Sr. Manager, Member Experience - SPARKS

NSTXL (National Security Technology Accelerator)•Washington, DC

12d•Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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

Nice To Haves

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.

Responsibilities

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Benefits

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 vacation
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