Vice President, Public Affairs

FTP; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO policy

Medical/Dental/Vision insurance

Maternity/Paternity leave

401K with traditional and Roth options

Phone stipend

Flexible Spending accounts

Company paid life insurance

Disability coverage

Well-being resources

Job summary

FTP in Washington, DC is seeking a Vice President of Public Affairs to lead client initiatives and shape strategic communications for diverse sectors. This hybrid role reports to the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and drives business development while mentoring junior staff.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years in campaigns, communications, digital, or public policy, with strong writing, stakeholder engagement, and leadership skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 7+ years of industry-specific professional experience in issue or political campaigns, communications, digital, and public policy.
• Public or private sector media, communications, and/or federal government experience.
• Tech savvy with Microsoft Suite, Google Drive, Box, social media platforms, and design tools such as Canva, HubSpot, WordPress, and SurveyMonkey.
• Experience managing internal and client teams.
• Keen attention to detail, exceptional writing abilities and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead client meetings, conference calls, and in-person meetings, presenting insights and recommendations.
• Act as primary point of contact for clients, providing exceptional service.
• Lead new business development efforts and departmental growth through maintaining contacts for stakeholder engagement.
• Manage and execute client projects from start to finish within time and budget.
• Supervise and mentor junior staff, guiding to established goals.
• Review and refine work before final review by Public Affairs Partners.
• Track campaign progress and deliverables with quantitative and qualitative metrics.
• Create and update client contracts and maintain budget trackers in Excel.
• Develop professional network and media reach by attending events and engaging media professionals.
• Compose key messaging and collateral materials for client campaigns.
• Provide support to staff and vendors on client activities.
• Monitor legislation related to client priorities and report on industry developments.

Skills

Client service

Leadership

Public affairs

Strategic thinking

Writing abilities

Attention to detail

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Drive

Box

Canva

HubSpot

WordPress

SurveyMonkey

Job description

Position TitleVice President, Public Affairs

LocationWashington, DC Office (777 6th Street, NW, 10th Floor)

Reports ToSenior Vice President, Public Affairs

StatusPermanent Full-time, Exempt

DateSeptember 16, 2026

Work ArrangementHybrid

Salary Grade/ Range P19 OR P20 (depending on level)

About Us

FTP is where advocacy gets to work.

Committed to helping our clients make advocacy a business advantage, we are a full-service bipartisan

government and public affairs advocacy firm based in Washington, D.C. FTP provides a combination of

creative thinking and established expertise in the core services of government relations, public affairs,

digital services, and strategic consulting. We work closely with government officials, C‑Suite executives

from Fortune 100 companies, and leaders of some of America’s most dynamic organizations and have

developed working relationships with local, state, national, and international policymakers. At FTP, everyone is a hands‑on "doer" - whether jobs are big or small, all team members are expected roll up their sleeves and contribute as needed.

FTP is also one of the founding member companies of Public Policy Holding Company, Inc., providing us with the unique ability to collaborate with both domestic and international leading government relations and public affairs firms to best serve client needs, and to provide employees with the benefits that come from working in a publicly traded company (dual-listed on LSE and NASDAQ).

Position Overview

The Vice President plays a critical role in Public Affairs leadership through managing various clients, contributing to thought leadership activities, supervising junior staff, and participating in business development. Our Public Affairs team crafts and executes sophisticated communication strategies that help our clients connect with and influence key stakeholders across industries - from innovative healthcare solutions to cutting-edge technology, from global finance to national defense. As part of our team, you'll develop comprehensive engagement strategies, identify and analyze target audiences, and create persuasive messaging that resonates with decision-makers. This role combines strategic thinking, creative storytelling, and the excitement of seeing your work influence positive change in the public sphere, while working with diverse clients who are leaders in their fields.

Vice Presidents are expected to become proficient in three key areas: client service and retention, generation, and leadership. Service and retention centers existing clients, providing them with exceptional service that leads to client retention, while business generation focuses on new business development and cross‑selling of FTP services. As a leader at FTP, this ideal candidate must exemplify exceptional corporate citizenship by prioritizing firm best interests, guiding and mentoring team members, and actively contributing to firm‑wide growth.

As a Vice President, you will:

• Lead client meetings, conference calls, and in‑person meetings, presenting insights and recommendations to the team for client accounts.
• Act as primary point of contact for clients, providing exceptional service through answering questions and being available for one‑on‑one meetings as needed.
• Lead new business development efforts and departmental growth through creating and maintaining list of contacts to support stakeholder engagement, coalition development, etc.
• Manage and execute client projects from beginning to end, including strategic communications, research, and grassroots campaigns, delivering work products on‑time and in‑budget.
• Supervise and assist with the professional development of junior staff through providing actionable direction to accomplish established goals, help navigate challenges, and step in as needed to support success.
• Review, revise, and refine work of junior staff to move to final review by Public Affairs Partners’.
• Manage recurring reports and deliverables to ensure deadlines are met and track campaign success both quantitatively and qualitatively.
• Create and update client contracts and maintain budget tracker in Excel with input from senior leadership.
• Develop professional network and media reach through attending events, setting up coffees, and networking with media professionals, including reporters.
• Compose key messaging and collateral materials for client campaigns.
• Provide support to staff and vendors on client activities.
• Track and monitor legislation as it relates to client priorities.
• Follow and report on new industry developments and best practices.
• Complete projects as requested by the Public Affairs Partners.
• Support firmwide generation of new client contracts and management of clients cross‑functionally.

To be successful, you will need:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or equivalent experience
• Minimum 7+ years of industry specific professional experience in issue or political campaigns, communications, digital, and public policy
• Public or private sector media, communications, and/or federal government experience
• Tech savvy with a strong familiarity with the Microsoft Suite, Google Drive, Box, social media platforms, and design tools such as Canva, HubSpot, WordPress, and SurveyMonkey
• Experience managing internal and client teams
• Keen attention to detail, exceptional writing abilities and interpersonal skills
• An understanding of how public policy decisions impact clients’ abilities and needs
• Ability to leverage social media platforms to advance key causes, issues, and advocacy initiatives
• Demonstrated capacity for teamwork, including prior experience effectively engaging supervisors and managing staff under quick, tight deadlines within and across teams
• Passion for researching, writing, and editing content pieces while utilizing strong grammar skills
• An independent, strategic thinker that does more with less, comes up with creative solutions when there isn’t one, and isn’t afraid to say “I don’t know (but I’ll figure it out)”
• Proven ability to operate with integrity and ethics, and maintain the highest standards of confidentiality
• High level of detail and demonstrated work output with little/no errors
• Sense of urgency; willingness and ability to meet and exceed established deadlines
• Organizational agility

We prefer that you have:

• Master’s degree from an accredited university
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills

What We Offer:

• Generous PTO policy of 4 weeks per year
• Competitive coverage for employees and families Medical/Dental/Vision insurance
• 3 months paid Maternity/Paternity
• 401K plan with traditional and Roth options
• $80 monthly phone stipend
• Opportunities to enroll in Flexible Spending accounts and Commuting accounts
• Company paid basic life insurance of $50,000, long‑term disability, and short‑term disability coverage
• Company paid access to a wide range of health and well‑being resources and services including telephonic counseling, legal advice, and other services

Additional Information

While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to sit, walk, and stand; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone; use hands repetitively to handle, feel, or operate standard office equipment; reach with hands and arms; and lift up to 25 pounds.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

FTP is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture. FTP does not discriminate based on disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected under federal, state, or local laws.