Arena Careers

At Crooked, we believe the answer to a rising authoritarian movement is a democratic movement powerful enough to fight it and (fingers crossed) defeat it. That means using all the tools at our disposal as a media company to help build a massive, diverse coalition united behind a core set of democratic values: freedom, equality, compassion, and the rule of law.

Job Summary:

Crooked is hiring for a Political Programming and Senior Strategy, Senior Manager on the Politics department reporting to the Director, Communication & Political Strategy.

This role will help define the future of Vote Save America’s political footprint in the pro-democracy movement by expanding where we work, who we reach, and how effectively we move people to action. The Senior Manager will identify and shape new opportunities that increase the visibility and impact of organizational priorities across elections, issue advocacy, and movement-building, while also supporting efforts to grow Vote Save America’s public profile by cultivating strategic partnerships and stakeholder relationships that strengthen our political positioning.

This role is based out of our Washington, DC office, and follows a hybrid schedule based on the job’s needs. We are ideally looking for DC-based candidates or candidates willing to relocate before the start date.

How You’ll Spend Your Time:

Strategy Development

• Identify, assess, and execute political opportunities across the local, state and federal political landscape to determine where Vote Save America can have the greatest impact.
• Develop targeted political strategies and programs that expand Vote Save America’s footprint into new geographies, voter universes, and further down the ballot.
• Manage VSA's volunteer program and mobilization campaigns, providing strategic guidance, intel, and clarity.
• Anticipate shifts in the political landscape and independently adjust priorities, tactics, or targets as needed.
• Work independently to adjust strategic goals or tactics based on changes in the political landscape.
• Assess state and local political landscapes to determine where Crooked can have the greatest impact.
• Monitor the news cycle to identify opportunities where Crooked could have an impact on building a progressive majority or shifting the overton window on a policy / political issue.
• Vet political action by appropriate outside parties to ensure the integrity and efficacy.
• Present political strategy and strategic goals in a front-facing way for outside partners or audience.
• Field collaboration inquiries from public office holders/candidates, organizations, activists, etc.

Relationship Cultivation and Stewardship

• Cultivate, strengthen, and manage relationships with national and state candidates, elected officials, advocacy leaders, civic organizations, and strategic partners.
• Proactively scout and build new relationships (donors, validators, coalitions, and partners) that can expand Vote Save America’s influence and further political goals.
• Serve as a trusted representative of Crooked with external stakeholders, clearly communicating strategy, priorities, and opportunities for partnership.
• Field and evaluate incoming collaboration or engagement requests from candidates, campaigns, and organizations.

Leadership and Project Management

• Manage Community and Volunteer Engagement Senior Associate
• Provide regular feedback and conduct 1:1s with the direct report(s) to develop and nurture their skillsets.
• Lead internal and external meetings by setting agendas, facilitating discussion, ensuring alignment among stakeholders, and driving clear decisions, action items, and follow-through
• Ensure all team members and departments have the political context, strategic guidance, and intel they need to execute effectively.
• Serve as a thought partner to the Communications and Political Director and coordinate across the political team to build efficient processes and expand the brand visibility of Vote Save America.

What You’ll Bring To The Table:

• 5-8 years related experience (experience on Capitol Hill, campaign, or political/advocacy org)
• 2-3 years of experience managing and developing direct reports
• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Ability to articulate strategy to stakeholders, internal and external
• Excellent project management skills, with strong organizational skills and the ability to multitask
• Strong interest in and understanding of US politics
• Strong relationships with progressive, political stakeholders (state level a plus)
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong research and synthesis skills
• Entrepreneurial attitude to manage projects from conception to execution
• Sense of humor

Pay and Perks:

This position is covered under the Writers Guild of America East Collective Bargaining Agreement and the salary for this role is $125,000.

In addition to your salary, we also offer full-time employees excellent benefits, including:

• Paid healthcare
• 401k match
• Generous vacation and paid leave including, sick, bereavement, pregnancy loss, and disability leaves
• 20 weeks of paid parental leave
• Commuter reimbursement or paid parking
• Communications stipend
• Professional development opportunities
• Did we also mention our offices are closed at the end of the year?