Vice President - Community Engagement & Grassroots

Wounded Warrior Project • Chicago, DC

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) Vice President of Community Engagement & Grassroots leads WWP’s national community engagement, grassroots advocacy, constituent affairs, and community partnerships and investments portfolio. This role builds an integrated activation model connecting warriors, alumni, families, caregivers, community partners, supporters, and local leaders to WWP’s mission and long-term strategic priorities. The Vice President leads the Grassroots, Constituent Affairs, and Community Partnerships and Investments functions and partners with Government Affairs, Policy & Innovation, Programs, Development, Marketing & Communications, and regional teams to strengthen WWP’s community presence, elevate warrior and family voices, mobilize advocates and supporters, and expand impact through strategic partnerships. As part of WWP’s senior leadership, this role transforms community engagement into a coordinated system for insight, activation, partnership, and local presence that advances systemic change, develops veteran leaders, strengthens advocacy, and extends the reach of WWP grant-funded and partner-supported programs.

Requirements

• Ten years of progressively responsible leadership experience, including staff management and oversight of budgets, operating plans, performance priorities, or fiduciary responsibilities.
• Ten years of experience building, managing, or stewarding strategic relationships with veteran, military, nonprofit, community, government, philanthropic, or mission-aligned stakeholders.
• Ten years of experience developing and executing strategies, programs, partnerships, campaigns, or initiatives that engage and mobilize communities, constituents, advocates, or external stakeholders.
• Executive presence, sound judgment, credibility, and relationship management skills necessary to advise senior leaders, represent WWP with veteran, military, nonprofit, civic, philanthropic, government, and community stakeholders, and build strategic partnerships that advance mission objectives.
• Proven executive leadership experience building, leading, coaching, and developing high-performing, geographically dispersed teams and functions.
• Deep expertise in grassroots advocacy, constituent engagement, community partnerships and investments, stakeholder relations, and nonprofit partnership models.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the veteran and military community, community engagement practices, and the veteran service, military service, nonprofit, civic, philanthropic, and government stakeholder landscape.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute enterprise-level engagement and activation strategies that connect national priorities with local community action and stakeholder participation.
• Exceptional strategic thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills, including the ability to translate constituent and community insights, partner data, financial information, and organizational priorities into actionable strategies, investment recommendations, and measurable outcomes.
• Outstanding written, oral, presentation, facilitation, and influencing skills, with the ability to effectively engage executives, teammates, warriors, families, caregivers, community partners, public officials, and external audiences.
• Proven ability to collaborate across complex organizations, influence peers, navigate external relationships, and align diverse internal and external stakeholders around shared priorities and mission outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, monitor, and evaluate community engagement strategies, partnership investments, impact measures, operating plans, budgets, and portfolio-level performance.
• Strong organizational, operational planning, project management, and decision-making skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, ambiguity, and organizational change in a dynamic environment.
• Demonstrated judgment, discretion, initiative, follow-through, political and organizational acumen, and attention to detail in high-profile and sensitive situations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Unequivocal commitment to the highest standards of personal and business ethics and conduct.
• Mission-driven, guided by core values, and a pleasure to work with.
• Valid state-issued driver’s license.
• Ability to obtain ASIST Certification within 1 year of hire.

Nice To Haves

• Military service or experience with an organization or government agency that provides care, policy, benefits, or support to wounded, ill, and injured service members or veterans.
• Experience leading one or more of the following functions: grassroots advocacy, constituent affairs, community organizing, community partnerships, grantmaking, or partner investments.
• Experience developing impact reporting, evaluation processes, dashboards, or outcome measurement systems.
• Experience leading geographically dispersed teams.
• Advanced degree in public policy, public administration, health sciences, law, national security, social sciences, nonprofit management, business administration, or related field.
• ASIST Certification

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and develop the Community Engagement & Grassroots portfolio, including Grassroots, Constituent Affairs, and Community Partnerships and Investments.
• Provide strategic direction and oversight for WWP’s grassroots advocacy network, including Warrior Advocate Leaders, regional grassroots staff, and other trained warrior, alumni, and supporter advocates.
• Build and execute an integrated community engagement strategy that connects grassroots advocacy, constituent affairs, alumni connection, community partnerships, community connectors, and local stakeholder engagement.
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of WWP’s programmatic and non-programmatic efforts and provide leadership to ensure community-facing teams possess the organizational knowledge, tools, and cross-functional connections needed to accurately represent WWP and connect stakeholders to the appropriate teams, initiatives, and resources.
• Develop and lead a national activation model that educates, engages, and mobilizes warriors, alumni, families, caregivers, supporters, and partners around WWP priorities, advocacy campaigns, and community impact opportunities.
• Strengthen WWP’s local, state, and national presence through strategic relationships with community, government, veteran-serving, military-connected, and mission-aligned stakeholders.
• Oversee systems that capture and translate constituent and community insights into organizational decisions, advocacy priorities, partnership strategies, and leadership reporting.
• Lead and manage the Community Partnerships and Investments function, including strategic partner engagement, grant-funded partnership alignment, impact reporting, and evaluation of opportunities to expand WWP’s reach through external organizations.
• Oversee the analysis and interpretation of grant proposals, partner impact reports, financial documents, and community needs assessments to support high-impact investment decisions.
• Develop and maintain standardized reporting processes to quantify warrior, family member, caregiver, and community reach through WWP community partnerships and grant-funded programs.
• Work collaboratively with Programs, Development, Marketing & Communications, Strategy, and other WWP teams to ensure community engagement activities are coordinated, mission-aligned, and mutually reinforcing.
• Provide strategic oversight for convenings, forums, roundtables, and community engagement opportunities that elevate warrior voices, strengthen local partnerships, and identify emerging needs across the veteran and military community.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and direction to geographically dispersed teams while fostering collaboration, accountability, shared purpose, and a strong team culture.
• Manage operating budgets, staffing plans, partner commitments, and portfolio-level performance metrics for the Community Engagement & Grassroots function.
• Identify portfolio risks and opportunities, recommend enterprise solutions, and prepare executive materials that support strategic decisions.
• Prepare briefings, presentations, memos, strategic plans, partner updates, and executive-level materials related to community engagement, grassroots advocacy, constituent affairs, and community partnerships.
• Attend and actively participate in required training and/or meetings, including but not limited to New Teammate Orientation, WWP Cares, ASIST Suicide Prevention training, Leadership training, culture/team based training, or departmental huddles.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• A flexible hybrid work schedule (three days in the office, two days’ work from home)
• Full medical, dental, and vision coverage for both teammates AND family members
• Competitive pay and performance incentives
• A fun, mission-focused, and collaborative team environment

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive