Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Influence

Reports to: President and CEO

Location: Washington D.C. This is a hybrid workplace, with Mondays and Wednesdays in the office and three days remote, as well as the occasional need to work in person for events and special projects.

Status: Full-time; Exempt

Salary: $200k – $250k annually

Position Summary
Groundwork seeks a Senior Vice President for Partnerships and Influence to integrate our external engagement work and expand our influence at a pivotal moment for progressive economic policymaking. Reporting to the President and CEO, the SVP will oversee the organization’s partnerships, events, federal affairs, and advocacy work, translating our high-level strategy into concrete outcomes. Groundwork’s impact has grown considerably in recent years, including through building out a best‑in‑class federal affairs program that makes Groundwork’s research, policy, and communications work accessible for elected officials and their staff. This role will appeal to a leader who understands how strong partnerships grow our impact and who can bring together all of our external engagement work for maximum effect.

Primary Responsibilities

Oversee, cultivate, and maintain Groundwork’s external engagement with key stakeholders including organizational partnerships, movement leaders, nonprofits, labor unions, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

Translate Groundwork’s overarching strategy into targeted campaigns and outreach efforts.

Directly manage a team composed of a Vice President of Government Affairs, Director of Government Affairs, Associate Director of Government Affairs, Director of Narrative Strategies, Director of Programming and Partnerships, Program Coordinator, and outside consultants, providing strategic direction, day‑to‑day supervision, and hands‑on support to build a high‑performing partnership & influence operation.

Oversee Groundwork’s partner‑facing distribution materials including newsletters and dispatches and integrate Groundwork’s narrative polling work into broader outreach strategies.

Collaborate closely with the heads of the Communications and Policy, Advocacy, and Research teams to develop and execute integrated plans for Groundwork reports, campaigns, polling, events, and major announcements.

Manage the Partnerships and Influence team budget and ensure resources are allocated effectively across the partnerships and government affairs workstreams.

Coordinate advocacy activities, ensuring alignment with the organization’s policy and communications strategy while maintaining appropriate legal and compliance boundaries in coordination with internal teams and outside counsel.

Qualifications

You bring deep progressive experience in advocacy, political or nonprofit partnership and influence roles, with a significant portion in senior or leadership positions.

You are a seasoned people manager with a proven track record of building and developing high‑performing teams, including senior level direct reports, while rolling up your sleeves to execute, and you bring a thoughtful approach to coaching, feedback, and professional growth.

You have deep, established relationships across the national progressive nonprofit, advocacy, and labor landscape, including strong ties to the political and electoral organizations and consultants.

You are comfortable operating at the executive level and have a demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and build organizational credibility.

You are a strong written and oral communicator who can tell the story of Groundwork’s partnership work with key partners, speak at events, and communicate effectively internally.

You are familiar with polling and public opinion research and other advocacy tactics.

You are a savvy strategist who anticipates the news cycle and the political cycle and identifies the right moments for Groundwork’s voice and advocacy, and knows how to build the partnerships needed to amplify impact.

You are not intimidated by wonky economic topics like inflation, tax policy, or labor markets, and are energized by translating them into messaging that resonates with broad audiences.

You are committed to a just, inclusive, and robust economy that delivers opportunity and dignity to all.

Preferred Qualifications

You have experience running or overseeing a political or advocacy campaign.

You have served in a senior leadership role in an advocacy organization, political campaign, congressional office, or government agency.

You have a deep background or expertise in economic policy issues, including fiscal policy, labor, trade, or financial regulation.

Benefits
We offer a generous benefits package, including five weeks of vacation and personal leave, two week‑long office closures, additional time off for floating and federal holidays, zero‑premium health insurance, a generous HRA, a retirement contribution of up to 6%, up to 16 weeks parental leave, and health club and cell‑phone reimbursements, among other benefits. Groundwork is a hybrid workplace, with two days a week in the office and three days remote, as well as the occasional need to work in person for events and special projects. Groundwork is a unionized workplace and is represented by the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU). This position is not in the bargaining unit.

How to apply
To begin the application process, please submit an application on our career page, including your resume and cover letter. The cover letter should describe your specific experience related to this position.

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