Senior Manager, Employer Engagement
Position Overview
Position Overview
Baltimore's Promise seeks a Senior Manager, Employer Engagement to hold full ownership of the organization's employer engagement strategy in support of CareerBound and broader workforce initiatives. Reporting to the Senior Director of CareerBound, this position holds authority for a portfolio of employer, industry, and workforce partnerships that expand career-connected learning, work-based learning, youth apprenticeship, internship, and employment opportunities for Baltimore City young people.
The Senior Manager owns employer engagement strategy implementation — cultivating employer relationships, managing cross-sector partnerships, and cost-share/MOU-style agreements, and ensuring exceptional partner stewardship.. The position serves as Baltimore’s Promise’s primary relationship manager for employer partners and works collaboratively with internal teams, including the CareerBound Senior Managers, to align employer engagement activities with CareerBound implementation and organizational priorities.
This role requires an experienced relationship manager who can independently manage complex partnerships, facilitate collaboration among diverse stakeholders, represent Baltimore's Promise with employers and community partners, and identify opportunities to strengthen employer participation across CareerBound initiatives. The Senior Manager is expected to exercise sound judgment, proactively solve problems, and continuously improve employer engagement practices while elevating opportunities and recommendations to organizational leadership.
Like all Baltimore's Promise staff, this role is expected to work collaboratively across departments, contribute to a culture of continuous learning, and help strengthen Baltimore's Promise's position as the backbone organization for Baltimore's youth ecosystem. This reflects the organization's commitment to an integrated approach in which employer engagement is closely aligned with communications, strategic partnerships, program implementation, and organizational priorities to maximize impact for Baltimore's young people.
Why Now
Baltimore's Promise has established an ambitious goal of supporting 42,000 Baltimore City youth on their way to economic mobility by 2030. The Senior Manager, Employer Engagement will play a critical role in advancing this goal by building the employer partnerships and opportunities young people need to translate education and training into meaningful career pathways. By expanding youth apprenticeships, internships, work-based learning, and employment opportunities—and strengthening employers’ capacity to participate in and sustain these efforts—this position will help ensure that more Baltimore City young people have access to the real-world experiences, employer connections, and quality jobs that put them on a path toward long-term economic mobility.
Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic Employer Engagement (CareerBound)
Own implementation of the CareerBound Employer Engagement Strategy, translating approved strategy into an operating plan and making program design decisions within that strategy.
Manage and grow a portfolio of employer, industry, and workforce partners, serving as Baltimore's Promise's primary relationship manager while cultivating new partnerships and deepening existing relationships that expand work-based learning, youth apprenticeship, internships, career exploration, mentorship, and employment opportunities for Baltimore City youth.
Develop and execute strategic engagement plans that strengthen long-term employer partnerships, increase employer participation across CareerBound initiatives and priority industry sectors, and advance employers along the Employer Engagement Continuum.
Coordinate and facilitate the Employer & Union Advisory Council, employer convenings, sector partnerships, and other employer-facing meetings and events, representing Baltimore's Promise with employers, workforce collaboratives, and community partners.
Ensure exceptional employer stewardship by proactively resolving partnership challenges, coordinating employer recognition activities, and preparing executive briefing materials, meeting agendas, summaries, and follow-up communications.
Identify emerging opportunities, trends, and partnerships that strengthen CareerBound's employer network and support organizational workforce priorities.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partner closely with CareerBound leadership and internal teams to align employer engagement with pathway development, participant recruitment, apprenticeship implementation, communications, and organizational priorities.
Coordinate cross-functional planning, executive preparation, and follow-up to ensure employer partnerships are effectively implemented across CareerBound initiatives and organizational leaders are well prepared for employer-facing engagements.
Data, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
Maintain accurate employer relationship information, engagement histories, partnership activities, and key contacts within Salesforce and other organizational systems.
Monitor employer engagement metrics, partnership outcomes, employer feedback, and labor market trends, preparing reports and dashboards that inform organizational planning and decision-making.
Coordinate the collection of partnership outcomes and employer success stories while recommending and implementing improvements to employer engagement processes, stewardship practices, reporting systems, and relationship management based on data and implementation experience.
Organizational Leadership
Serve as a collaborative organizational leader who models Baltimore's Promise's values through professionalism, responsiveness, collaboration, and exceptional partner stewardship.
Contribute to organizational planning, cross-functional initiatives, special projects, and continuous learning that advance CareerBound and Baltimore's Promise's strategic priorities.
Stay informed on workforce development, employer engagement, youth apprenticeship, and labor market trends to strengthen organizational knowledge and employer partnerships.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Resource Management and Development
Develop and manage the employer engagement budget within organizational guidelines, including event, convening, recognition, and stewardship costs; spend within approved budget lines and seek supervisor approval before moving dollars between line items.
Hold vendor and contract management authority for employer-engagement-related vendors and platforms (e.g., CRM/Salesforce administration support, convening and event vendors), within approved budget and organizational procurement policies.
Negotiate and execute employer commitments, cost-share/flat-rate agreements, and MOU-style hiring or partnership agreements, in coordination with the CareerBound Senior Managers on the programmatic terms those agreements need to support.
Monitor employer-related invoices, reimbursements, and partner deliverables, and flag unforeseen costs or reallocation opportunities to the Senior Director, CareerBound
First-Year Priorities
Implement Year One priorities of the CareerBound Employer Engagement Strategy across priority industry sectors.
Expand and diversify CareerBound's employer network to increase youth apprenticeship, work-based learning, internship, and career-connected learning opportunities.
Launch and coordinate the Employer & Union Advisory Council while strengthening employer participation in CareerBound governance.
Establish consistent employer onboarding, stewardship, relationship management, communication, and reporting systems that support long-term partnership growth and improve internal coordination.
Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)
Five or more years of professional experience in employer engagement, workforce development, nonprofit advancement, strategic partnerships, business development, philanthropy, or a related field.
Demonstrated success building and stewarding relationships with employers, community organizations, corporate partners, or public agencies.
Experience coordinating complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and cross-functional collaboration.
Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing presentations, correspondence, proposals, reports, or other professional materials for diverse audiences.
Ability to build trust and work effectively with employers, funders, community partners, internal staff, and executive leadership.
Experience coordinating meetings, events, convenings, or partnership activities that bring together multiple organizations or stakeholders.
Demonstrated commitment to advancing racial equity, inclusion, and economic opportunity for young people through collaborative, asset-based approaches.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to gather information, identify opportunities, and recommend practical solutions.
Experience maintaining relationship management systems, databases, CRM platforms, or other tracking tools to support partnership development and stewardship.
Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and represent Baltimore's Promise professionally with internal and external partners.
Highly resourceful, collaborative, and self-directed, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, virtual collaboration platforms, and CRM or project management systems.
Preferred
Experience supporting proposal development, sponsorship development, grant coordination, or fundraising initiatives.
Familiarity with employer engagement strategies, apprenticeship, work-based learning, or talent pipeline development.
Experience facilitating cross-sector partnerships, workgroups, or executive-level convenings.
Experience using Salesforce or another CRM platform for relationship management.
Familiarity with Results-Based Accountability (RBA), Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), or other performance management frameworks.
Knowledge of Baltimore City's workforce, employer, philanthropic, and education landscape; Baltimore City residency is a plus.
Compensation and Benefits
This position is classified as non-exempt and is eligible for overtime compensation in accordance with the policies set forth by Baltimore’s Promise and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The annualized compensation for this position is $84,000. Please note that this compensation is firm. Baltimore’s Promise compensation is determined by the responsibilities and level of authority required by each position as opposed to individual candidates’ qualifications or pedigree. This is an intentional attempt to mitigate pay inequities that are in part driven by systemic and implicit racism and gender bias impacting career trajectories and negotiation. However, to honor individual candidates’ unique experiences and assets, this position is eligible for a one-time hiring bonus.
This is a full-time position with full benefits, including CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield health insurance, dental and vision insurance, paid time off, paid parental leave, cellphone and mileage stipends, and support for professional development opportunities.
Hybrid Work Schedule: Baltimore’s Promise is an in-person, team-based organization. Staff are expected to be in the office approximately 2–3 days per week on average, with some weeks requiring a greater in-person presence (including up to five days), depending on the work, meetings, and community needs. In-person collaboration is the default for planning, decision-making, and strategic conversations, while virtual meetings are used intentionally. We value flexibility and trust staff to self-manage their schedules within these shared expectations.
Please visit www.baltimorespromise.org/benefits to view the many additional benefits that Baltimore’s Promise offers to its hard-working staff.
Travel
Travel around Baltimore City for in-person meetings and into the office for staff meetings is a regular occurrence. Occasional travel includes national conferences, staff retreats, and meetings around the state.
To Apply
Submit the following application materials as a PDF by clicking the link below.
Resume
Cover Letter
A brief writing sample (maximum 2 pages) responding to the following scenario:
Baltimore’s Promise is engaging a prospective employer partner to expand career-connected opportunities for Baltimore City young people. The employer is interested but has not yet committed to a specific role.
Draft a communication or brief engagement strategy that demonstrates how you would:
Articulate a compelling value proposition for the employer;
Identify potential opportunities for engagement, such as youth apprenticeships, internships, work-based learning, or employment;
Balance the employer’s interests and capacity with the needs of young people and CareerBound; and
Identify key questions and next steps to move the relationship toward a meaningful, sustainable partnership.
We are most interested in your ability to communicate clearly, think strategically, and build mutually beneficial partnerships. Please do not include confidential or proprietary information from a current or former employer.
Statement of approach to applying race equity and inclusion lens to data collection, analysis, and interpretation. (Maximum word length 250 words)
Names, titles, and relational context of three professional references. We will not contact references unless you advance in the application process, and we wi;ll inform you prior to contacting your references.
We are reviewing application submissions and scheduling interviews on a rolling basis will close the position when it is filled. Please submit your materials as soon as possible.
Application materials submitted through online job platforms or by email will not be considered.
ABOUT BALTIMORE’S PROMISE
Baltimore's Promise is a citywide collaborative composed of public, business, higher education, nonprofit, community, and philanthropic leaders. We serve as a catalyst for organizing efforts and resources around a shared vision: all Baltimore City youth will travel a safe, healthy, and successful educational path from cradle to career. Baltimore’s Promise uses data to report on outcomes for children from birth through their early careers in order to understand the complex needs of our city’s children.
We promote a data-based approach to program and policy design--one that is informed by context and lived experience of the communities affected and conducted with the participation of all stakeholders. Recognizing enduring inequalities resulting from persisting racism, ethnocentrism, sexism, and the intersections thereof, we employ a race equity lens to all aspects of data collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation.
RACE EQUITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT (Last Updated May 17, 2017)
Too many Baltimore City children and youth face significant obstacles to achieving their full potential. Opportunity and paths to success are not equitably available to all of our children. Through generations of collective history in our city—confirmed by bodies of research—we know inequities in opportunity and disparities in outcomes are driven by race, gender, socioeconomic status, culture, disabilities, and other societal factors.
In Baltimore, systemic race-based barriers disproportionately affect Black children and youth and those in other communities of color. For Baltimore’s Promise to fulfill our mission of ensuring that all children succeed, we must apply an equity lens that allows us to better understand these barriers and the challenges faced by our vulnerable children, youth and the family supporting their pathway. Acknowledging these entrenched structural impediments, Baltimore’s Promise must commit to long-term strategies that will create opportunity and foster transformative change across Baltimore City.
A rigorous and sustained focus on eliminating systemic and institutional race-based barriers to opportunity is essential to achieving our objectives from cradle to career. Through this intentional approach, we can better shape targeted strategies that meet specific needs of our vulnerable children and youth while improving conditions and outcomes for all populations we serve, creating new pathways for opportunities for children, youth and families to thrive in Baltimore.
Organizational Values
Foundational to all of Baltimore’s Promise’s work is ensuring it is developed, implemented, and evaluated in alignment with our organizational values, listed below, and our race equity and inclusion statement. It is of critical importance that all staff are fully aligned with our values and commitment to race equity and inclusion. This position must consistently live our values in the way they think about, approach, engage, and support Baltimore City’s young people.
In our fight for justice and systems change, our values as individuals, teams, and as an organization are the following:
Equity – Our efforts and initiatives are co-developed and driven by the lived experiences of those most negatively impacted by the outcomes we seek to improve. Race, ethnicity, gender, or other attributes should not have predictive power over support, resources, and opportunities that one can access.
Hustle – We are self-starters who take the initiative to strategically identify and advance solutions to address failures in achieving positive outcomes for children, youth, and families. We work efficiently, cross-functionally, and resourcefully – with a sense of urgency – to carry out the mission of the organization.
Humanity – We honor individuals and communities by holding ourselves and our partners accountable to act with integrity, compassion, kindness, and empathy.
Creativity – We are fun and innovative. Our first idea may not be the final strategy because we look for and embrace new ideas from diverse sources. We celebrate the accomplishments of staff and partners.
Shared Accountability – Shared Accountability is our collective responsibility for the work of the organization, not a threat of sanction. When we say we will do something, we will do it, and if we don’t, we will communicate our reasons why. We must be both supportive and critical of one another to ensure that we meet individual and team responsibilities that contribute to larger organizational goals.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Baltimore’s Promise is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity. It is our policy to recruit, hire, train, and promote individuals, as well as administer all personnel actions, without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin or ancestry, status as an individual with a disability who is otherwise qualified to perform the essential functions of his or her position, or any other protected characteristic in accordance with applicable laws. Baltimore’s Promise will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination, and any such conduct is prohibited.