Program Manager, Strategic Partnerships

THE OPPORTUNITY

The National League of Cities is an organization based in Washington, D.C., comprised of city, town, and village leaders across the country focused on improving the quality of life for their current and future constituents. With over 100 years of dedication to local governments' strength, health, and advancement, NLC has gained the trust and support of more than 2,000 cities, towns, and villages nationwide. We are a dynamic and forward-thinking organization dedicated to supporting municipal leaders and driving positive change in communities across the nation.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The National League of Cities (NLC) is seeking a Program Manager, Strategic Partnerships to support the growth, engagement, and success of NLC's strategic partnership portfolio. This position will manage an assigned portfolio of strategic partners while leading business development efforts to identify, cultivate, and secure new partnerships and sponsorship opportunities. This is a revenue-generating role with direct responsibility for contributing to the growth of NLC’s partnership and sponsorship revenue.

The Program Manager will build strong relationships with current and prospective partners, identify opportunities that align private-sector organizations with the needs and priorities of cities, towns, and villages, and contribute to the continued growth of NLC's Strategic Partnerships program.

This role is ideal for a relationship-driven professional who enjoys building connections, developing new opportunities, and translating organizational priorities into mutually beneficial partnerships.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Partnership Management & Engagement

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for an assigned portfolio of Executive, Capstone, Sponsorship, and other strategic partners.
• Develop and execute partner engagement, stewardship, and renewal strategies that strengthen relationships and deliver value to NLC partners.
• Work collaboratively with partners to understand their goals and identify opportunities for meaningful engagement across NLC programs, events, and initiatives.
• Coordinate with internal NLC teams to ensure successful delivery of partnership benefits and commitments.
• Monitor partner engagement and identify opportunities to strengthen, expand, and renew existing relationships.

Business Development & Partner Outreach

• Research, identify, and qualify prospective sponsors and strategic partners whose priorities align with NLC's mission, programs, and membership.
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of prospective partnership opportunities through proactive outreach, networking, referrals, industry engagement, and other business development activities.
• Cultivate relationships with prospective partners and serve as an initial point of contact for new partnership opportunities.
• Conduct discovery meetings to understand prospective partners' goals and identify opportunities for engagement with NLC.
• Develop partnership proposals, presentations, and other business development materials in collaboration with the Strategic Partnerships Director.
• Support partnership negotiations, contracting, and onboarding of newly secured partners.
• Collaborate with NLC's Marketing, Events, Programs, and other teams to identify and develop sponsorship opportunities across conferences, programs, events, and initiatives.

Pipeline & Performance Management

• Maintain accurate and timely records of prospects, outreach activities, partnership opportunities, and next steps within NLC's CRM.
• Track business development activity, pipeline metrics, revenue opportunities, and forecasts.
• Provide regular updates on prospect activity, partnership opportunities, and progress toward departmental revenue goals.
• Support the transition of newly secured partners into ongoing relationship management while maintaining continuity and long-term engagement.

What We're Looking For

The successful candidate will be a proactive relationship builder who is comfortable developing new connections, managing multiple priorities, and working collaboratively across an organization. They will bring curiosity, initiative, strong communication skills, and an ability to understand the priorities of both private-sector organizations and local government leaders. Candidates should be comfortable operating in a sales function, as they will be directly responsible for generating revenue to support the critical work of the National League of Cities.

The ideal candidate will be energized by identifying new opportunities and building relationships from the ground up while also providing a high level of service and engagement to existing partners.

Role Impact

This position plays an important role in expanding NLC's Strategic Partnerships portfolio and strengthening the value delivered to existing partners. By combining relationship management with proactive business development, the Program Manager will help generate sustainable revenue, cultivate new organizational relationships, and create partnerships that connect private-sector expertise and resources with the priorities of America's cities, towns, and villages.

NLC INCLUSION STATEMENT

NLC is committed to fostering a culture that values diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.

NLC is dedicated to ensuring that our hiring practices and workplace policies provide equal access to opportunities, skill development, and merit-based advancement.

By embracing inclusion, we foster a work culture of continuous learning, innovation, creativity, and understanding which are essential to our success supporting cities, towns, and villages.

WORK LOCATION

This hybrid position is based in Washington, DC, and requires three days on-site at our NLC headquarters.

SALARY RANGE

$65,000-$75,000 annually

OUR BENEFITS

• Competitive benefits and retirement package
• Generous paid time off and holidays
• Hybrid work environment
• Professional Development

EOE/M/F/D/V