Vice President, Public Affairs

Optimal is hiring a Vice President, Public Affairs to further solidify Optimal as the leader in targeted advertising for progressive digital campaigns by growing our presence in the market. 

Optimal works hard to provide our clients with innovative solutions based on the diverse perspectives of our team. To that end, we’re committed to recruiting team members from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Optimal is an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage applicants of all races, colors, gender identities, religions, ages, sexual orientations, national and ethnic origins, disabilities, marital status, veteran status and all backgrounds. Optimal job offers are contingent on the results of a background check.

We’re always looking for exceptional people to join our team. If this sounds like you, please apply!

Who Are We? 

Optimal is a performance marketing agency on a mission, bringing together the best data, technology, and people to achieve our clients’ marketing goals. Brand, campaign, or cause: we maximize performance at every moment. 

We are not only digital media strategists – we’re award-winning industry leaders, with deep knowledge spanning all things digital: from advertising and paid media to marketing and communications, to audience data and analytics, we deliver for our clients.

Everyone at Optimal has the opportunity to learn, grow, and progress. We provide our team with the personal and professional development they need to achieve real career advancement. 

We’re always looking for exceptional people to join our team. If this sounds like you, please apply!

About the Position

The Vice President of Public Affairs leads strategic growth within the public affairs, nonprofit, and advocacy sectors. This executive-level role is responsible for shaping agency visibility in values-driven markets, cultivating long-term client relationships, and managing a team to expand mission-aligned business. The VP partners with senior leadership to guide pitch strategy, external presence, and revenue performance.

• Direct the agency’s new business strategy in the advocacy and public affairs sectors.
• Oversee development of high-impact proposals, RFP responses, and pitch materials tailored to mission-driven audiences.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with consultants, foundations, advocacy organizations, and aligned agency partners.
• Serve as lead executive on large-scale campaigns, policy initiatives, and coalition-based pitches.
• Guide internal strategy sessions to align offerings with public affairs market trends.
• Represent the agency at advocacy conferences, policy events, and values-aligned networking opportunities.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure proposals reflect cultural competence, audience expertise, and equity principles.
• Contribute to long-term planning, budgeting, and performance analysis for the public affairs vertical.
• Oversee team reporting and ensure CRM accuracy for forecasting and performance tracking.
• Submit expense reports and timesheet approvals accurately and on time.
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Our ideal candidate may also have extensive experience in some or all of the following:

• 10+ years of experience in public affairs, campaign strategy, or mission-driven business development, preferred
• Proven experience managing sales pipelines, securing high-value contracts, and scaling strategic client work
• Deep understanding of political, nonprofit, or foundation funding ecosystems
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams and represent complex offerings externally
• Strong writing, presentation, and relationship-building skills
• Familiarity with Salesforce or similar CRM tools

Optimal is proud to offer: 

• Base salary that commensurates with experience with an opportunity for limitless earning potential via commissions.  
• Open leave (paid time off)
• Paid leave for new parents
• Medical, Dental, and Vision with Nationwide Coverage
• Flex Spending Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401K with company matching
• Student Loan Repayment Program
• Professional development opportunities
• Rewards and recognition programs
• Mobile phone & home internet reimbursement and much more!

This position will be based out of Washington, DC or New York. We work on a hybrid basis with many team members working entirely from home. Work hours are consistently 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday, with the expectation that evening and weekend work will be required as necessary.