Founding Government Affairs Strategist

Our students are at the heart of our work. Their journeys have captured national attention on CBS, NBC, and in The Boston Globe, and our programs now serve entire states and cities. And we’re not doing it alone: our vision has attracted support from Alexis Ohanian (776),  Michael Seibel, Y Combinator, the Opportunity Fund, and public figures like Diana Taurasi, Deandre Ayton, and Marshawn Lynch. All of us believe that, with the right mix of technology and hands-on practice, we can redefine workforce development and deliver true second chances at scale.

Why We Do This:

Emerge Career was designed to tackle two systemic issues: recidivism, fueled by post-incarceration unemployment and poverty, and labor shortages in key industries. Over 60% of formerly incarcerated people remain unemployed a year after incarceration, seeking work but not finding it. The reality is shocking, workforce development programs are severely limited inside prison, with only one-third of incarcerated people ever participating. To worsen, the available prison jobs offer meager wages, often less than $1 per hour, and often do not equip individuals with the skills for long-term stable employment. 

About the Role:

This isn't a traditional sales job; you won't be handed a list of leads. Instead, you'll be one of the first people on the ground, a strategic, independent leader who creates and implements our public-sector sales initiatives from scratch.

To date, all of our contracts have been a founder-led effort. Our growth is now at a point where we need to scale this function, and we're looking for a talent who believes we can unify the workforce-development system and deliver second chances at true scale. We hope that can be you.

This role blends traditional sales with public policy, program operations, and strategic leadership. Your job is to win transformative public-sector deals that expand Emerge Career’s footprint across the U.S. You'll manage an entire region, identify opportunities, forge relationships, influence decision-makers, and most importantly, close state and federal contracts that fund life-changing workforce programs. We’re looking for someone who is energized by ownership, obsessed with partner outcomes, and excited to work across domains to make things better. If you’re the kind of person who wants to be hands-on with everything—strategy, execution, proposals, and building relationships with decision-makers—you’ll thrive here.

What We’re Looking For (Minimally):

• Willing to relocate and work 5x/week in-person in Harlem, New York City
• 5+ years of professional experience in sales, partnerships, public sector engagement, or government affairs.
• Experience closing multi-year, 7-figure contracts with state or federal agencies (this is the primary marker of success in this role).
• Strong understanding of state and federal government agencies, their budgetary cycles, and procurement processes.
• Demonstrated experience performing lead prospecting responsibilities: identifying and researching potential clients, contacting leads through various channels, and assessing their needs, interest levels, and purchasing power.
• Demonstrated experience drafting and writing compelling proposals tailored to client needs and objectives, highlighting the value and benefits of the product or service after client meetings or calls.
• Demonstrated experience setting up and operating Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to track interactions, manage client information, and analyze sales performance for strategic planning.
• Demonstrated work with lobbying firms and political stakeholders to drive funding or programmatic initiatives.

What We’re Looking For (Preferred):

• Track record of developing innovative programs or initiatives within or in collaboration with government agencies.
• Building and nurturing partnerships with clients and other relevant stakeholders to foster long-term relationships and collaborative opportunities.
• Deep familiarity with corrections, workforce development, or education services is a plus.
• Personal or professional exposure to the criminal justice system is valued.
• Passionate about working with underrepresented communities and tackling challenges related to poverty and inequity.

What you will be doing

• Winning transformative public-sector deals. Your job is to expand Emerge Career’s footprint across the U.S. You will be the tip of the spear—identifying opportunities, forging relationships, influencing decision-makers, and most importantly, closing state and federal contracts that fund life-changing workforce programs. This is a high-responsibility role for a strategic, independent leader who can take deals from ideation to execution.
• Creating critical partnerships and finding champions. You will be responsible for outreaching to government officials using all means possible, from cold emails and sequences to picking up the phone. You’ll attend conferences to forge key partnerships and find champions who can help us secure funding. You’ll be constantly looking for opportunities to present Emerge as a vital alternative to current systems. You will also cultivate and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including community-based organizations, workforce boards, and other non-profits, to build a network of support that amplifies our mission.
• Owning your region end-to-end. You will manage an entire region, create and implement sales initiatives, and lead relationship-building efforts that unlock long-term funding partnerships. You'll play a critical role from day one, utilizing your resourcefulness and agility akin to a sales athlete. This includes everything from drafting and reviewing contracts to tracking state and federal legislation to identify opportunities and changes that might help us. You'll also be responsible for presenting our program's outcomes and impact data in a compelling way that resonates with government partners and demonstrates a clear return on investment.
• Building the machine. As a founding member of our team, you’ll be responsible for building and operating our sales engine. This means building CRM sequences, collecting and cleaning contacts—even the boring manual part—and analyzing sales performance for strategic planning. You’ll take what you learn from your interactions and turn it into scalable systems. You will also document your processes and strategies to help us build a repeatable and teachable sales playbook for future team members.
• Drafting and delivering proposals and collateral. You won’t just be a relationship builder; you’ll also be a resourceful writer and a strategist. You'll draft compelling proposals and be responsible for producing sales collateral. You don't need to be a designer, but you need to be resourceful with AI or contractors to create materials that meet the needs of your clients.
• Identifying workforce trends. You will identify trends in workforce needs for government clients to help us cater Emerge Career’s training programs to be exactly what they are looking for. This requires you to be a deeply curious and highly attuned leader who can inform our product and training strategy. You will also gather feedback from potential partners to ensure our programs are a perfect fit for their communities.

Compensation

Compensation

This role uses an OTE (on-target earnings) structure, meaning your total comp is a combination of base salary and performance-based bonus.

You choose your split. Lower base means higher OTE potential -- and a higher total comp ceiling. Higher base means more guaranteed income, with a smaller bonus component.

• Total Comp: $150K – $240K
  • Base Salary: $100K – $150K
  • OTE: $20K – $120K

The 50/50 split (lowest base, highest OTE) offers the highest earning potential for strong performers. The 87/13 split (highest base, smallest bonus) offers more income stability. We'll work with you to find the right structure.

Benefits: link

Start Date:

ASAP

A meeting lands on your calendar

If they’re a yes, I book the chat. You show up — that’s the whole job-hunt.