Vice President of Advocacy

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

The Arnold Ventures’ Advocacy team strengthens the organization’s partnerships with federal, state, and local governments and supports our policy teams’ efforts to bring research and evidence into the policymaking process. The Advocacy team is responsible for working with the organization’s policy team to develop and execute legislative advocacy campaigns around our policy priorities; building, resourcing, and maintaining strategic alliances with engaged and influential state and national partners and stakeholders.

Arnold Ventures seeks to add a dynamic, senior-level team member to build federal, state, and local advocacy capacity and advance the organization’s policy priorities by identifying opportunities, making strategic investments, and providing expert public affairs campaign guidance to key stakeholders. This individual will be responsible for the development, evolution, and execution of federal, state, and local advocacy strategies and public affairs campaigns in collaboration with the Executive Vice President of Advocacy and senior programmatic team members in the Infrastructure team. This team focuses on rebuilding government’s ability to deliver tangible public value through U.S. capacity to build necessary infrastructure – including housing, transportation, and clean energy. The position will be based in our Washington, D.C. office and report to the Executive Vice President of Advocacy. 

Core Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Arnold Ventures’ Executive Vice President’s of Advocacy, Infrastructure leadership, and other key members of the advocacy and programmatic teams to develop and refine the organization’s investment and partnership strategies to advance policy priorities;
• Build and manage relationships with key bipartisan stakeholders and policymakers;
• Lead a small, high-functioning team to deploy multiple advocacy and communications strategies simultaneously at the federal, state, and local level;
• Execute and manage charitable investments approved by the Arnold Ventures’ Board of Directors, which will include working with grantees to develop strategic advocacy campaign plans, establishing performance metrics, and monitoring performance;
• Engage in planning with Arnold Ventures team members to explore and develop cross-initiative charitable investment opportunities; and 
• Ensure the successful implementation and integration of communications strategies and coalition activities.

Required Qualifications

• At least 15 years of relevant senior-level experience working in public affairs, government, consulting, campaign management or trade associations;
• Proven ability to craft and execute high-impact public affairs campaign strategies;
• Demonstrated success advising and managing consultants, lobbyists, and legislative advocacy strategies;
• Experience building and managing coalitions and strategic relationships with diverse groups and interests; and
• Knowledgeable of federal and state policymaking systems, processes, and political activity reporting requirements.

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 impacted by the justice system. 

Arnold Ventures’ values are integral to our lived experience. They genuinely 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.