Careers and Internships | State Policy Network

State Policy Network is a coalition of 64 state think tanks representing all 50 states, over 66 state allied organizations in key capacities (like litigation, journalism, and advocacy), and more than 90 national partners, all dedicated to the principles of liberty and federalism. SPN exists to make these organizations better, faster, and stronger than if each worked alone. The power of the Network is in scaling critical state and local solutions so they spread from state to state, leading to national impact.

Director of Sponsor Partnerships

State Policy Network is experiencing incredible growth, raising more than $22 million in 2022. We are looking for talented individuals to help us continue to scale our efforts, including a Director of Sponsor Partnerships to join our experienced Development team. The role is ideal for an experienced fundraiser who has successfully grown long-term, sustainable relationships with nonprofit, corporate, and trade association partners.

The Director of Sponsor Partnerships will report directly to our Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and grow sponsor and exhibitor opportunities at SPN Annual Meeting – one of the premier conferences for leaders and organizations in the liberty movement. They will shepherd the sales and stewardship process from start to finish, including managing a portfolio of current and prospective sponsors.

We are looking for a candidate that has excellent communications skills, a strategic mindset, as well as the ability to discern, promote, and negotiate partnerships that are in the best interests of SPN.

This position can be based in SPN’s Arlington, VA headquarters or in a virtual office.

Primary Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of 125+ current and prospective sponsors, overseeing all aspects of SPN’s sponsor/exhibitor opportunities. Identify opportunities to expand sponsorship opportunities in a way that aligns with SPN’s priorities and mission.
Coordinate with the Senior Director of Events to create the overall marketing strategy for SPN Annual Meeting sponsor and exhibitor opportunities, including developing marketing and stewardship materials.
Work to creatively match sponsor/exhibitor goals and interests with the priorities of SPN and its members. Offer/negotiate what is in SPN’s best interest, gathering input from colleagues as needed.
Prepare sponsorship proposals, sponsorship agreements, and sponsor and exhibitor invoices, as needed. Maintain database of confirmed sponsorships and benefits to ensure effective execution on all agreed upon sponsor benefits.
Motivate colleagues and partners to share leads for potential new sponsors.
Maintain working knowledge of SPN’s priorities, case for support, and successes.

Qualifications

3+ years of fundraising experience with a primary focus on corporate/sponsor relations
Strong interest in advancing State Policy Network’s mission and impact
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
Ability to travel at least 40%, including air travel
A team player/collaborator that can work in a fast-paced environment in a professional manner
Capacity to prioritize and balance multiple projects, plan ahead, and effectively meet deadlines
Strong analytical skills, organizational skills, and superb attention to detail
An entrepreneurial spirit and strong work ethic
Ability to maintain confidentiality
Knowledge of MS Office, Word, Excel and Outlook; experience with Salesforce a plus

How to Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials in one PDF document:

Resume
Cover letter detailing:
- Your interest in the position/SPN’s mission.
- Salary requirements.
- In-office or virtual office location preference.
- Travel Availability

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: https://talentmarket.org/candidates/apply-for-your-dream-job/

Questions can be directed to Claire Kittle Dixon, Executive Director of Talent Market, who is assisting with the search: claire@talentmarket.org.

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Talent Market is a nonprofit entity dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation.

Development Program Associate

State Policy Network is seeking a dynamic Program Associate to join our team. In this role, you will advance SPN’s mission and strategic objectives by developing and executing programs that accelerate organizational capacities across our state-based network. You will be a critical member of the programs team, assisting with peer network engagement, developing core curriculum, and connecting network partners to resources that help elevate their work in their organization. This is a great role for you if you are interested in exploring or expanding your career in the nonprofit space, are highly organized, thrive on solving problems, and are passionate about helping accelerate free market solutions at the state and local levels.

This position can be based in SPN’s Arlington, VA, headquarters or in a virtual office.

Primary Responsibilities

Coordinate programming: You will work closely with internal and external stakeholders to coordinate resources and events that connect network staff to their peers and accelerate their success in their given discipline. You will ask questions that push your colleagues toward strategic thinking and action, and you will take initiative to identify and creatively solve problems.
Build robust training curriculum: You will serve as the primary lead to build a robust consortium of resources and training curricula that spans multiple learning styles. With significant support from internal and external stakeholders, you’ll map out content, brainstorm and troubleshoot how to present the curriculum, and then make it all come to life. Everything from drafting video scripts, finalizing accompanying materials, coordinating with vendors and teammates, to project execution.
Manage team projects: Ensure team members and network partners remain connected to and on track with strategic objectives, deliverables, and timelines for key projects. You will keep the trains running to make sure big and small picture details are aligned. You’ll also help ensure we’re analyzing our impact as we go.
Become a trusted partner with our members: You will work with a broad group of network staff, helping connect them with one another, resources, and programs. Through SPN programs and professional development, your skills and knowledge will sharpen and equip you to be a relied-upon resource throughout the network.

Qualifications

1-3+ years of nonprofit experience
Demonstrated history of successful project management
Deep curiosity and problem-solving mentality
An entrepreneurial spirit, strong work ethic, and capacity to prioritize and balance multiple projects and effectively and meet deadlines
A team player that can work in a fast-paced environment in a professional manner
Strong interest in advancing State Policy Network’s mission and impact
Limited travel, including air travel, required (10-20%)

Preferred

Experience in fundraising/development
Experience with Salesforce and Basecamp

How to Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials in one PDF:

Resume
Cover Letter detailing your interest in the position and the mission of State Policy Network and your salary requirements

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/.

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

Questions can be directed to Katy Gambella, Director of Network Engagement at Talent Market, who is assisting with the search: katy@talentmarket.org.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Manager of Engagement

State Policy Network seeks an experienced development professional with donor relations experience who embraces a customer-focused mindset to fundraising. SPN is looking for an entrepreneurial person who is a strong relationship builder and program manager to manage and execute three donor loyalty programs: a midlevel donor program, a legacy program, and a program designed to steward and celebrate those donors who have been giving consecutively to SPN for 10+ years.

The Manager of Engagement works closely with all aspects of the development team to ensure a “Stewardship+” mindset when it comes to our loyal supporters. While a midlevel donor program and legacy society exist, we are seeking a candidate to fine-tune both programs, look for ways to optimize and create efficiencies in the programs to better serve our donors and take our customer experience to the next level. We see this position as critical to building a future pipeline for potential major gift donors and donors who include SPN in their estate plans.

The Manager of Engagement may work in a virtual office and will be expected to travel up to 30% of the time. The Manager of Engagement will report to the Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships.

Responsibilities include:

Mid-level donor program (75% of time)

Own and manage the mid-level donor program. The purpose of the mid-donor level program is to 1) Take a Stewardship+ approach with our loyal donor base and 2) Qualify any mid-donors who may have major gift or legacy capacity. The mid-donor level program should serve as a pipeline for the major gift team. Success of the program will be based off the retention and upgrade rate of the mid-level donor program, as well as how many donors are “qualified” and moved into the major gift and/or legacy pipeline.

Management of the program includes, but is not limited to:

Conducting at least 10 qualification calls a month with mid-level donors to understand where there might be major gift and/or legacy potential.
Cultivate and steward these donors by ensuring they are receiving personalized touches and communications throughout the year in addition to our Development Communications.
Utilize Salesforce to create reports to maximize the efficiency of the program.
Create a scoring system used to rate and qualify donors as to whether they show qualities and characteristics of making a potential major gift or planned gift.
Oversee a personalized stewardship process that includes making personalized thank you phone calls and writing handwritten notes to donors in a timely manner.
Work in partnership with development officers to ensure giving anniversary cards are mailed out monthly.
Organize, recruit, and attend regional gatherings with mid-level and legacy donors as a cultivation and stewardship tool.
Participate in strategy calls and conversations with the frontline fundraising team.
Build and launch a new program designed to celebrate and steward our donors who have been giving to SPN consecutively for the past 10+ years.

Legacy program (25% of time)

Oversee and manage the Thomas Roe Legacy Society (TRLS), SPN’s legacy program for individuals who’ve shared their intention of including SPN in their estate plans. Managing the program will include prospecting and recruiting new legacy society members, stewarding current legacy society members, and partnering with our Development Communications team to manage communication projects and mailings to legacy society members and prospects.

Management of the Thomas Roe Legacy Society includes, but not limited to:

Cultivating, stewarding, and recruiting new members to join the Thomas Roe Legacy Society.
Stewardship of a portfolio of existing TRLS members for all their SPN giving.
In partnership with the development communications team, oversee the communications and mail to legacy prospects and legacy society members.
Working closely with the development officers on a strategy for incorporating legacy conversations into their moves management plans.
Organizing, recruiting, and attending regional events for mid-level and legacy donors.

Qualifications

3+ years of relevant fundraising or related experience strongly preferred.
Experience with managing a donor loyalty program and/or strong project management skills a plus.
Up to 30% travel would be required.
Strong interest in advancing State Policy Network’s mission and impact.
Comfortable spending up to 50% on the phone cultivating, stewarding, and qualifying donors.
Comfortable being in a donor-facing role and with managing details behind the scenes.
A customer service mindset with internal and external partners.
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
An ability to think strategically and creatively.
An entrepreneurial spirit, strong work ethic, and capacity to prioritize and balance multiple projects and effectively and meet deadlines and goals.
Strong organizational skills, superb attention to detail and an appreciation and respect for following internal processes.
A team player that can work in a fast-paced, high-volume virtual environment in professional manner.
Knowledge of MS Office, Word, Excel and Outlook (experience with Salesforce a plus).

This role will require using Salesforce effectively to manage the donor programs and candidate must be comfortable working with Salesforce (training will be provided).

How to Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials in one PDF document to careers@spn.org:

Resume
Cover letter detailing:
- Your interest in the position/SPN’s mission
- Salary requirements
- In-office or virtual office location preference
- Travel availability

Manager of Strategic Partnerships

State Policy Network is seeking a Manager of Strategic Partnerships to join our development team. This position is ideal for a pro-liberty, entrepreneurial candidate with experience in growing long term, sustainable relationships with philanthropists. The Manager of Strategic Partnerships’ role advances SPN’s mission and strategic objectives by working closely with donors to align their goals with SPN’s mission.

The Manager of Strategic Partnerships will report directly to our Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships and will be responsible for the results of his/her major gifts portfolio which will include a mix of current donors and prospects. We are looking for a candidate that will have fire in the belly and drive to build a portfolio primarily through prospecting.

This position can be based in SPN’s Arlington, VA headquarters or in a virtual office.

Primary Responsibilities

Manage a major gifts portfolio: Responsible for developing and managing a moves management strategy for a portfolio of 100+/- donors and prospects with the capacity to make gifts of $25K+. Territory may be nationwide.
Increase SPN’s fundraising capacity through the successful qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individuals having the capacity to make gifts of $25K and above
Work to creatively match donor interests with institutional priorities
Develop funding proposals and structure complex gifts, including planned gifts
Prepare briefings, stewardship plans/letters and other correspondence for prospects, collaborating with staff as needed
Motivate and support leadership and volunteers to solicit gifts when appropriate
Maintain in-depth knowledge of SPN’s funding priorities

Qualifications

3+ years of fundraising or related experience. Strong preference for candidates who have experience being donor-facing and managing a portfolio of individual donors.
Ability to travel at least 50%
Strong interest in advancing State Policy Network’s mission and impact
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
A team player that can work in a fast-paced, high-volume environment in professional manner
An entrepreneurial spirit, strong work ethic, and capacity to prioritize and balance multiple projects and effectively and meet deadlines
Strong analytical skills, organizational skills, and superb attention to detail
Ability to maintain confidentiality
Demonstrated experience with complex giving vehicles, planned gifts, and estate planning a plus
Knowledge of MS Office, Word, Excel and Outlook (advanced Excel knowledge or experience with Salesforce a plus)
Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials in one PDF document to careers@spn.org:

Resume
Cover letter detailing:
- Your interest in the position/SPN’s mission
- Salary requirements
- In-office or virtual office location preference
- Travel availability

Salesforce Administrator

SPN seeks a Salesforce Administrator to oversee the CRM capability of State Policy Network (SPN). The Salesforce Administrator will primarily be responsible for managing projects related to our Salesforce CRM, including automating business processes and configuring integrations. This position will play a pivotal role in designing data processes that will allow SPN to take it’s measurement systems to the next level.

Additionally, a smaller portion of this role will be devoted to general IT support. The Salesforce Administrator will liaison with our IT contractor and manage administration of our various technology platforms.

Primary Responsibilities

Salesforce Administration

Salesforce configuration changes, including fields, page layouts, record types, dynamic layouts, apps, actions, custom settings, dashboards and reports
Automate processes using Salesforce tools including Flow, Process Builder, approval processes, validation rules, and Nonprofit Success Pack features
Proactive system maintenance including Security Reviews, Release Updates, Health Check, and Optimizer
All aspects of user and license management including new user setup/deactivation, roles, profiles, permissions, public groups, OWD, sharing rules
Identify and gather requirements, translating into best practice, scalable solutions with a focus on exceptional user experience
Management of integrated applications including Form Assembly/FormTitan and DocuSign
Manage user support requests, including quick turnaround errors as well as longer term projects and new feature requests
Technical documentation and change management communication

General IT Support

Manage technology onboarding and offboarding of all employees
Ensure smooth lines of communication with staff & our IT vendor
Provide basic troubleshooting support to employees with various technology platforms (Dropbox, Basecamp, Zoom, etc

Qualifications

Required

In-depth knowledge of Salesforce products and their functionalities, including 3+ years of experience as a Salesforce administrator using both Classic and Lightning
Creative and analytical thinker with strong problem-solving skills
Excellent project management skills and a positive attitude
A demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, and handle and prioritize simultaneous requests
Must demonstrate ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing with all levels of the organization
Ability to critically evaluate and prioritize information gathered from multiple sources and reconcile conflicts
Ability to assess the impact of new requirements on Salesforce and other integrated systems
A demonstrated ability to understand and articulate complex processes
A curious nature with a strong drive to learn and grow

Desirable

Salesforce Administrator Certification or Salesforce Advanced Administrator Certification
Understanding of basic triggers/Apex code knowledge
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Basic knowledge of classical liberal ideas

This position reports to SPN’s Director of Data Analytics

Location:

This is a full-time position based in SPN’s headquarters (Arlington, VA) or in a virtual office.

How to Apply:

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials in one PDF file to careers@spn.org:

Resume
Cover Letter detailing your interest in the position, SPN’s mission, and your salary requirements

Senior Director of Operations

SPN seeks a Senior Director of Operations to oversee and build highly effective talent, performance improvement, and operational systems. As a team leader, the Senior Director of Operations will provide day-to-day leadership and oversight of internal operations, including Human Resources, technology, and data management. The Senior Director of Operations will directly manage two staff members, the Director of Data Analytics and Human Resource Associate, and will have the opportunity to build out the team over time.

The ideal candidate will be a self-starter who enjoys solving problems, building consensus, and weighing tradeoffs to create and execute excellent systems. This person will be both a strategic, analytical thinker and a disciplined, enthusiastic executor.

The Senior Director of Operations will report to the Executive Vice President and can be based in SPN’s Arlington, VA headquarters or in a virtual office.

Primary Responsibilities

Work with staff to assess organizational needs and drive improvements in areas such as recruiting, hiring, onboarding, retention, performance management, and staff development.
Oversee payroll and benefits, analyzing cost and competitiveness of SPN’s benefits package.
Ensure legal and regulatory compliance across the organization.
Work with the Director of Data Analytics to manage SPN’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), driving a culture that thrives on measurable results, productivity, and performance.
Develop and manage scalable systems to improve operations functions for SPN and its programs, including information sharing, task management, and outcome tracking.
Consistently search for ways to make SPN more effective at pursuing its mission. Be on the lookout for organizational needs and opportunities, and develop solutions to ensure the organization runs smoothly and effectively.

Required Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have 7+ years of professional experience, along with demonstrated success in building and managing effective talent and operational systems. The candidate will also have:

Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, and a desire to tackle complex challenges
A customer service mindset, along with excellent listening and communication skills
Superb attention to detail
Ability to maintain confidentiality
Exceptional judgment; ability to weigh tradeoffs and juggle multiple priorities
Experience managing and growing teams
Willingness to travel (15%)

How to Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials in one PDF document:

Your resume
A cover letter detailing your interest in this position and SPN’s mission, along with your salary requirements

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: https://talentmarket.org/candidates/apply-for-your-dream-job/

Questions can be directed to Claire Kittle Dixon, Executive Director of Talent Market, who is assisting with the search: claire@talentmarket.org.

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.