Senior Manager, External and Government Relations

City Year • Full-time • Hybrid in New York City, New York, United States • $75,000 - $80,000 / year • 1m ago

Fast Facts

City Year New York is seeking a Senior Manager of External and Government Relations to enhance relationships with government and educational organizations for securing funding and advancing policies that benefit young adults in NYC.

Responsibilities: Manage government relations strategy to secure funds for initiatives, build relationships with public officials, support grant applications, and enhance partnerships with educational institutions and nonprofits.

Skills: Experience in government relations and public policy, strong communication skills, ability to build relationships, and manage multiple deadlines.

Qualifications: 3-5 years in government relations or related fields, knowledge of NYC and NY State government structures, collaborative mindset, and commitment to educational equity.

Location: New York City, NY

Compensation: $75000 - $80000 / Annually

Application Instructions

Click Apply to submit your online application. Please attach a resume and thoughtful cover letter on the "My Experience" page in the "Resume/CV" field.

Active City Year Staff members must login to Workday to apply internally.

Number of Positions: 1

Position Overview

The Senior Manager of External and Government Relations plays a key role on City Year New York’s Strategy team, reporting to the Chief of Staff. This role is grant funded by the Arthur Blank Foundation for an 18-month position. This position strengthens CYNY’s relationships with New York City and New York State elected officials, public agencies, higher education leaders, and nonprofit partners to advance policies and secure public funding that expands service opportunities for young adults across NYC.

Please note that this is a grant funded position with an anticipated start date of winter 2026 and an anticipated end date of June 2027. This is an exempt position, with an expected annual salary of $75,000-80,000, commensurate with experience.

Job Description

A major priority for this role is driving strategies to secure state line‑item appropriations that:

Expand the Student Success Coach model across New York State, Build partnerships with SUNY and Service Year Alliance, and Fund a New York Student Success Coach Learning Network (SSCLN) that elevates high‑quality training, learning communities, and nonprofit implementation of near‑peer coaching.

This role also supports identifying and pursuing emerging city-level public funding opportunities, strengthens relationships with champions in NYC Council, city agencies, and the State Legislature, and manages components of the public funding application and reporting cycle.

This role collaborates with the Chief of Staff, the CYNY Strategy Team, Communications, and Analytics & Evaluation to ensure aligned messaging, advocacy, and external engagement.

Responsibilities

Government & External Relations Strategy (35%)

Support execution of CYNY’s government relations strategy with a focus on securing new city and state public funding, including potential state line item funding for Student Success Coaches and the Student Success Coach Learning Network.
Build and maintain relationships with NYC Council, the NY State Assembly and Senate, relevant committees, and policy staff.
Support development of CYNY’s annual policy agenda, stakeholder map, and external engagement strategy.
Coordinate legislative meetings, school visits, and external briefings to elevate the impact of CYNY’s Student Success Coaches.

Public Funding & Grant Management (25%)

Assist in drafting and submitting applications for public funding: NYC Council discretionary funds, Borough President allocations, city agency contracts, and state-level grants.
Help manage reporting requirements tied to AmeriCorps and other government-funded initiatives.
Track public funding cycles, deadlines, documents, and compliance needs.

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships (20%)

Cultivate and steward partnerships with NYC agencies (NYCPS, DYCD, NYC Service, etc.), higher education partners (especially SUNY and CUNY campuses), and nonprofit and workforce organizations that intersect with near‑peer coaching.
Support cross-sector roundtables, convenings, and listening tours tied to the launch and development of the Student Success Coach Learning Network.
Strengthen relationships with CBOs that engage or influence 18–25-year-olds to support AmeriCorps recruitment and post-service pathways.

Communications, Events & Advocacy (10%)

Draft talking points, letters, testimony, and briefing documents for senior leaders in collaboration with Communications.
Support elected official engagement at CYNY public events (MLK Day, Graduation, school visits).
Prepare materials that communicate the value of the Student Success Coach model and the Learning Network initiative.

Internal Collaboration & Special Projects (10%)

Partner with Development, Program, and Service Year teams to align advocacy and external engagement with programmatic needs.
Assist with special projects including corps member talent pathways, school-based grants, workforce partnerships, and strategies related to corps recruitment and retention.
Provide light guidance and project support for interns or temporary team members as needed.

Qualifications:

We listed what we see as key qualifications to succeed in the role. You don’t have to satisfy every requirement listed. If you have transferable skills and are excited about this role, please apply!

3–5 years of experience in government relations, public policy, public affairs, advocacy, or related nonprofit/government roles.
Knowledge of New York City and New York State government structures, legislative calendars, and public funding processes.
Strong written and verbal communication skills; experience preparing briefing materials, testimony, or legislative correspondence preferred.
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain relationships with elected officials, government agencies, and community partners.
Experience managing or supporting public grant applications, government contracts, or public funding cycles is a plus.
Ability to manage multiple deadlines, track shifting legislative timelines, and maintain excellent organizational systems.
Collaborative and team-oriented, with comfort working across departments and engaging senior leaders.
Commitment to educational equity, national service, and improving pathways for young adults.

Compensation and benefits:

This is an 18-month grant-funded, full-time position with an annual salary range of $75,000–$80,000, commensurate with experience.

Full time employees are entitled to compensation commensurate with experience. Benefits for full time employees include health insurance with Flexible Spending Account, paid vacation, holidays, parental leave, 401K, and more.

City Year is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse workforce. Individuals from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, including persons with disabilities and veterans.

To Apply

Interested qualified applicants should apply online and attach a cover letter, resume & references:

http://www.cityyear.org/about-us/careers

Benefits

Full-time employees will be eligible for all benefits including vacation, sick days and organization holidays. You may participate in all benefit programs that City Year establishes and makes available to eligible employees, under (and subject to all provisions of) the plan documents that govern those programs. Currently, City Year offers medical, dental, vision, life, accidental death and dismemberment and disability coverage, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), and other benefits including 401(k) plan(s) pursuant to the terms and conditions of company policy and the 401(k) plan document. For more information, click here.

Employment at City Year is at-will.

City Year does not sponsor work authorization visas.