Managing Director

Arc Initiatives; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 220,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Dental and vision

Disability insurance

401(k) with employer match

FSA

Phone reimbursement

Paid leave and parental leave

Job summary

Arc Initiatives is seeking a Managing Director to run the core consulting practice, leading a high‑performing team and driving growth. You will own strategy, staffing, and performance, working closely with partners on clients and new business opportunities.

The role is hands‑on, in‑person in DC with a strong emphasis on team development, accountability, and delivering measurable results for campaigns and public affairs initiatives.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in political consulting, campaigns, government, advocacy, or public affairs with time leading teams and organizations.
• Senior operational and political experience in leadership roles such as chief of staff or similar.
• Proven track record managing budgets, revenue goals, and staffing decisions.
• Experience winning business and growing senior client relationships.

Responsibilities

• Turn firm priorities into clear plans, owners, and goals; run all-staff meetings; advise on strategy, staffing, and growth.
• Be accountable for revenue, client retention, and delivering on contracts.
• Own the firm’s pipeline; build relationships and close new work with partners.
• Define roles, reporting lines, and performance expectations across the consulting team.
• Identify capabilities needed for growth and decide on hiring, development, or partnerships.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Strategic thinking

Business development

Budget management

Client relations

Public affairs

Job description

About Arc

Arc Initiatives brings together strategy, communications, creative, and advocacy to help organizations, leaders, and campaigns win. Our work spans paid media and creative, digital engagement, creator and influencer programs, public affairs, and advocacy. Our team has waged and won dozens of high-profile, high-stakes campaigns for candidates, coalitions, and causes.
As Arc builds new ventures alongside its core public affairs and communications practice, we’re seeking a Managing Director whose full focus will be the core practice. The Managing Director joins our executive team and runs that practice day-to-day, working closely with the partners on strategy, clients, and growth.

The Opportunity

You’ll set direction for Arc’s consulting business alongside experienced colleagues, including people who have helped shape the firm for more than a decade. With support from fellow executives and practice heads, you’ll own the consulting team’s performance and growth, establish its management rhythm, and align teams around clear priorities and accountability. This is a hands‑on role with a visible, in‑person presence for staff and clients. You’ll support experienced practitioners, coach emerging talent, and help people take on greater responsibility as the business grows. You'll understand the full range of work Arc delivers without needing to be the top practitioner in every discipline. Your expertise is in leading people, building teams, and turning strong ideas into action. The role is heavily performance‑based, and the right person will be rewarded for the growth they drive.

What You'll Own

• Firm leadership: turn the firm's priorities into clear plans, owners, and goals, run recurring all-staff meetings, and serve as a trusted partner on strategy, staffing, and growth
• Team performance: you're accountable for revenue and new business goals, client retention, and making sure client teams deliver on their contracts
• Business development: own the firm's pipeline, build relationships, sharpen pitches, and close new work alongside the partners
• Structure and talent: own roles, reporting lines, and expectations across the consulting team, and performance management
• Building for growth: identify the capabilities Arc will need next and decide whether to build them through hiring, development, or partnerships
• Accountability and reporting: build the management rhythm across the firm, including marketing and business development reporting, and present results to Arc's Partners and executive team
• Senior Leader: step in as the senior strategist when a client or team hits a hard problem, carry a select group of client relationships of your own, and bring new tools and tactics into the firm

What Success Looks Like in Year One

• Arc’s consulting team runs on an established management rhythm you’ve shaped, with clear roles, reporting lines, and accountability
• Experienced and emerging managers have the support and authority to develop their teams and deliver on business goals
• The consulting pipeline grows, with new business wins against targets agreed with the partners
• A shared talent and capability strategy guides investment in Arc’s next stage of growth
• Staff, clients, and executive colleagues know you as a trusted, visible presence who builds lasting relationships

About You

You're conversant across the range of campaign, communications, and advocacy tactics, including paid media and creative, digital, creator and influencer programs, public affairs, and lobbying. You don’t need to be a deep expert in every discipline, but you should understand how they fit together and be able to guide the specialists who deliver the work. Your deepest expertise is in structure, team management, accountability, and systems.

You’re someone who:

• Turns a talented group of people into a cohesive, high‑performing team
• Sets clear expectations and follows through on them
• Asks "How are we actually going to do that?" and holds people to the answer
• Uses strong judgment about people, priorities, clients, and resources
• Is commercially minded and comfortable owning business development and firm performance
• Brings fresh thinking about modern campaigning, communications, and technology
• Wants to be the leader in the room: in our DC office Monday through Thursday and some Fridays, and the senior person staff see and come to day to day

What You Bring

• Typically 15+ years in political consulting, campaigns, government, advocacy, or public affairs, including significant time leading teams and running an organization, practice, or department
• Senior operational and political experience, such as chief of staff on a major campaign or in government, a senior role at a party committee or campaign headquarters, or leadership at a lobbying or public affairs firm
• A record of managing senior professionals and building organizations that perform
• Experience winning business and growing senior client relationships
• Experience managing budgets, revenue goals, and staffing decisions
• A strong consultant's instincts and a clear understanding of how a consulting business makes money
• A deep commitment to progressive causes

Please keep in mind: Research has shown that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds only apply to jobs when they meet 100% of the requirements vs. their majority counterparts, which apply at a much higher rate if they meet 50-60% of the requirements. To that end, if you are interested in the role, we would love to hear how you can leverage your talents to be an excellent addition to the Arc Initiatives team.

The Details

• Base salary: Base salary of $220-250,000, depending on experience
• Performance bonus tied to firm goals, including revenue, new business, and team leadership
• Salaried, non-equity leadership position
• Health coverage (CareFirst PPO, 80% employer-paid), plus dental and vision
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• 401(k) with employer match up to 4%
• FSA with a $500 employer contribution
• Cell phone reimbursement up to $150 a month
• Paid leave, medical days, and paid parental leave

We’re looking for the right fit and will keep this position open until we find that person. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis

Arc Initiatives is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law