Vice President, External Affairs

Position Overview

The Vice President of External Affairs will develop a vision and strategy and lead the Arnold Ventures’ external affairs team, which is designed to deepen relationships with federal and state policymakers, the administration, and other key stakeholders. This role will focus on elevating Arnold Ventures’ profile and impact in the policymaking sphere, working in a bipartisan fashion to equip policymakers with evidence-based solutions across our issue areas. This role is based in AV’s Washington, D.C. office, reports to the Executive Vice President of Advocacy, and will require significant travel.

Core Responsibilities

• Develop an external affairs vision and strategy for Arnold Ventures with the goal of building the organization’s presence and influence to promote evidence-based solutions
• Develop strong relationships with policymakers and their staff, administration officials, and other key stakeholders in order to advance Arnold Ventures’ policy priorities
• Develop and execute meeting plans and event engagements for Arnold Ventures’ leaders with policymakers at the state and federal levels
• Develop briefing materials for Arnold Ventures’ Board members and leaders
• Attend events and serve as a spokesperson on behalf of Arnold Ventures
• Clearly communicate Arnold Ventures’ policy priorities and advocacy goals
• Create a strong cadence for sharing strategic external affairs updates across Arnold Ventures
• Develop and manage an annual external affairs budget
• Develop and manage the Arnold Ventures’ external sponsorships and memberships

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 12-15 years of relevant senior-level experience in positions involving external affairs, government relations, coalition management, and/or advocacy
• Proven ability to craft and execute high-impact external affairs strategies, including success managing key relationships with policymakers and their staff, stakeholders, and coalitions
• Strong leadership and relationship building skills and experience managing and motivating a team
• Expert knowledge of campaign tactics and effective government relations strategies to strengthen key relationships and broaden support for initiatives
• Proven ability to work across the aisle, and with diverse groups and voices
• Demonstrated success directing and managing consultants, government relations advisors, and legislative advocacy strategies
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate key takeaways to diverse audiences

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.

Apply here