Director, Strategic Partnerships at National League Of Cities Services, Inc. – Washington, District of Columbia

Create and sustain short-term and long-term strategic plans that generate revenue growth, grow and extend partnership and program goals and agendas in alignment with overall NLC strategies and initiatives in collaboration with the Senior Executive.Lead the Program Director of Enterprise Partnership as they manage Enterprise Partner (strategic business partner) relations, including negotiating contracts and monitoring contract compliance.Directs the promotion and delivery of programs that offer savings and solutions to cities through our Enterprise, Executive, and Capstone partnerships. Facilitates coordination among programs for promotion, content sharing, and conference engagement.Directs NLC’s solicitation and engagement with corporate partners across industry sectors in the city marketplace, including government technology, municipal finance and investments, civic innovation, infrastructure and community development, health and retirement services, public safety, and media and telecommunications.Continuously seek practical and sustainable methods of expanding NLC partnerships and programs within cities to drive outcomes while also strengthening program impact, driving revenue for NLC and alignment within NLC. Ensure consistency and continuity among programs, resolving discrepancies or conflicts between programs as required.Leverage past program successes and failures, industry trends, best practices, and strengths offered by existing partnerships to guide the development of future initiatives. Design, create, and support new program models that expand programs in new directions and drive revenue.Oversee the development of work plans and staff assignments to guide the implementation of initiatives. Maintain a comprehensive work plan across the program area to provide visibility on overall program efforts.Assist the Senior Executive with the overall management of the Department, including strategic planning, coordination of cross-program initiatives, and the identification and cultivation of prospective business partners, sponsors, and funders.Prepares and manages the annual budget for the Strategic Partnerships department.

Partnerships and SponsorshipLead and drive the overall revenue generating operations of our Strategic Partnerships team. Owns and prioritizes revenue growth as a core outcome of the role, ensuring partnership strategies, sponsorship models, and engagement approaches consistently drive sustainable non-dues revenue for NLC.Drive sponsorship revenue for NLC’s annual conference.Ability to grow exiting partnerships and develop new engaging partnership experiences Develop strategies to build sponsorship for assigned program area with other NLC divisions / departments for the annual conference.Directs the planning, coordination, and execution, in collaboration with colleagues cross the organization, of sponsorship fundraising goals associated with NLC conferences and other key programs.Identify and facilitate the formation of key partnerships with member cities, corporate and strategic partners, and other key stakeholders to generate impactful relationships, member city experiences that create practical and innovative opportunities to cultivate solutions for local municipalities across the country.Meet with NLC staff, state municipal leagues (in collaboration with Senior Executive), and external partners at other nonprofits and universities to understand the current landscape of local municipal issues and forge partnerships to help further organizational and member efforts. Identify opportunities to draw upon these partnerships in order to broaden the array of resources available to municipal leaders in NLC member cities, towns, and villages.Promote innovative solutions for local municipal officials that explicitly address program issues, topics, and goals in their cities. Establish opportunities that give them a national voice on the impacts of program topics in their cities to showcase their efforts as it relates to NLC programs and partnerships.Program/Partner Education, Outreach and EventsStrategize the deployment of corporate relationships that deepens the capacity of city leaders to drive effective local action.Educate the staff on new and existing Corporate, Enterprise, and Strategic Partnership. Develop events/convenings with corporate and strategic partners that directly contribute to creating member experiences that afford city leaders the opportunity to grow their capacity as leaders and to explicitly address key issues and topics. Work with Digital, Engagement, Marketing and Communications Department and the Member Services and Engagement Department to direct, strategize and oversee the development of communication materials, initiatives, testimonials, and partner/member engagement activities.Assist with directing the development of program-specific content for conferences and meetings. Make speeches and presentations to diverse audiences and otherwise represent NLC at events. Leverage these opportunities to build new partnerships and strengthen existing collaborations with city leaders, foundations, corporate funders, and other stakeholders.Membership Services & Engagement CollaborationAlign with the Director, Member Services and Engagement to support the strategic partner connection to the Member First strategyWork in close partnership with the Director, Member Services and Engagement to ensure strategic partners are meaningfully connected to member needs, city priorities, and NLC program offerings. (e.g. Constituency Groups, Member Councils, and other strategic network groups).Develop joint outreach strategies with Director, Member Services and Engagement that highlight partner offerings, solution-based opportunities, and thought leadership that directly supports member cities.Track industry trends and emerging solutions to identify partnership opportunities that address evolving members and city needs.Facilitate cross-departmental collaboration with Director, Member Services and Engagement to align partner activities with member needs and ensure seamless integration into member onboarding, retention, and engagement efforts.Coordinate with Director, Member Services and Engagement to track partner participation in city outreach, events, and programming to evaluate impact and inform future partnership strategy.Serve as a bridge between strategic partners and NLC member-facing teams to ensure partnership activities support real municipal challenges and elevate member value.Program Research and Thought LeadershipResearch and analyze corporate partnership trends, sponsorship models, and association fundraising practices to inform strategy.Research and seek out potential partners and sponsors, including analyzing corporate industry trends, public-private partnerships, and association fundraising practices.Program EvaluationDefine and establish measures and track the achievement of program strategy and goals on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. Monitor actual performance against budgeted revenue on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.Oversee the solicitation and incorporate feedback from corporations that participate in the partnership program. Ensure that offerings, benefits and experiences meet their needs. Develop measurement system as to longevity and engagement in the benefits offered to partners. Oversee and work with the NLC’s Center for Data and Analytics the collection of data and review progress on the overall growth and success of assigned program areas. Provide feedback and reports to program leadership regarding the success or failure of particular programs.LeadershipParticipate as a member of the Senior Management Team, and the Leadership Team for the Center for Member and Partner Engagement Contributes strategic vision to NLC’s private sector engagement and non-dues revenue generation and directs the Corporate Partners Program, Enterprise Partnerships (strategic business partnerships), and sponsorship fundraising. Identifies and implements strategies to leverage and integrate state municipal league, corporate and business partner relations;Guide and direct the efforts of assigned staff members in the department to plan and complete the necessary work in support of overall program strategies. Define individual work goals, expectations, priorities, and measures for success.Lead and create an environment that fosters positive team culture, team development and growth for a current team of 5-6.Serve as a mentor and coach for staff providing knowledge and technical expertise in the assigned program area. Plan and deliver professional development to staff based on their current work assignments and long-term career goals.Perform functions typically associated with managing and leading others, including performance management, recruitment and selection, and compensation and policy administration.

Perform other duties and lead special projects as assigned.