Ascension LLC is seeking a Senior Strategic Lead to direct and deliver a Regional Digital Opportunity Plan serving three rural Maryland counties. This role will serve as the executive-facing engagement lead responsible for coalition coordination, governance framework design, stakeholder facilitation, needs assessment oversight, and final plan development.

This is a mission-centered role supporting digital equity, broadband access, workforce readiness, and rural economic inclusion. The selected candidate will guide a multi-county coalition through a structured, data-driven planning process that produces implementation-ready objectives and a sustainable governance model.

The ideal candidate is an experienced strategic planning leader who thrives in collaborative, multi-stakeholder environments and understands how to translate data and community input into actionable, fundable regional strategies.

Position Summary

The Senior Strategic Lead will serve as the primary point of accountability for delivery of all contract requirements identified in the RFP.

• Coalition coordination and governance development
• Regional needs assessment oversight
• Asset mapping direction and validation
• Stakeholder interview and roundtable facilitation
• Drafting and delivery of the final Regional Digital Opportunity Plan
• Development of implementation-ready county-level objectives
• Sustainability and funding strategy recommendations

This individual must be a structured thinker and confident facilitator who can build consensus across counties, navigate differing priorities, and ensure alignment with Maryland’s State Digital Equity Plan.

The role requires strong executive writing ability, experience leading regional or multi-jurisdiction planning efforts, and familiarity with digital inclusion concepts including broadband infrastructure, device access, digital literacy, workforce development, and covered populations.

The candidate must be comfortable operating in partially ambiguous environments, building structure where none exists, and independently driving deliverables to completion within fixed budgets and timelines.

Day-to-Day / Core Responsibilities

The Senior Strategic Lead will:

• Lead coalition convenings across three counties
• Design and formalize coalition governance structures and decision-making models
• Develop and manage the integrated project timeline and milestone plan
• Facilitate stakeholder interviews, structured roundtables, and strategy sessions
• Oversee regional digital needs assessment activities using demographic and broadband data
• Direct development of digital inclusion asset inventory and validation process
• Ensure alignment with Maryland’s Digital Equity Plan and covered population requirements
• Translate stakeholder input into prioritized, county-specific objectives
• Draft, edit, and finalize the Regional Digital Opportunity Plan
• Develop sustainability and funding strategy recommendations
• Prepare executive briefings and summary documents for coalition leadership
• Manage risk, issue logs, and stakeholder communications
• Coordinate with data analysts, mapping specialists, and supporting consultants
• Present final deliverables to coalition leadership for adoption