Director of Infrastructure - Chief of Staff

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

As communities in the United States face severe housing shortages and increasing housing costs, rapidly changing energy needs and the impacts of a changing climate, and aging transportation systems, Arnold Ventures aims to bolster the country’s ability to build the necessary infrastructure faster, better, and at lower cost. This includes supporting policy makers 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 rebuild American capacity so government can be a strong partner to private sector delivery on the promise of major infrastructure investments. We fund work across several broad issue areas: housing, clean energy and permitting, transportation, and state capacity. The team works with experts from inside and outside government – including industry, think tanks, and academia – to reform infrastructure policy and implementation through evidence generation, policy development, communications, technical assistance, and advocacy to support systemic change, including through policy change. 

The Chief of Staff plays a key role driving operations of the infrastructure team and providing counsel to leadership and staff, leading annual and multi-year strategic operational strategies, developing and executing special projects, and supporting external engagements. The position plays a key role in interacting with stakeholders, including internal legal, finance, grants management, advocacy, and communications colleagues, as well as grantees and other partners. The position will be based in our Washington, DC office and reports directly to the Executive Vice President of Infrastructure.

Core Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with the Infrastructure EVP and VPs and to prioritize decisions, manage time, prepare materials, and develop strategic cross-cutting programmatic and operational objectives
• Manage the team’s operations to maximize impact, efficiency, and alignment
• Support the EVP and VPs in creating presentation materials, memos, background briefs, and talking points for public-facing and internal meetings 
• Drive key departmental processes in collaboration with Infrastructure leadership, including hiring, recruitment, and onboarding; Board engagement strategies; semi-annual budgeting and strategic review processes; team meetings; and teambuilding and team development initiatives
• Collaborate cross-functionally with other Arnold Ventures teams – such as Advocacy, Communications, and External Engagement – to drive alignment and advance strategic goals
• Produce consolidated reporting to EVP, including tracking of ongoing grants made by the infrastructure team as well as coordinating data and information from different teams across the organization

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 7+ years of relevant work experience, preferably in positions involving operational and project management responsibilities, policymaking, writing and communications, and working with diverse stakeholders
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate key takeaways to diverse, nontechnical audiences
• Exceptional project management and organizational skills 
• Strong leadership, people management, and relationship-building skills

The salary range for this position will be $140,000-$175,000.

Benefits Overview

Arnold Ventures 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), and a ⁹⁄₈₀ schedule from Memorial Day to 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.

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.