What to know

Help progressive causes achieve lasting change through high-performing programs and sustainable growth. We’re looking for a seasoned leader with a record of success in developing the strategy that underpins fundraising growth and supporter engagement while supporting execution teams to drive results and adapt to learnings. This includes generating and synthesizing audience insights, developing cross-channel, holistic fundraising programs recommending user journeys, establishing KPIs, informing testing plans and priorities, and advising on underlying data and technology needs.

In this role, you might find yourself devising a supporter-first strategy to help a nonprofit organization efficiently scale and grow sustainably over the next 3-5 years. Or, you may be challenged with uncovering rich audience insights or developing frameworks that lead to new opportunities for an organization’s expansion plan. You’ll be a critical leadership voice on a team of multi-disciplinary colleagues including creative directors, communications strategists, analysts, technologists, and account directors.

We’re looking for an analytical and collaborative individual who can inspire and mentor people across disciplines. You’ll work closely with senior business leads to grow our client portfolio, strengthen our existing partnerships, and evolve our fundraising and mobilization practice areas.

The company

Blue State is a purpose-driven agency. We partner with leading causes, brands, and campaigns and create real change. From Google and UNICEF to Amnesty International and Oxfam, we transform how brands and causes raise money, influence policy, build platforms, and grow communities of supporters. Led by the most creative and analytical minds from the political, nonprofit, and brand worlds, Blue State is a part of WPP Digital and has 150+ employees in the US and London.

A day in the life

• Surface the audience insights and business intelligence that drive breakthrough campaigns and experiences; ensuring creative execution maps back to the strategy & recommending pivots and enhancements as needed.
• Establish strategic direction for campaign, project, or product by defining objectives, audiences, budgets, and KPIs. We’re looking for a person able to create order from chaos, alignment where there are many different expectations, and buy-in even with the most senior C-suite clients.
• Oversee the strategy and operations of large, complex fundraising accounts, including delegating tasks where necessary, ensuring all workstreams build up to overarching client strategy, and collaborating across teams to ensure execution aligns with client strategy and objectives.
• Translate research and performance data findings into actionable tools and formats like audience prioritizations, user journeys, and strategic plans. Primary research skills to conduct qualitative user interviews or design custom supporter surveys desirable.
• Lead client and internal brainstorms, planning meetings and presentations, and program development workshops.
• Use frameworks like SWOTs, gap analyses, positioning matrices, cost/benefit analysis, audience persona mapping, landscape research, creative briefs, strategy maps, theories of change, cases for support, etc. to guide our strategies, clients, and teams, creating clear and compelling end-to-end deliverables.
• Experience in direct response and digital fundraising performance experience working to drive digital results is essential. You will be expected to articulate email, social media, paid media, content strategy, and UX recommendations and best practices, as well as have an understanding of how propositions and creative live on a range of integrated channels, supporting online and offline performance.
• Grow and manage client portfolio through regular account planning activities, and create client roadmaps over months and years where appropriate.
• Craft and pitch new business as well as represent Blue State via event participation and other thought leadership
• Mentor and upskill team members

The team

Good strategy is about taking the best possible journey to your ultimate destination and our Strategy Team is focused on plotting that course for our clients. As a part of the Strategy team, you’ll work closely with a cross-disciplinary group of Blue State employees who are passionate, geeky, and care about their clients and causes. We are a group of strategists that come from a wide range of backgrounds that collaborate to learn from the different approaches and contexts that can make our work better.

We love to understand what makes people tick, what the events of the day impact how people feel, and ultimately, what’s the perfect insight that would mobilize someone to take an action that moves us toward progress. You’ll have the opportunity to work with some of the most inspiring charities, ambitious brands, and passionate advocacy and social change campaigns.

What we offer

• Unlimited time-off (inclusive of sick, personal, and vacation days)
• $1,000 annually in professional development funds
• Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance
• Inclusive family planning coverage, including fertility, surrogacy, and adoption benefits
• Flexible and health savings accounts
• 401K & employer match
• Generous paid holiday schedule
• 12-week fully-paid parental leave for all parents-to-be
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Remote work flexibility

We approach in-office working with a hybrid model. On-site presence is welcome for US staff who are within commuting distance of the NY or DC office. Managers retain discretion to require in-person attendance for folks on their discipline or client teams as necessary, including for those whose roles require them to be in person. To enter our US offices or attend Blue State events, staff and visitors must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including with a booster shot when eligible. Exceptions for protected grounds will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

The salary range for this position is $140,000-$170,000; compensation will be commensurate with experience.

Some things we're looking for

• You have at least 15+ years of relevant experience in a relevant role, with a proven track record of driving income through digital campaigns and channels.
• You’re a thinker and a doer; this role asks you to both provide oversight and be willing to roll up your sleeves and dig into the work.
• You are not a lone wolf. You genuinely enjoy bringing others along in the process of the work. The words “that’s not my job” aren’t part of your vocabulary–particularly when it’s clear that those around you may be still learning and in need of support.
• You have command of a room and superb presentation skills. You have the ability to build trust and confidence in early interactions and understand the art of how to sell great ideas and great work.
• You’re resilient and able to adapt to new situations, solve problems on the fly, and communicate with those around you. Teamwork and scrappiness are required, with an agile approach to projects that may change course regularly based on results and the external environment requiring a pivot.
• You’re a people leader, experienced and dedicated to growing and mentoring teams while being open to feedback and what you can learn from others.
• You have a shared passion and curiosity for making change. This includes comfort with ambiguity, a restlessness that resists the status quo, and a commitment to quality that ensures we’re always making progress.
• You are steeped in the art of empathy, practice mutual respect, and will act as a role model at Blue State. A commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is vital.

At Blue State, diversity is a necessity, not a nice-to-have. We encourage those from underrepresented communities — women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, those with disabilities and people at all the intersections in between — to apply. Even if you don’t think your current skill set checks every box, but this role seems to align with your strengths, we want to hear from you.