Sr. Manager, Member Experience - SPARKS in Washington, District of Columbia at Innovas, Inc.

About NSTXL:

The National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL) harvests innovative technology from the commercial and non-defense marketplace, transforming government innovation while decreasing costs, compressing timelines, and improving outcomes. We offer a unique and simplified approach to rapidly developing, demonstrating, and assessing prototypes that address various operational and installation needs, from individual Warfighter technology to large-scale installation projects. NSTXL supports technology delivery to the Department of Defense by serving as a one-stop shop to match government requirements with innovative private-sector and academic solutions.

NSTXL is creating an ecosystem of innovators to collaborate and bring next-generation technologies to the end-user. Our OTAs have over 900 members from corporate, non-profit, educational, and financial institutions. For these members, NSTXL offers opportunities to bid on government contracts, education and training, and live/virtual forums on various topics.

Work Location: Onsite DC Metro Area

Clearance Required: Active TS/SCI

Employment Type: Full-Time (Contingent)

Job Description:

The Senior Manager, Member Experience sits at the center of mission and innovation, transforming classified government capability needs into actionable engagement strategies that connect members and prospects to high-impact opportunities and strategic teaming partners. Operating in sensitive environments, this role serves as a critical bridge between government priorities and industry capability, accelerating collaboration and enabling mission-aligned solutions that move at the speed of need.

Reporting to the Director of Marketing, the Senior Manager leads the Member Experience team across all NSTXL programs, including direct supervision of Member Experience Specialists and administrative staff. The role requires a blend of strategic thinking, relationship management, and operational execution, with the ability to translate complex government mission needs into clear opportunities for industry partners while ensuring all engagement complies with applicable security protocols.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Technology Scouting and Government Alignment

Monitors and interprets classified or sensitive government mission needs, capability gaps, and priority areas within authorized environments.Conducts structured analysis of emerging and existing technologies to identify potential applications for government use cases.Maintains a high-level understanding of defense, federal, and mission partner priorities and translates them into actionable engagement themes.

Member and Prospect Engagement

Translates government needs into clear, accessible language for members and prospective members.Conducts targeted, direct outreach to members and prospects to communicate opportunity areas, mission needs, and engagement pathways.Supports onboarding conversations by aligning member capabilities with government priorities and program objectives.Maintains ongoing relationships with members to ensure awareness of evolving mission needs and opportunities.

Teaming and Partnership Development

Identifies complementary capabilities across the membership base and facilitates introductions between organizations.Builds and maintains a structured approach to forming teaming relationships that support bid opportunities and mission execution.Supports members in identifying potential partners for classified and unclassified opportunities where appropriate.Acts as a connector to strengthen collaboration across industry, academia, and government-aligned partners.

Market and Ecosystem Intelligence

Synthesizes insights from classified and unclassified sources into high-level market intelligence briefs.Tracks technology trends, emerging capabilities, and gaps in the defense and government ecosystem.Provides feedback loops from member capabilities back to internal stakeholders to inform strategy and programming.

Stakeholder Communication

Serves as a trusted liaison between government-facing insights and member-facing communications.Produces concise summaries, outreach messaging, and engagement materials tailored to technical and non-technical audiences.Ensures all communications comply with security protocols and classification guidelines.

Team Leadership and Oversight

Provides direct supervision and performance management for Member Experience Specialists and administrative staff who support all NSTXL programs.Establishes and maintains standardized operating procedures to ensure consistency across all member-related workflows.Serves as the escalation point for significant member-related issues, coordinating with the Director of Marketing to resolve.Drives team accountability, consistency in execution, and adherence to engagement standards and processes.

Qualifications Expected for Position:

Required Education/Clearance

Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or related field.Active Top Secret clearance.

Required Experience and Abilities

7–10 years of progressive experience in marketing, business development, member engagement, strategic partnerships, or a related field.3–5 years of experience owning or leading a customer, growth, or membership lifecycle, including strategy development and performance outcomes.5+ years of direct people management experience, including leading, developing, and performance managing a team.Demonstrated experience operating in or supporting classified or sensitive government environments with a strong understanding of associated protocols and constraints.Strong understanding of defense, federal, or national security mission areas.Ability to translate technical and mission-driven language into clear, actionable business communications.Experience in business development, technical scouting, strategic partnerships, or innovation ecosystems.Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills (written and verbal).Proven ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.Ability to manage multiple deadline-driven tasks and projects simultaneously.High level of emotional intelligence and ability to analyze complex situations and develop effective solutions.

Preferred Skills/Experience

Experience working with defense industry, government contractors, or innovation hubs.Familiarity with OTA environments, federal acquisition pathways, or dual-use technology markets.Background in engineering, intelligence analysis, program management, or technical sales.Existing network within government, defense, or advanced technology communities.Previous experience briefing or presenting strategies to senior leadership and/or executive-level management.

Location:

DC Metro Area, MD, VA only as this is onsite

Travel:

Travel for this position is estimated up to 20%

Salary Range:

$120,000 - $155,00

Equal Opportunity Employer:

NSTXL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information.

What We Offer:

We strive to be one of the best places to work in America. We offer competitive salaries and benefits that include:

Health Insurance: Medical and dental – company pays 90% of premiums for individual coverage and for family coverage Vision Insurance: Fully covered Retirement Plans: 401(k) with employer match up to 4% Paid Time Off: Paid sick and safe leave, 10 federal holidays, floating holiday + your birthday, and generous vacationOther: Basic Life & AD&D policy company paid Voluntary Life Flexible & remote work structure Wellness reimbursement plan & mental health support Community sponsorships Donation matching Professional development allowance

If you need any accommodation for the interview process, please let us know when we contact you.

This position is contingent upon contract award and funding. Candidates may be contacted for pre-award interviews and pipeline consideration. Employment offers will be extended once the contract is officially awarded.

The pay range for this role is:

140,000.00 - 175,000.00 USD per year (DC Metro Area)