Vice President or Director, State Initiatives

Location: Washington, D.C. (preferred) or remote with regular D.C. travel, ability to be available East Coast hours is a must

Reports to: Executive Vice President, State Initiatives

Status: Full-time

Compensation: $180k-250k, depending on experience and other factors, plus competitive benefits

About the Recoding America Fund

The Recoding America Fund (RAF) is a new, bipartisan $120-million philanthropic fund to strengthen America by building the federal and state governments we need to compete globally and serve citizens effectively. RAF aims to restore the core capabilities of government and move to a new operating model--the right people, doing the right work, with purpose-fit systems and test-and-learn frameworks--so it can reliably deliver on its goals. The Fund seeks to help accelerate the growth and development of an ideologically diverse field of state capacity organizations, connect them to each other, fill in the gaps, and help them set ambitious common goals to drive transformational change across all levels of government in this time of unprecedented disruption. Change is coming to public institutions, and now is the time to shape that change in the public interest. That ambitious task cannot be the work of just one party or faction.

This position focuses on the Fund’s work specifically to strengthen state governments by collaborating directly with executive branch leaders and making grants to independent organizations that work across governments to develop and deploy new services and tools.

The Opportunity: Building state capacity from the inside and outside

We're looking for a Vice President or Senior Director of State Initiatives who will be on the front lines of government transformation, working directly with state leaders to build partnerships that deliver for residents. This role will need to deeply understand RAF’s goals and approach and have the dexterity to apply its principles across different state contexts.

This role will involve more than just making grants. The Vice President or Senior Director will also play the leading role in shaping our grantmaking strategy in at least one major domain of our state initiatives. That domain could be using AI to cut through red tape and save states and residents time and money. It could be reimagining how states hire and manage talent. Or it could be creating feedback loops that connect what the government does to what citizens need. 

What You'll Do

• Build real partnerships with governors, cabinet secretaries, and senior state leaders--the kind built on trust and results
• Execute an engagement and grantmaking strategy in one of our focus domains (workforce and procedure, digital infrastructure, or test-and-learn feedback loops)
• Find and back the best opportunities and grantees--then work alongside them to maximize impact
• Tell the story publicly--writing, speaking, and evangelizing for what's possible when government works
• Be a key strategic voice on a small, nimble team tackling some of the hardest problems in American governance

Who You Are

This role is for you if you are:

• A proven leader. You've led teams and delivered results in the public sector, private sector, or nonprofit world--and you understand how government actually works, not just how it should work in theory.
• Deep in something that matters. Whether it's AI, product management, HR leadership, or another relevant field, you bring real expertise that commands respect and opens doors.
• Strategic and scrappy. You can think big picture while rolling up your sleeves to make things happen. You thrive in environments where the playbook is still being written.
• An exceptional communicator. You can write, speak, and persuade--whether you're in a governor's office, on a conference stage, or crafting a memo. People remember your presentations.
• Energized by state capacity. You genuinely believe government can and should work better, and you're excited to spend your days making that happen.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of work experience with a track record of leadership
• Deep understanding of how government operates--gained through government service, business, consulting, nonprofits, or another path
• A domain expertise important for the organization (AI, product management, HR/talent, government reform in general)
• Experience building relationships with senior leaders and working across organizational boundaries
• Superb written and oral communication skills
• Comfort working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments where you need to figure things out
• Willingness to engage constructively with people across the ideological spectrum--including those you may disagree with strongly

We encourage anyone who is interested in this role to apply, regardless of whether you feel you meet 100% of the qualifications. The top candidates will bring their own unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds from a variety of industries/sectors along with many but not necessarily all the qualifications listed above. We especially encourage candidates who have strong relationships with right-of-center policy leaders or state officials.