Director of Infrastructure, Housing

Arnold Ventures (AV) is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change, AV is working to improve the lives of American families, strengthen their communities, and promote their economic opportunity. Since Laura and John Arnold launched their foundation in 2008, the philanthropy has expanded, and AV’s focus areas include education, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and public finance, advocating for bipartisan policy reforms that will lead to lasting, scalable change. The Arnolds became signatories of the Giving Pledge in 2010.

Position Overview

As communities face severe housing shortages and increasing housing costs, rapidly changing energy needs, and aging roads and transit, AV’s Infrastructure portfolio aims to bolster the country’s ability to build the necessary infrastructure faster, better, and at lower cost. This includes supporting policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels to craft and implement solutions; identifying and removing barriers that unnecessarily slow down building timelines and add costs; and working to enhance the capacity of government to effectively support delivering on the promise of major infrastructure investments. The team works with experts from inside and outside government to reform the infrastructure system through evidence generation, policy development, communications, technical assistance, and advocacy to support policy change.

Every American deserves a place to live that they can afford. But for decades, the United States has not built enough housing to meet demand. Housing costs continue to rise faster than family incomes in many areas of the country, while regulatory barriers and limited innovation slow the pace and raise the cost of home construction and renovation. AV’s Housing portfolio focuses on identifying and enacting policies that can successfully expand housing supply and make it easier to build more and different types of housing.

The Director will be responsible for helping to identify, analyze, and pursue new, high-leverage philanthropic opportunities, as well as managing current investments and partnerships. This position will report to the Vice President of Infrastructure, Housing and will be based in the Washington, D.C. office.

Core Responsibilities

• Partner with the Vice President to develop and refine the strategic direction for the portfolio by keeping abreast of current housing policy issues and recent research, conducting research and analysis to identify grantees and inform strategy
• Identify and develop charitable investment and grant recommendations for the AV’s Board of Directors; oversee intake and review of research, investments and grants; and reflect on prior and existing investments and grants to inform strategy and future recommendations
• Identify and build mechanisms for connecting researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in the housing and land use space
• Develop and manage relationships with new and existing grantees, key stakeholders, consultants, and experts; deepen the grantee pipeline; build networks to inform strategy
• Travel to and speak at conferences to represent the importance of this work and AV’s commitment to it, network with experts, create and maintain partnerships, and learn about new research and policy in priority areas
• Collaborate with Advocacy and Communications teams to drive advocacy and issue campaigns
• Other duties to support the team’s work, as needed

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree (master’s or Ph.D.) in economics, public policy, or another relevant field
• 7 years of relevant work experience, including familiarity with federal, state, or local policy. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered
• Demonstrated understanding of urban economics and housing policy
• Strong policy analysis and research skills; ability to understand technical and theoretical concepts
• Expertise with academic peer review systems and processes 
• Strong leadership and relationship-building skills 
• Exceptional strategy development, project management, and organizational skills 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate key takeaways to diverse, non-technical audiences

The salary range for this position will be $145,000-$200,000.

Benefits Overview

AV is committed to providing a robust and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our current benefits package includes 100% paid employee premiums for medical, dental, vision, basic life, and short- and long-term disability insurance; 20 days of paid time off, 16 paid holidays (including a winter break from December 24 to January 1), a hybrid policy that includes four days in office and one flexible day for remote work, and a summer schedule with alternating Fridays off beginning on Memorial Day and ending on Labor Day; paid parental leave; a 401k retirement savings plan with an employer match, profit-share contribution, and immediate vesting; pre-tax transit benefits; a professional development stipend; a charitable giving stipend; and an employee assistance program. In addition, a relocation bonus is available for candidates who will move to one of AV’s three office locations for a position. 

Our Culture and Core Values

Our culture seeks to inspire and empower our people to innovate and develop bold ideas that will help AV 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 AV’s 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 

AV’s 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 AV team to make a difference.

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

AV is an equal opportunity employer, committed to an inclusive workplace. We are seeking applicants from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of experiences and perspectives. Candidates who have been impacted by the systems we are seeking to change are strongly encouraged to apply. 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 other characteristic protected by applicable law.