Government Relations Operations Manager

Cartwheel•Cambridge, MA

3d•Remote

About The Position

As a Government Relations Operations Manager, you'll be the operational backbone of Cartwheel's government relations team—the person who makes sure our GR strategy translates into impact at scale. You'll manage the systems, workflows, and intelligence that enable our GR executives and state-based team to influence education policy and secure funding for student mental health. This is a high-leverage operations role: you won't be in the room for every negotiation, but you'll ensure everyone in the room has what they need to succeed. You'll own the end-to-end operations of our government affairs function across 10+ states, from tracking legislative opportunities and coordinating lobbyist partnerships to producing monthly impact briefs that shape how policymakers think about student mental health. Role type: W2, Full-Time, Salaried position Salary range: Competitive base + meaningful equity Location: Remote with occasional travel (e.g. 1-2 times per quarter)

Requirements

5+ years experience in operations, project management, or chief of staff roles (government affairs, healthcare, education, or high-growth startup environment preferred)
Mission aligned: Genuinely passionate about expanding access to student mental health services. Enthusiastic about building in a startup environment.
Strong writer: You are an excellent writer who can distill quantitative and qualitative information into crisp briefs for a range of external and internal audiences. You've consistently received feedback that your writing is clear and easy to digest.
Eye for design: Able to partner closely with marketing colleagues to develop clear and compelling assets for government audiences (e.g., flyers, slide decks)
Exceptionally organized: You create systems, maintain trackers with precision, and never let balls drop. You like to build templates, create workflows, and document standard operating procedures. You're excited to coordinate across 10+ concurrent workstreams with competing deadlines.
Cross-functional coordinator: You know how to get buy-in, create clear frameworks, and keep teams aligned, including in situations where you don't have formal authority.
Technically proficient: You’re fluent in project management tools (e.g., Asana, Google Sheets) and CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, Gong). You can learn new tools quickly.

Nice To Haves

State government relations or public affairs background
Healthcare or education policy knowledge
Familiarity with lobbying compliance requirements
RFP/procurement process experience

Responsibilities

Coordinate with Marketing, Data, Thought Leadership, and other teams as needed to develop monthly marketing impact briefs across our active states (combination of personalized and more generic briefs depending on state tier)
Manage distribution schedule and delivery of briefs to legislators, governor’s staff, agency staff, and community partners
Gather feedback on and continuously improve brief development process
Develop additional collateral as needed (e.g., two-pagers, slide decks, fliers)
Maintain centralized opportunity trackers with high accuracy
Maintain GR event trackers (conference calendars, attendee lists, follow-ups)
Maintain library of GR collateral (monthly briefs, two-pagers, talking points)
Maintain library of GR team onboarding and training materials
Support field team members to maximize their effectiveness (prepare briefings, direct to appropriate collateral, maintain attendee lists, track follow-ups)
Plan and execute major GR team events including state events and road shows
Ensure all team members have access to up-to-date materials and intelligence
Track spend & outcomes for lobbyists in coordination with GR Executives
Support development of lobbyist ROI analyses and performance reviews
Develop standardized lobbyist onboarding materials and information sessions
Manage contracting, compliance, registrations, budget tracking, and ethical standards across all jurisdictions
Conduct research and produce regular intelligence briefings covering notable developments across states, including emerging funding sources
Track KPIs across government activities (e.g., pipeline value, conversion rates)
Provide recommendations to VP of GR on state opportunity prioritization

Benefits

Mission-oriented and inclusive colleagues who will go to bat for you
Competitive compensation
Generous PPO medical, vision, and dental/ortho coverage
Life Insurance
Generous paid time off, including company closure from Christmas-New Years (12/25-1/1)
Paid holidays and sick leave
Paid parental leave
401K with employer match
Meaningful equity ownership stake in Cartwheel
Flexible and remote role with regular in-person retreats
Annual learning stipend
Laptop