Advocacy Manager

Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy whose core objective is to maximize opportunity and minimize injustice. We are dedicated to tackling some of the most pressing problems in the United States. We invest in sustainable change, building it from the ground up based on research, deep thinking, and a strong foundation of evidence. We drive public conversation, craft policy, and inspire action through education and advocacy.

Position Overview

Arnold Ventures’ Advocacy team works to strengthen the foundation’s partnerships with federal, state, and local governments and helps the foundation’s programmatic teams bring the findings of new research into the policy-making process. The Advocacy team is responsible for developing and executing advocacy campaigns on the organization’s policy priorities; building, resourcing, and maintaining strategic alliances with engaged and influential state and national partners and stakeholders; and managing relationships with key state and federal policymaking officials.

We are seeking a Manager to help provide research, analytical, and operational support to our Advocacy team. The Manager will serve as a primary liaison from the Advocacy team to internal programmatic, grants, legal, and finance teams and external stakeholders. This individual will work closely with team members on substantive advocacy, communications, and external affairs projects and gain experience in supporting the development and management of high-impact philanthropic projects across Arnold Ventures priority issues. The Manager will be based in our Washington, D.C. office and report to the Advocacy Director – Chief of Staff.

Core Responsibilities

• Work with the Director and Executive Vice President to develop and refine the strategic direction for the Advocacy, Communications, and External Affairs team
• Support the development and refinement of operational processes
• Support the execution of strategic advocacy and communications campaigns and external affairs activities around the foundation’s policy priorities
• Build, resource, and maintain strategic alliances with engaged and influential state and national partners and stakeholders
• Manage relationships with key federal, state, and local policymaking officials
• Conduct due diligence on relevant developments in the field to inform strategy and project development; develop summary memos and other written materials for Arnold Ventures’ Board, Advocacy leadership team, and other individuals in collaboration with relevant team members
• Actively contribute to team meetings regarding projects, including suggesting ideas and brainstorming; and participate in meetings with government officials, advocates, government relations consultants, and other stakeholders
• Support intra-department connectivity and work collaboratively with other cross-functional teams

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 4 – 6 years of experience including positions involving policy advocacy, strategic communications, political campaigns, external affairs, and/or project management
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to research, summarize, and communicate key takeaways to diverse, nontechnical audiences and senior executives
• Strong understanding of federal and state political and policy processes and critical thinking skills
• Strong strategy development, project management, and organizational skills

Our Culture and Core Values

Our culture seeks to inspire and empower our people to innovate and develop bold ideas that will help Arnold Ventures achieve lasting impact. Our culture, and the core values that support it, should create an environment that spurs our team to think outside the box, feel comfortable pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and signal confidence in our team’s ability to make change happen through our philanthropic efforts.

Although not an exhaustive list, below you’ll find examples of Arnold Ventures’ work culture.

• We are adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity
• We are intellectually curious, open-minded, objective, humble, collegial, and receptive to feedback
• We are action-oriented with strong self-direction and self-motivation skills with the ability to work simultaneously on multiple projects
• We are able to interact confidently and collaboratively with team members and navigate relationships with external experts, government leaders, advocates, and individuals

Arnold Ventures’ values reflect who we are as an organization, help us accelerate our strategic goals, strengthen our resolve, anchor us to our mission, and guide our decision-making. The successful candidate will also demonstrate the following core values that inspire the Arnold Ventures team to make a difference.

• Respect for Ourselves & Others
• Audacious Action
• Collaborative Engagement
• Depth of Thought
• Clear Communication

Arnold Ventures is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, military/veteran status, or any basis prohibited by applicable law.

Acknowledging the importance of diverse perspectives, Arnold Ventures is committed to employing individuals from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of experiences. Members of historically marginalized communities and candidates who have been impacted by the systems we are seeking to change are strongly encouraged to apply.

Click here to apply