Vice President - Community Engagement & Grassroots

Great benefits. Competitive pay. We know these are some of the things people look for in a job.

If you’re the kind of person who believes that honoring and empowering our nation’s veterans is more than just a cause — that it’s a calling — then we’re ready to meet you.

When you join Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), you’re committing to making a difference. We make a commitment to you, too – helping you to find that spark, ignite your passion to serve, and embark on a career with meaning and purpose.

At WWP™, we recognize our mission cannot be accomplished without our talented teammates, which is why we’re proud to offer benefits such as:

·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

A mission that matters is just the beginning, so if you’re ready to get started, we’re ready for you.

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.

DUTIES & 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.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

• 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.

EXPERIENCE

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.

Preferences

• 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.

EDUCATION

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.

Preferences

• Advanced degree in public policy, public administration, health sciences, law, national security, social sciences, nonprofit management, business administration, or related field.

CERTIFICATIONS & LICENSURE

Requirements

• Valid state-issued driver’s license.
• Ability to obtain ASIST Certification within 1 year of hire.

Preferences

• ASIST Certification

WORK ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• General office environment; temperature controlled.
• Up to 50% travel.

We recognize the success of our mission depends on the efforts of our passionate, hard-working teammates. To help teammates remain focused on the warriors and families we serve, WWP offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes; Medical/Prescription drug, Dental, Vision, Life/AD&D, Short-term Disability, Long-term Disability, and an Employee Assistance Program. WWP also offers a 401(k)-retirement plan, a competitive PTO package, Sick Leave, Family Care Leave, Paid Holidays, Birthday Holiday, Education Assistance, Teammate Wellness Program and Bereavement Leave.

For Chicago, IL, Colorado Springs, CO, New York, NY, San Diego, CA, Tacoma, WA, and Washington, DC Applicants: The estimated hiring range for this position is between $180,000 - $215,000 annual base salary, subject to a candidate’s combination of experience, qualifications, and credentials. This position may also be eligible for an annual performance incentive.

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Wounded Warrior Project® is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, age, veteran or military status, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please note:
Wounded Warrior Project is not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms without a written search agreement in place. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Wounded Warrior Project via email, the Internet or directly to hiring managers at Wounded Warrior Project in any form without a valid written search agreement in place will be deemed the sole property of Wounded Warrior Project, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Wounded Warrior Project as a result of the referral or through other means."