Strategic Programs & Partnerships Manager (Marketing)

Organization

Braven Foundation (an initiative of Braven Agency)

Location

Long Beach, CA

Employment Type

Full-Time, open to hybrid

Experience Level

Mid-Level (3–5 years)

Salary Range

$65,000 – $75,000 base (dependent on experience)

Reports To

Director of Operations

The Braven Foundation is seeking a high-energy, fiercely proactive, and deeply collaborative Strategic Programs & Partnerships Manager to spearhead our most high-profile public–private portfolios. You will serve as the primary operator, marketing strategist, and relationship engine for key initiatives, including our tech partnerships, the Digital Communities Program (DCP), the Small Business Program, and the City of Long Beach AI program.

This role is for a charismatic, relationship-focused marketer who can balance front-facing relationship-building and campaign execution with strategic back-end grant writing and RFP development. You will own execution, track hard performance metrics, and secure the funding required to scale our impact.

Program Management & Partner Relations=70%

Managing stakeholder relationships across tech partnerships, the Digital Communities Program (DCP), the Small Business Program, and the City of Long Beach AI initiative. Driving marketing campaign execution, workshop operations, and program KPIs.

Growth, Grants & RFP Development= 30%

Owning the full grant pipeline and public-sector RFP lifecycle. Identifying funding opportunities, writing compelling proposals, and converting program outcomes into persuasive funder narratives.

1. Strategic Programs & Partner Relations (70%)

• Serve as the primary high-touch liaison for top-tier corporate partners, tech innovators, and municipal leadership across our tech partnerships, DCP, Small Business Program, and City of Long Beach AI program.
• Proactively manage multi-layered digital marketing campaigns, tracking KPIs and aligning campaign metrics with broader organizational goals.
• Plan, market, and execute 7–10 virtual workshops/webinars per month plus 1–2 in-person workshops per month across a multi-state event calendar.
• Recruit, onboard, and graduate small business cohorts annually; build and maintain a KPI dashboard tracking graduation rates, revenue growth, and jobs created.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration between agency creatives, client representatives, and community leaders to keep complex projects on time and within scope.
• Command high-stakes stakeholder meetings, delivering professional presentations and project reporting with absolute confidence.
• Anticipate account risks and client needs through proactive problem-solving before roadblocks impact delivery.

2. Grant Writing, Growth & RFP Development (30%)

• Develop and execute an annual grant funding strategy spanning local, state, federal, and private sources.
• Own the end-to-end grant pipeline (LOIs, proposals, renewals) and the development lifecycle for municipal grants and public-sector RFPs.
• Serve as the primary account manager for institutional funders; lead quarterly sponsor reviews to demonstrate impact and secure renewals.
• Ensure on-time, zero-defect compliance reporting (financial and programmatic).
• Translate programmatic success stories, campaign data, and technical concepts (especially around AI and digital community frameworks) into compelling, persuasive written narratives.
• Collaborate with finance and agency leadership to build accurate, justifiable budgets for funding applications.

3. Strategic Partnerships & Outreach (Core Growth Function)

• Identify and secure partnerships across 11 states with Chambers of Commerce, SBDCs, nonprofits, economic development organizations, and trade associations.
• Conduct structured outreach (email, calls, social) and maintain a CRM of multi-state partners.
• Lead partner discovery calls, onboarding, and equip partners with co-marketing kits (email copy, social assets, flyers).
• Maintain a rolling 90-day outreach pipeline and ensure partners actively promote workshops and drive attendance.

4. Conference Strategy & Market Expansion

• Identify business conferences and speaking opportunities; pitch workshops and engagements to event organizers.
• Secure quarterly conference placements across key markets and expand Braven Foundation's presence across the Western U.S.

5. Performance Tracking & Reporting

• Deliver weekly pipeline and outreach reports, monthly performance summaries, and continuous data-driven optimizations.
• Track workshop volume and attendance, partner performance, grant pipeline progress, and program KPIs.

Required Experience

• 3–5 years of demonstrable experience in program management, grant writing, marketing project management, or nonprofit leadership.
• Proven track record of secured grant funding across corporate, foundation, and/or government applications.
• Direct experience managing small business incubators, economic development programs, or corporate–community tech partnerships.
• Strong structural understanding of digital marketing strategies, campaign lifecycles, and content distribution platforms.
• Proven track record in writing successful grants and navigating public/city RFP processes.
• Comfort operating in tech-adjacent landscapes; direct familiarity or strong interest in AI technologies, smart cities, or digital literacy programs is highly valued.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Execution: Manage multiple work streams across programs, partnerships, and funding simultaneously. Comfortable with the use of AI for workflow optimization.
• Partnership & Relationship Building: Build trust and influence across diverse organizations and stakeholders.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Use metrics to optimize performance and drive growth.
• Communication & Storytelling: Translate impact into compelling narratives for funders and stakeholders.
• Autonomous Ownership: Self-starter who thrives with minimal oversight and full accountability.
• Operational Excellence: Highly organized, with strong systems for tracking outreach, events, and reporting.

Personality & Soft Skills

• Outgoing & Charismatic: An unapologetic people-person who builds instant rapport and sustains diverse human connections (through emails AND phone calls)
• Aggressively Proactive: A natural hunter mentality — you identify operational gaps and pursue creative strategies without being asked.

High Emotional Intelligence: Communicate effectively with corporate executives, tech leaders, city officials, and localized community groups alike.

• Consistently securing 7–10 virtual workshops/month 1–2 in-person events.
• Growing attendance and replay engagement year-over-year.
• Building a strong multi-state partner network across 11 states.
• Meeting or exceeding grant funding targets.
• Delivering high-performing small business cohorts.
• Maintaining 100% on-time reporting and compliance.
• Applying AI (ChatGPT, Claude, or other) to streamline communications and workflows.

Submit your resume and a brief cover letter highlighting (1) a grant or RFP you have personally secured, (2) a program or campaign you scaled, and (3) why the intersection of community impact, AI, and strategic partnerships excites you.

Braven Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive workplace.