Partnerships & Outreach Senior Manager, The States Forum

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Partnerships & Outreach Senior Manager, The States Forum based in the United States.

We are seeking an experienced Partnerships & Outreach Senior Manager to expand and strengthen a network of organizations and individuals influencing state-level public policy. This role focuses on building strategic relationships, developing collaborative opportunities, and connecting policymakers, think tanks, coalitions, and other influential stakeholders. You will lead proactive outreach initiatives and transform promising connections into long-term partnerships that advance meaningful policy solutions. Working closely with senior leadership and content teams, you will help shape policy priorities and amplify research, ideas, and organizational initiatives. You will also represent the organization at conferences, convenings, and industry events, serving as a key ambassador for its mission. This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing, mission-driven organization where relationship-building, initiative, and collaboration are central to success.

In this role, you will lead partnership development and external outreach, identifying opportunities to strengthen stakeholder engagement and expand the organization's influence across state-level policy networks. Your responsibilities will include:

• Identify, research, and prioritize prospective partners, including state government decision-makers, influential policymakers and their staff, think tanks, state-focused organizations, coalitions, and other relevant groups.

• Conduct proactive outreach, establish meaningful relationships, and convert promising discussions into formal, mutually beneficial partnerships.

• Collaborate with senior policy leadership to identify opportunities for partners to contribute to policy development, inform emerging priorities, and amplify organizational initiatives.

• Develop and maintain a structured partnership pipeline, tracking contacts, engagement status, follow-up actions, and outcomes.

• Manage and strengthen existing partner relationships to ensure continued engagement, mutual value, and alignment with organizational priorities.

• Represent the organization at conferences, convenings, and external events, communicating its mission and work while building new professional connections.

• Coordinate post-event follow-ups to transform initial introductions into ongoing relationships and collaboration opportunities.

• Support the planning and delivery of internally hosted or co-hosted events and convenings with strategic partners.

• Develop outreach and communication materials, including one-pagers, partner briefings, and talking points, in collaboration with the content team.

• Monitor partnership and outreach activities, providing regular reports, insights, and recommendations to leadership on opportunities to expand the organization's network.

Requirements

The ideal candidate is a proactive relationship-builder with strong organizational capabilities, excellent communication skills, and a genuine interest in public policy and coalition development. You should demonstrate:

• Bachelor's degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Communications, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• 5–10 years of relevant professional experience in partnerships, outreach, external affairs, stakeholder engagement, or coalition building.

• Demonstrated success developing and managing relationships with diverse stakeholders across organizations and professional networks.

• Strong ability to identify partnership opportunities, build trust, and maintain productive long-term relationships.

• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple relationships, maintain a partnership pipeline, and coordinate follow-up activities effectively.

• Strong time-management and prioritization skills, with the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.

• A self-starter mindset, demonstrating initiative, accountability, and consistent follow-through.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including confidence representing an organization in public and professional settings.

• Willingness and ability to travel for meetings, conferences, events, and occasional in-person team gatherings.

Desired Qualifications:

• Advanced experience building coalitions and strategic partnerships between organizations with different priorities and perspectives.

• Familiarity with state government, state-focused organizations, or the broader state-level public policy landscape.

• Experience using CRM platforms or relationship-management tools to organize contacts and track partnership development.

• Previous experience working in a startup or early-stage organization, ideally within a growing and evolving environment.

Benefits

• Annual salary ranging from $101,000 to $108,000.

• Fully remote work environment.

• Opportunity to contribute to meaningful public policy initiatives and strengthen democratic engagement.

• High level of responsibility and ownership in developing strategic partnerships.

• Opportunities to collaborate with policymakers, think tanks, coalitions, and influential stakeholders.

• Professional exposure through conferences, convenings, and external events.

• Occasional in-person team retreats and opportunities for team collaboration.

• Full-time position within a growing, mission-driven organization.

We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team.

We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!

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