Evidence-Building Legislative Fellow

Arnold Ventures (AV) is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change, AV is working to improve the lives of American families, strengthen their communities, and promote their economic opportunity. Since Laura and John Arnold launched their foundation in 2008, the philanthropy has expanded, and AV’s focus areas include education, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and public finance, advocating for bipartisan policy reforms that will lead to lasting, scalable change. The Arnolds became signatories of the Giving Pledge in 2010.

Position Overview

AV believes deeply in the importance of rigorous evidence to help guide policy decisions, program investments, and public spending in the United States. The Criminal Justice (CJ) and Evidence and Evaluation (E&E) teams play a critical role in achieving that goal. The CJ team aims to make communities safer and make the criminal justice system fairer and more effective, based on high-quality research evidence. The CJ team works with experts from inside and outside government and across disciplines to reform the U.S. criminal justice system through research, evidence, testing innovative pilot programs, and policy change. The E&E team focuses on a few core strategies: (i) funding rigorous evaluations – mainly randomized controlled trials (RCTs) – to build the body of social programs with evidence of meaningful effects; (ii) exploring opportunities to accelerate local, state, and federal investments in scaling effective programs as well as supporting research and evidence-based reforms more broadly; and (iii) supporting the research and evaluation efforts of other teams at AV.

Rigorous research is central to evidence-based policymaking, providing the reliable, real-world insights needed to discern whether well-intentioned policies are effective. AV believes that there is a significant opportunity to better incorporate such research practices into policymaking. The CJ and E&E teams seek a Fellow who can drive innovation and action towards a more systematic and intentional approach to policy-relevant research at the local, state, and federal level. The Fellow will lead work to draft model legislative language that supports data collection, create opportunities to embed experimental and quasi-experimental research in new programs and policy, and provide technical assistance to key partners engaged in the legislative process.

The Evidence-Building Legislative Fellow can be based in any of Arnold Ventures’ three offices: Houston, New York City, or Washington D.C., and reports to the Executive Vice President of Criminal Justice.

Core Responsibilities

• Drive evidence-building legislative strategy development, evolution and execution, in partnership with the Executive Vice President of Criminal Justice, the Executive Vice President of Evidence and Evaluation, and Arnold Ventures’ Board of Directors
• Work closely with the AV Criminal Justice and Evidence and Evaluation teams to identify opportunities for legislative drafting that embeds evidence generation though data collection, data access, and rigorous research (including RCTs and quasi-experiments)
• Support policymakers with legislative drafting to embed data collection, rigorous research, and best practices for implementation in order to generate evidence and measure policy impact
• Develop model language and tools to support evidence generation through legislation for Arnold Ventures teams and grantees
• Conduct research and analysis necessary to inform strategy and project development and analyze and synthesize research and policy developments in the field and their impact on portfolio priorities
• Develop and manage relationships with new and existing grantees, key stakeholders, consultants, and experts; deepen the grantee pipeline; build networks to inform strategy
• Travel to conferences to represent the importance of this work and Arnold Ventures commitment to it, network with experts, create and maintain partnerships, and learn about new research and policy in priority areas
• Other duties to support the team’s work, as needed

Term

The Evidence-Building Legislative Fellow will be in a regular, full-time position and eligible to participate in Arnold Ventures’ benefits plan. We anticipate that the Evidence Building Legislative Fellow will be appointed for a two-year fixed term.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy, political science, or another relevant field; advanced degree preferred
• 7 years of work experience related to evidence-generation, evidence-based policy, or a similar role.
• Experience with the legislative process at the state and/or federal level.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, drive progress, and deliver outcomes through creative, solution-driven problem solving
• Thrives in uncertain environments, quickly adapts, and confidently handles ambiguity
• Clear alignment to the mission and goals of Arnold Ventures with a relentless drive to contribute toward their success and make a meaningful impact through this body of work.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to craft concrete solutions and communicate those solutions both to content experts and to diverse, nontechnical audiences.

The salary range for this position will be $145,000-$200,000.

Benefits Overview

AV is committed to providing a robust and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our current benefits package includes 100% paid employee premiums for medical, dental, vision, basic life, and short- and long-term disability insurance; 20 days of paid time off, 16 paid holidays (including a winter break from December 24 to January 1), a hybrid policy that includes four days in office and one flexible day for remote work, and a summer schedule with alternating Fridays off beginning on Memorial Day and ending on Labor Day; paid parental leave; a 401k retirement savings plan with an employer match, profit-share contribution, and immediate vesting; pre-tax transit benefits; a professional development stipend; a charitable giving stipend; and an employee assistance program.

Our Culture and Core Values

Our culture seeks to inspire and empower our people to innovate and develop bold ideas that will help AV achieve lasting impact. Our culture, and the core values that support it, should create an environment that spurs our team to think outside the box, feel comfortable pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and signal confidence in our team’s ability to make change happen through our philanthropic efforts. Although not an exhaustive list, below you’ll find examples of AV’s work culture.

• We are adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity
• We are intellectually curious, open-minded, objective, humble, collegial, and receptive to feedback
• We are action-oriented with strong self-direction and self-motivation skills with the ability to work simultaneously on multiple projects
• We are able to interact confidently and collaboratively with team members and navigate relationships with external experts, government leaders, advocates, and individuals

AV’s values reflect who we are as an organization, help us accelerate our strategic goals, strengthen our resolve, anchor us to our mission, and guide our decision-making. The successful candidate will also demonstrate the following core values that inspire the AV team to make a difference.

• Respect for Ourselves & Others
• Audacious Action
• Collaborative Engagement
• Depth of Thought
• Clear Communication

AV is an equal opportunity employer, committed to an inclusive workplace. We are seeking applicants from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of experiences and perspectives. Candidates who have been impacted by the systems we are seeking to change are strongly encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, military/veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.