The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) seeks a highly motivated and detail-oriented Specialist, External Affairs and Strategic Partnerships to support LWVUS’s growing national impact through partnership activation, external engagement, and thought leadership initiatives.

This Specialist plays a vital role in strengthening LWVUS’s national visibility by coordinating partner activities, supporting the CEO and Leadership Team's high-level external affairs priorities, and enhancing the League’s presence within influential networks. This position offers meaningful hands-on experience with national partners, cross-departmental collaboration, events, design, and relationship stewardship—all in service of building a stronger, more inclusive democracy.

The ideal candidate is organized, proactive, relationship-centered, and motivated by LWVUS’s mission. This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career professional looking to expand experience in strategic partnerships, network engagement, external relations, and nonprofit systems.

This is a hybrid role based in Washington, DC, and will require in-office work on designated days.

This role is funded through June 30, 2026, and is designed as an opportunity for a high-performing candidate to demonstrate impact, with the possibility of transitioning into a permanent position based on performance and organizational needs. 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Partnerships

• Support implementation of the LWVUS Strategic Partnerships strategy in collaboration with the Director of Partnerships.
• Conduct research and prepare background profiles on potential partners and partnership opportunities.
• Assist with external outreach and development of customized pitch decks, briefing materials, and presentations using Canva and PowerPoint.
• Coordinate with State and Local Leagues to ensure smooth partner activations, including communications, training logistics, timelines, and resource distribution.
• Collaborate with the Data & Evaluation team to track partnership impact, engagement metrics, and outcomes.
• Provide basic design support for co-branded partnership materials or liaise with Communications staff to develop polished assets.
• Represent LWVUS on partner calls or meetings when the Director of Partnerships is unavailable.
• Maintain and update the LWVUS internal partner database and communications tracking systems in Salesforce.

Communications & Resource Development

• Lead production of the LWVUS quarterly Partnerships Newsletter, working with the Digital Communications team on email distribution and layout.
• Manage the ongoing development, organization, and accessibility of the LWVUS Partner Asset Library, including toolkits, co-brandable templates, and digital resources.
• Ensure all partnership materials adhere to LWVUS brand and messaging guidelines.

External Affairs Support

• Provide logistics, research, and content drafting support for the CEO and Leadership Team external engagements, including speeches, panel participation, and public events.
• Coordinate with internal partners on scheduling, event preparation, and follow-up support. 
• Research and track national thought leadership opportunities, including speaking engagements, convenings, and submission deadlines for panels or conferences.
• Partner with the Events Team and Director of Partnerships to identify opportunities for the LWVUS speakers bureau and high-visibility moments for national leadership.
• Support maintenance of Salesforce or other systems used to track League network engagement and external affairs initiatives.
• Represent LWVUS at select events, including conferences, partner activations, tabling opportunities, and virtual convenings.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• 2–4 years of relevant professional experience in strategic partnerships, external affairs, stakeholder engagement, communications, events, or a related field. 
• Experience in national nonprofits, advocacy, civic engagement, or network-based organizations preferred but not required. 
• Experience representing an organization in external meetings or public-facing settings is a plus.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED

• Proficiency with CRM systems such as Salesforce.
• Strong written, verbal, and digital communication skills.
• Experience developing content, presentations, or basic graphic design using Canva and PowerPoint.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, coordinate logistics, and track deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, follow-through, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Commitment to LWVUS values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Ability to travel at least four times per year or as needed for partner or external affairs events.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. This role is generally performed indoors, with moderate-to-low noise levels, and requires prolonged periods working at a computer.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The League of Women Voters of the United States is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace based on equal opportunity. The League is committed to hiring staff that reflects this country's full range of racial, ethnic, cultural, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic identity; a workplace where true diversity is fostered, and different perspectives are valued and freely exchanged. We encourage women, minorities, and individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities to apply.

This job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential and marginal job functions are subject to modification. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.