Vice President of Advocacy, Public Finance

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 Venture’s advocacy, communications, and external affairs team (ACE) aims to effectively position the Foundation as a trusted champion for evidence-based, nonpartisan policy solutions to America’s toughest challenges. This includes both communications through original content creation and distribution of our policy priorities, and direct engagement and relationship building with targeted policy stakeholders.

AV’s Public Finance team seeks to advance tax and budget policies that promote both fiscal stability for government and economic opportunity, mobility, and security for all. The Vice President of Advocacy, Public Finance will collaborate closely with the public finance programmatic team, other members of the advocacy team, and external stakeholders to advance the organization’s tax and budget policy priorities through effective advocacy campaigns and initiatives. They will be responsible for shaping and driving the federal advocacy strategy across the organization’s entire public finance portfolio. The position will be based in our Washington, D.C. office and report to the Executive Vice President of Advocacy.

Core Responsibilities

• Build and manage relationships with key bipartisan stakeholders and policymakers working on budget and tax policy
• Lead a team to deploy multiple, fast-paced advocacy and communications strategies simultaneously at the federal and state level
• Collaborate with AV’s advocacy and public finance team members to develop and refine grantmaking, investment, and partnership strategies to advance AV’s tax and budget policy priorities
• Develop, manage, and evaluate the impact of advocacy grants and engagements aligned with AV’s public finance policy priorities, including proactively engaging with grantees, reviewing proposals, advising applicants on scope and budget, monitoring projects and assessing impact, and supporting grantees in overcoming project obstacles
• Create a strong cadence for sharing strategic advocacy objectives, grants, investments, partnerships, and work streams internally
• Coordinate workstreams and collaboration across advocacy grantees and partners that overlap across geographies, audiences, or issue areas
• Develop and manage relationships with key stakeholders, experts, new and existing grantees, and policymakers in close collaboration with the advocacy and public finance teams

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 15 years of relevant experience which may include positions involving public finance policymaking, advocacy, government relations, and/​or external affairs
• Demonstrated success advising and managing consultants, lobbyists, and legislative advocacy strategies
• Understanding and interest in public finance policymaking, systems, and processes, including working knowledge of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA)
• Proven ability to craft and execute high-impact federal advocacy campaign strategies, including managing government relations strategies, grassroots organizing, and coalition-driven campaigns
• Experience building and managing coalitions and strategic relationships with diverse groups and interests
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate key takeaways to diverse, nontechnical audiences
• Strong leadership, people management and relationship building skills

The salary range for this position will be $200,000-$320,000.

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.