Capability
- Influence and embed a retention-focused culture across sectors and leadership levels.
Deliver formal and informal capability uplift in DISC, WAMS, and CRM methodologies up to GM level.
Provide thought leadership through communications, workshops, and forums to drive pre-emptive behaviour.
Lead or contribute to system and process improvement initiatives, including CRM enhancement, in collaboration with support functions.
Client Insights & Strategy
- Monitor client satisfaction and expectations via WITY engagements and surveys.
Analyse client insights and trends to influence CGA strategy and continuous improvement initiatives.
Support tender and competitive retention strategies through insight sharing with Operations and Business Development teams.
Contract Lifecycle & Governance
- Manage assigned contract portfolios through all stages of the contract lifecycle.
Facilitate client and internal strategy forums and workshops with senior stakeholders.
Support continuous improvement planning to ensure delivery against client expectations.
Skills & Experience
Essential
- Demonstrated ability to influence and motivate stakeholders across multiple functions without direct authority.
Strong client engagement capability with senior internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to balance commercial objectives with client relationship needs.
High-level analytical, communication, and presentation skills.
Strong literacy and numeracy capability.
Proven ability to build long-term, trust-based relationships.
Professional personal brand aligned to Compass Group values.
Desirable
- Proven negotiation and commercial influencing capability.
Training, facilitation, or senior-level presentation experience.
Experience supporting large, complex contract portfolios in a client-facing environment.
Learning & Development
- Completion of annual Sales Training refresher programs as required.
We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible for all. If you require adjustments or alternative methods of communication in the recruitment process, please reach out to us on either talisson@compass-group.com.au or katrinarooney@compass-group.com.au
