Arena Careers

The mission of Leaders on the Fast Track (LOFT) is to invest in today’s most talented campaign and public service leaders, expand their perspectives, deepen their experience, skills and community, and get them ready for what comes next. The LOFT Fellowship is a full-time, one-year paid program offering top-notch business coursework, real-world simulations and experience, networking, and coaching for progressive campaign and public service leaders.

The LOFT Fellowship was developed in partnership with the University of Michigan, Georgetown University, and experts in corporate learning and development. LOFT develops and retains the best, most effective campaign and public service leaders by giving Fellows opportunities to collaborate and explore innovative thinking, find new ways to tackle problems, and learn how to build better teams, create winning strategies, and advance their careers.

LOFT will launch its inaugural program in January 2025 and is based in Washington, D.C.

POSITION SUMMARY

LOFT is currently recruiting its inaugural class of fellows for 2025! The LOFT Fellowship is an opportunity to expand your perspectives and deepen your experience, skills, and community in a top-notch business education program in partnership with the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

The ideal candidate is a senior leader who has worked at least two cycles on a political campaign or Capitol Hill. Are you looking for an opportunity to accelerate your path into more senior leadership roles? Are you a great problem-solver with the ability to handle high-pressure situations? Are you passionate about continuing to work in the campaign and public service arena?

We are building a cohort of 25 fellows who are self-motivated and ready to invest in themselves in order to increase their professional impact. If that is you, then read below!

MORE ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP

• Unique opportunity to spend a year expanding your viewpoints, approaches and opportunities in collaboration with the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
• Classes will be taught and facilitated by a combination of business school professors, expert faculty curated by LOFT, and LOFT staff. A key element of the program will be participating in small-group discussions.

The program will include five (5) phases:

• Phase 1: Leading Self and Others. Kick off the Fellowship living and learning with your 25-person cohort for 10 days at the University of Michigan. Elevate yourself as a leader, build mental resilience, develop your personal brand, and focus on leading inclusive teams.
• Phase 2: Leading Organizations. Continue the program at Georgetown University’s downtown campus to learn and practice the business skills needed to succeed as a manager in politics and public policy. Take classes in strategy and innovation, decision-making and data analytics, finance, people operations, and inclusive leadership. Participate in robust discussions and debate about the way things have always been done and how to make them better using your new knowledge and skills.
• Phase 3: Leading in Action. Gain real-world private-sector experience and apply your learnings via remote and/or in-person externships with top businesses.
• Phase 4: Leading Externally and in Crisis. Learn and practice the skills you need to better manage external stakeholders and in times of crisis.
• Phase 5: Leading in Policy. Apply learnings and gain even more practical experience leading teams in senior level Capitol Hill internships.

Throughout the program, participate in dynamic simulations, intensive residencies, and capstone projects developed to deepen your learnings. Learn from influential guest speakers and subject-matter experts.

• Participate in events designed to connect you with key players to help shape your career.
• Receive individualized leadership and executive coaching from professional coaches to help further your understanding of yourself as a leader and support you as you pave your way to your future career goals.
• Spend the summer learning from leaders in top private sector organizations
• End the Fellowship working on Capitol Hill.
• Participate in graduation ceremonies and receive a certificate of completion from LOFT.
• Throughout the program, help build the future of LOFT by providing ongoing feedback on the Fellowship and shaping the LOFT alumni community.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Participate in foundational business skills curriculum at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
• Engage in tailored application sessions that combine panel discussions, case studies, speakers, hands-on practice, and interactive exercises to dive deeper into topics and provide real-world experience.
• Undertake a summer private sector externship and Capitol Hill internship.
• Receive individualized leadership and executive coaching.
• Participate in events designed to broaden and deepen your personal network.

THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT MUST DEMONSTRATE THE FOLLOWING EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Experience as a senior leader who has worked at least 2 election cycles on a political campaign or in a public service role such as on Capitol Hill or in state government. Some examples of relevant prior senior leadership roles include Chief of Staff, Campaign Manager, Deputy Campaign Manager, Ballot Initiative Director, and Caucus Director.
• A desire to continue a career in public service and/or political campaigns following the completion of the Fellowship.
• A strong growth mindset and interest in developing leadership and business skills to increase professional impact.
• A firm belief that innovation is a key driver of progress and change.
• An open mind coupled with a willingness to participate in dynamic discussions.
• The ability and willingness to relocate to the Washington, DC area for the duration of the fellowship.

LOFT Fellows will be paid a salary of $9,000 / month for the duration of the 12 month program.

HOW TO APPLY AND WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE PROCESS

You can apply to the LOFT Fellowship by clicking the link to apply at the top of this page.

Applications for the LOFT Fellowship will be processed in three rounds:

• Early Action Deadline - September 25, 2024
• 2nd Round Deadline - October 20, 2024
• Final Application Deadline - November 15, 2024

While no additional weight will be given to applications received in earlier rounds, applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

The application process consists of three steps:

1. Submission of a current resume, at least one letter of recommendation from a professional colleague, and completion of the application questionnaire.
2. Selected candidates will be invited for an initial phone interview with LOFT’s recruiter to review your application and learn more about your background.
3. Candidates with the strongest applications will be invited to participate in a panel interview with staff and advisors from the LOFT Fellowship.

The Fellowship evaluation panel will make decisions about each candidate based on their application and interviews. All candidates will be informed of their application status (accepted, waitlisted, or declined) within 2 weeks following the application deadline for the round that they applied in.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Additional writing assignments, skills assessments, and references may be requested during the interview process. For any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at careers@loftleaders.org.

LOFT believes in the value of each individual’s unique skills and perspectives, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with the job description, we encourage you to consider submitting an application.

All employees are required to receive a CDC-approved vaccination against COVID-19 (including any eligible boosters) unless a reasonable accommodation is approved. Employees not in compliance with this policy may be required to wear face coverings when in the office or otherwise interacting with employees or other stakeholders.

LOFT provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, hair texture, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws, and strongly encourages women, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC and all qualified candidates to apply.This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.