Senior Manager, Public Policy & Stakeholder Engagement

Timeline: The Partnership will begin reviewing applications on July 9 and then consider them on a rolling basis.

Organization

The Partnership for Public Service is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to building a better government and a stronger democracy. Central to this mission is our work to connect the government with those it serves by protecting it from harm and reimagining the way it works on behalf of the public.  

Building on our over 20 years of experience, we:

• Prepare civil servants to navigate an increasingly complex federal environment

• Educate and engage the public about the value of government and how eroding its capacity hurts communities nationwide 

• Collaborate with a range of stakeholders to advance bold reforms that seek to make our federal institutions more effective, responsive and accountable to the American people

• Equip and advise government leaders at the federal, state and local levels to develop critical skills for effective public service.

Our staff, diverse in experience and perspective, is mission-driven, creative, collaborative, optimistic and inclusive. Our work is strategic, fast-paced and guided by our values: 

• Passion for public service and our work toward more effective government 

• People who promote a culture of learning, leadership, collaboration, inclusion and respect 

• Persistence to drive change, take strategic risks and deliver results 

• Promise to be trustworthy, nonpartisan and fiscally responsible 

We hire smart and friendly people who are great at what they do and good to one another in the process. 

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Senior Manager will lead a portfolio focused on federal government hiring, human resources (HR) and workforce issues for the Public Policy and Stakeholder Engagement team. This role requires a combination of policy analysis and policy development skills, as well as an ability to think strategically about advocacy and stakeholder engagement. The work the Senior Manager leads is critical to the Partnership’s mission of building better government and stronger democracy, its longstanding reputation as experts on federal government operations and personnel and its Government for a New Era initiative.

The Senior Manager should be willing to test assumptions and explore new ways of tackling long-standing workforce challenges. They will have an opportunity to develop creative and bold approaches to making the U.S. federal government more effective, accountable and responsive and to turn the increased energy around state capacity and government reform into meaningful change.

This role requires someone with significant knowledge of federal personnel systems and statutes (Title 5, etc.) and an eagerness to engage with policymakers, advocates and other subject matter experts to develop actionable policy solutions and build momentum for bold reforms. Strong candidates will have a proven track record of making sense of complicated policy issues, shepherding ideas from policy brainstorming to implementation and collaborating with a range of partners to gain perspective and increase impact.

The Senior Manager will analyze and respond to real-time policy developments that affect public servants and government operations, while also managing a robust policy portfolio focused on bold, forward-looking reform. Specifically, the Senior Manager will be responsible for charting out and managing the Policy team’s workplans to reimagine federal hiring, HR and other workforce issues. The role will include deep policy research and creation, stakeholder engagement, project management and coordination across teams. They will need to balance ambition with team capacity and align efforts to team and organizational priorities.

This position requires strong project and program management skills, excellent verbal and written communication, developing and maintaining stakeholder relationships and the ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, ambiguous work environment.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead a portfolio focused on federal government hiring, human resources (HR) and workforce issues, including developing and executing strategy, setting performance goals and objectives, managing team deliverables, achieving and communicating results internally and externally, and committing to continuous learning and improvement.

• Devise policy recommendations for the portfolio as well as materials to communicate these proposals to various audiences.

• Conduct policy research; draft policy briefs, comments and other products; and support communications related to the policy portfolio.

• Help devise and implement strategies for policy advocacy, building momentum for reform and support for specific proposals.

• Build and manage strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders to gather input, establish credibility and create buy-in for policy priorities.

• Execute a variety of public and closed-door events and convenings to gather input, pressure test ideas and advance portfolio goals.

• Advance the Partnership’s organizational strategy and priorities by aligning workstream activities to organizational goals and tracking milestones and metrics to evaluate progress.

• Oversee the work of junior staff, helping them scope and accomplish their projects and developing their skills to enhance their growth and contributions.

• Work collaboratively with staff at all levels and across teams.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Desire and ability to work on a nonpartisan basis.

• Strong policy research and communication skills, including the ability to synthesize and translate complex findings for varied audiences and proven attention to detail.

• Strong project management skills, with demonstrated ability to work in fast-paced environments and under pressure and to manage various priorities, contributors and deadlines.

• Strong relationship building and management skills with external and internal stakeholders.

• Comfort with ambiguity and ability to provide logical next steps toward action items.

• Willingness and ability to work effectively as part of a team across the larger enterprise, documenting and sharing information and insights, collaborating to problem-solve and implement solutions and advancing work to support the Partnership’s strategic priorities.

• Commitment to continuous learning.

• Demonstrated excitement for asking questions, exploring new solutions to longstanding policy problems that take into account the current landscape but push beyond status quo thinking.

• A commitment to public service and an interest in the mission of the Partnership.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional work or military experience required.

• Minimum eight years of experience in federal policymaking with clear demonstrated knowledge of federal workforce issues, including Title 5 of the U.S. Code, federal hiring and civil service modernization.

• Prior experience conducting policy research, writing policy recommendations for varied audiences and working collaboratively with multiple stakeholders and subject matter experts on federal policy issues required.

• Experience as a federal employee in the executive or legislative branches preferred.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY/REPORTING STRUCTURE

This position will report to a Director for Public Policy and Stakeholder Engagement. The Senior Manager may directly or indirectly supervise interns, associates, associate managers and/or managers.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This job operates in a hybrid (remote + office) environment in Washington, DC. The successful candidate must be a permanent resident in the Washington, DC, Maryland or Virginia area. The person in this role is expected to work in the office, on average, three days per week – with Wednesday as the required day in-office. This position requires consistent use of office equipment such as computer, telephone, printer/scanner and MS Office.

In assessing employee performance at the Partnership, we consider collaboration, results and demonstration of our values.

POSITION TYPE/EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK

This is a full-time exempt position with regular work hours Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. Occasional evening or weekend activities may be required. The Partnership allows some flexibility in work schedules.

TRAVEL

If travel occurs, it is usually during the business day. Some out of the area and/or overnight travel may occasionally be required.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The starting salary range for this position is $95,000 - $125,000. The Partnership offers a compensation package that includes a competitive salary; medical, dental and vision coverage; life insurance; long- and short-term disability insurance; a 401(k) program with a 4 percent employer match; opportunities for training and development; commuter benefits; 15 days of annual leave per year, 10 days of sick leave per year, plus all federal holidays and the day after Thanksgiving off; and use of an on-site exercise facility.   

EEO STATEMENT

The Partnership adheres to all federal, state and local employment laws. Partnership for Public Service is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, caste, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, veteran status, disability; or on any other basis prohibited by law.