Priority Initiative Leader, Strong & Safe Communities

About the role

Stand Together is a philanthropic community that partners with America’s boldest changemakers to address the root causes of the nation’s biggest problems. As the Priority Initiative Leader for the Strong & Safe Communities portfolio, you will be the strategic leader responsible for developing and refining the strategy and theory of change that shifts the national paradigm from treating people as problems to empowering citizens and communities as problem solvers.

Responsibilities

• Set and steward the overarching strategy and theory of change for the Strong & Safe Communities portfolio, ensuring clear, well‑reasoned points of view guide paradigm‑level change.
• Partner with internal teams to develop and lead audience identification and engagement strategies—defining target audiences, outreach methods, and activation pathways for sustained action.
• Convene and align a diverse network of stakeholders—including philanthropic partners, nonprofits, advocates, and community leaders—around a shared, ambitious agenda for community empowerment and safety.
• Serve as an external face of Stand Together’s work, translating complex strategies into compelling narratives for partners, funders, and the broader field.
• Integrate Stand Together’s full range of capabilities—activations, marketing and communications, and fundraising—into a cohesive portfolio strategy that maximizes collective impact.
• Partner with internal investment specialists to structure complex, nine‑figure‑and‑above opportunities with philanthropic partners, applying sound judgment to deal design without owning execution.
• Establish and steward structures that keep knowledge moving across PI, capability, and business teams, clarifying ownership and closing feedback loops so insight and decisions travel as fast as opportunities.
• Assess progress across the portfolio, identify high‑level trade‑offs, and continuously optimize for whole‑system outcomes rather than individual workstream metrics.
• Partner with capability leaders, Talent, and direct supervisors to build the bench that carries the strategy forward, developing sub‑issue leaders and emerging talent through intentional delegation and stretch assignments.
• Lead through Principle Based Management® day to day: give and receive direct challenge, run consistent feedback loops, and hold partners and teams accountable through influence rather than formal authority.

What You Will Bring

• Enthusiasm for Stand Together’s vision and principled approach, and a commitment to stewarding a culture of transformation, innovation, entrepreneurialism, humility, and respect.
• Significant leadership experience within a large, complex philanthropic organization, foundation, or corporate social impact function, with a track record of driving strategy at national scale.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute audience identification and engagement strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to convene and align diverse, high‑profile stakeholders—including funders, nonprofit leaders, and policy advocates—around a shared, ambitious agenda.
• Experience developing and executing complex theories of change across multiple sub‑issues or portfolios simultaneously.
• Proven track record of leading through influence in a matrixed or decentralized environment, without relying on direct authority.
• Strong external presence and communication skills, with the ability to represent an organization compellingly to partners, funders, and the public.
• Genuine belief in bottom‑up, community‑driven solutions to social challenges and enthusiasm for Stand Together’s empowerment‑based approach.

Standout Candidates Will Bring

• Demonstrated strength in management and strategic thinking, with the ability to build teams, set clear goals, rally others around a shared vision, and drive measurable progress as a leader of leaders.
• Existing subject matter expertise in one or more of the portfolio’s focus areas—such as criminal justice reform, poverty alleviation, or community empowerment.

Benefits

• 6% 401(k) match with immediate vesting
• Flexible time off
• Comprehensive health and dental plans
• Wellness and mental‑health support through Peloton and Talkspace
• A meaningful career within a community of over 1,300 employees dedicated to improving lives and driving innovative solutions
• Opportunities for growth in a non‑hierarchical, empowerment‑focused environment

Pay

The anticipated base salary range for this role is $200,000 – $250,000 per year. In addition to base salary, bonus earnings may represent a meaningful portion of total compensation. Total compensation aligns with the employee’s overall contribution and the value created for the organization, following Stand Together’s Principles‑Based Management™ compensation philosophy.