Manager, Indiana Strategy and Partnerships

The Manager, Strategy and Defense Partnership orchestrates the coordination and program tracking of strategic initiatives and partnerships across the defense and national security ecosystem. This role focuses on integration, alignment, and follow-throughiensuring that strategy, leadership direction, and partnership activities are translated into organized action. This role serves as a critical connector between executive leadership, government stakeholders, and industry partnersiensuring strategic priorities are translated into disciplined execution across a complex defense ecosystem.

The role is not quota-based business development; instead, it focuses onistrategic alignment, partnership effectiveness, and operational follow-throughiin support of national security objectives. Success is defined by clarity, coordination, and consistent execution across government, industry, academic, and public-sector stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy Coordination & Execution

• Coordinating and track strategic initiatives aligned with DoD and national security priorities
• Translate senior leadership strategic direction intoiintegrated strategy plans, schedules, visual articulations, and coordination activities
• Maintain visibility into initiative status, milestones, and dependencies

• Monitor defense policy, acquisition trends, and ecosystem dynamics to inform leadership decision-making

Partnership Coordination

• Manage partnership cadence, expectations, and deliverables across multi-party collaborations
• Support partnership formation and sustainment, includingiMOUs, CRADAs, OT-related engagements, and consortium models
• Establish and implement steering committees, working groups, and executive reviews
• Track partnership activities, commitments, deliverables, and follow-up actions

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a reliable point of contact for partners on coordination, scheduling, and follow-through
• Prepare and execution of stakeholder forums, site visits, and briefings
• Capture meeting outcomes and ensure timely communication and action item closure

Internal Integration & Operations

• Coordinate across internal teams to align partnership activities with organizational priorities and capacity
• Create a common framework on how strategy and partnerships are executed and tracked
• Provide forward-looking recommendations to enhance strategic positioning and partnership leverage

What Success Looks Like

• Defense-critical initiatives move from strategy to execution withiclarity, discipline, and predictability
• Government and industry partners experience the organization asicredible, responsive, and operationally mature
• Senior leadership relies on this role forisound judgment, situational awareness, and execution confidence
• Cross-functional teams remain aligned without escalation or rework
• Partnerships deliver measurable mission and program outcomes

Qualifications

Required

• Bacheloris degree in business, public administration, communications, engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 8+ years of experience inidefense, national security, government-adjacent strategy, or complex partnership environments
• Demonstrated success executing initiatives involvingiDoD, federal agencies, defense contractors, or federally funded programs
• Strong understanding of defense ecosystem dynamics, stakeholder expectations, and operating constraints
• Proven ability to operate independently inihigh-visibility, high-ambiguity environments
• Strong organizational, communication, and coordination skills
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and priorities simultaneously
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and collaboration tools

Preferred

• Experience withiOTAs, CRADAs, consortia, or public-private partnership models
• Familiarity with defense acquisition, compliance frameworks, and information-control requirements
• Background in strategy, management consulting, or enterprise program leadership

Why This Role Matters

This role ensures that strategy and partnerships do not stall at the concept stage. By providing disciplined coordination and follow-through, the Strategy and Partnership Manager enables leadership, partners, and programs to move forward with clarity and confidence.