Program Manager, Strategic Ecosystem Initiatives

Program Manager, Strategic Ecosystem Initiatives

Reporting to the Associate Director of Growth, Innovation, Community Building Programs & Sponsored Events, and Future State, the Strategic Ecosystem Initiatives Program Manager exercises significant independent judgment in initiative design, stakeholder engagement strategy, opportunity identification, issue escalation, execution planning, and outcome tracking. The role requires a forward-looking individual with executive-level communication skills, strong cross-functional coordination, and the ability to translate broad innovation priorities into actionable initiative plans with measurable impact.

The Program Manager designs, implements, and continuously improves a portfolio of strategic ecosystem initiatives that strengthen veteran entrepreneurship through structured engagement with corporate, nonprofit, public-sector, academic, and entrepreneurial stakeholders. This role emphasizes initiative creation, partner architecture, opportunity pipeline development, and ecosystem-level problem-solving in service of long-term field-building.

This position may be filled on a fully remote basis if the identified candidate is not currently located in Syracuse, NY (within 50 miles). Not all geographical areas within the United States are eligible.

Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree in business, entrepreneurship, public policy, nonprofit management, economic development, higher education administration, communications, or a related field. Advanced degree in a relevant field preferred. Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in program management, ecosystem development, partnership strategy, business development, entrepreneurship support, strategic convening, innovation portfolio management, or a related field. Demonstrated experience managing cross-functional initiatives and complex external stakeholder relationships. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare executive-ready briefs, partner communications, and strategic recommendations. Ability to translate ambiguous strategic priorities into initiative plans, operating structures, and measurable outcomes.

Skills and Knowledge: Experience supporting veteran-owned businesses, military-connected entrepreneurs, or veteran-serving initiatives preferred. Experience in innovation strategy, ecosystem building, strategic partnerships, supplier diversity, market access initiatives, or pilot program development preferred. Experience working across higher education, nonprofit, and cross-sector institutional environments preferred. Experience with CRM systems, stakeholder pipeline tracking, partnership management tools, and performance dashboards preferred. Ability to design initiative architectures, partner pathways, and scalable engagement models. Strong executive-ready communication and cross-functional coordination skills. Ability to convert ecosystem intelligence and partner feedback into actionable strategic recommendations.

Responsibilities: Lead Strategic Ecosystem Initiative Design and Portfolio Management: Exercise independent judgment to design, launch, and direct a portfolio of strategic ecosystem initiatives aligned with IVMF growth, innovation, and future-state priorities; independently define initiative charters, annual goals, budget, work plans, delivery models, governance routines, and success measures for assigned work.

Direct External Engagement and Partner Activation: Own and steward relationships with strategic partners across sectors, applying independent judgment in stakeholder engagement strategy; develop activation pathways, partner value propositions, collaboration plans, and follow-up systems that convert engagement into shared initiatives, commitments, and measurable outcomes.

Develop Business Opportunity and Ecosystem Connection Pathways: Identify and operationalize pathways that connect veteran-owned businesses to market opportunities, resource providers, expert networks, and high-value ecosystem relationships through structured matchmaking and initiative-based engagement.

Lead Strategic Convenings, Pilots, and Field-Building Engagement: Coordinate and manage convenings, pilot efforts, and ecosystem engagements that surface barriers, test solutions, advance strategic priorities, and strengthen IVMF's role as a connector and innovation leader; escalate issues and execution risks to leadership with recommended courses of action.

Own Insight Translation, Measurement, and Reporting: Design and maintain concise performance frameworks and reporting tools that track initiative progress, partner outcomes, and ecosystem value creation, while translating broad innovation priorities into actionable plans and converting findings into practical recommendations for leadership.