Director, Economic Speakers Bureau

Director, Economic Speakers Bureau 

Reports to: Deputy Director, Groundwork Collaborative

Location: Washington, DC

Status: Full time; exempt

Groundwork Collaborative is searching for a Director to lead their newly launched Economic Speakers Bureau (‘the Bureau’). The Bureau is a core piece of Groundwork’s mission to tell a new story about how the economy works and who it works for. Since launching in June 2023, the Economic Speakers Bureau has attracted high-caliber speakers, garnered widespread media coverage, and helped shape the conversation on the most important economic issues of the day. We’ve helped leading economic thinkers harness the news cycle to build reputations as go-to, on-air commentators and built trusted relationships with the morning cable news programs that put the economy in context for decision makers each day. 

As we enter a critical season for coverage of the economy, Groundwork is looking to hire an experienced leader to direct the day to day operations of the Bureau, expand its reach and influence, and transform the Bureau into an enduring piece of communications infrastructure that can shape media narratives about the economy. 

Position Summary

The Director is a senior leader and strategist who will oversee every aspect of the Bureau’s day-to-day operations and future growth. The Director will supervise a small team of staff and consultants. The Director will also serve as the face of the Bureau, representing the organization at public events, recruiting top thought leaders to join the Bureau, and working to build the Bureau’s public brand and credibility with the media, partners, and funders. This is an exciting opportunity to oversee and expand a promising new initiative, backed by a proven strategy and a depth of support, that is transforming how policymakers and pundits talk about the economy and building infrastructure to create a lasting shift in media narratives around the economy. 

As Director, you will…

• Create, execute, and manage an overall strategic plan for the Bureau;
• Oversee a team of staff and consultants to execute on the goals of the Bureau and manage their performance; 
• Identify, connect with, and recruit new members for the Bureau–including economic experts, former government officials, movement spokespeople, and grassroots leaders–both in the Washington, D.C. area and across the country.
• Provide strategic communications and thought leadership guidance and support to ESB members to help them build their profiles, sharpen their points of view, and drive their message effectively in on-camera appearances. 
• Plan, oversee, and attend regular in-person media trainings and develop continuous learning and capacity-building opportunities for Bureau members.
• Coordinate with Groundwork’s Communications, Narrative, and Research and Policy  teams to set message strategy, ensuring that the Bureau can provide message guidance to members that is clear, compelling, and responsive to a rapidly-shifting political, economic, and media landscape.
• Attend conferences, convenings, and events as an ambassador and recruiter for the ESB.
• Be a public champion of the Bureau, helping to attract top-tier spokespeople, foster strong media relationships, attract funding partners, and build influence and reach;  
• Work creatively, using all the communications tools at our disposal, to help create and advance a progressive narrative on the economy; 
• Perform other duties as assigned.

About You

• You’re committed to creating a just, inclusive, and robust economy that delivers opportunity and dignity to all and excited about identifying a diverse group of talented individuals who can tell new stories about the economy.
• You have an entrepreneurial spirit and are excited at the opportunity to grow and expand on the Bureau’s early successes.
• You love communications and media and understand that changing narratives is essential to shifting policy. 
• You have experience running a communications operation (e.g., governmental office, political campaign, non-profit, or private organization).
• You are an excellent manager and have experience hiring and managing a team.
• You have deep experience creating a communications plan and executing against specific, measurable outcomes.
• You have a track record of winning tough communications battles.
• You are a strong writer and editor with experience communicating to a wide range of audiences. 
• You aren’t afraid of wonky economic topics like inflation or the deficit and are excited by the idea of translating complex issues into digestible communications that resonate with large audiences.
• You have a strong grasp of the economic news media landscape, including print, digital, and broadcast.
• You understand the news cycle, know how to use it, and how the Bureau’s progressive economic worldview fits into it.
• You’re a pro at multitasking and working under tight deadlines in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

In addition, it would be a bonus if…

• You are already familiar with the progressive economic policymaking, think tank, and/or academic community.
• You have rapid response and/or crisis communications experience.
• You have existing relationships with reporters, editors, producers/bookers, and other media figures.
• You are proficient in the rapidly evolving social media landscape (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, Twitter). 

The starting salary for this position is $140,000, with flexibility to offer a higher salary for highly-qualified candidates. 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 match of up to 6%, up to 16 weeks parental leave, health club and cell-phone reimbursements, among other benefits.

How to apply

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

About Groundwork Collaborative

Launched in 2018, the Groundwork Collaborative is driven by the idea that We Are The Economy: when all of us are doing well, that is when our economy thrives. We fight for progressive economic policy and narrative change that builds accountable public power, breaks up concentrations of private power, and affirmatively centers people too long left out of prosperity. We understand that taken together, these actions will lead to a stronger and more resilient economy.  

Groundwork’s unique structure – part strategic communications, part think tank, and part issue advocacy organization – allows us to drive narrative and policy change with credibility, expertise, and impact. We work across four core audiences – the media, policymakers, economic experts, and grasstops leaders – and use targeted policy campaigns and timely research and messaging to advance a truly inclusive economic worldview. 

New Venture Fund Careers

Groundwork Collaborative is a project of the New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. The New Venture Fund is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. The New Venture Fund’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

E-Verify

NVF participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with employees’ Form I-9 information to confirm authorization to work in the United States. Job candidates and employees authorized to work may not be discriminated against on the basis of national origin or citizenship status.

New Venture Fund Careers

Groundwork Collaborative is a project of the New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. The New Venture Fund is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding, and enables each of us to realize our potential. The New Venture Fund’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

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