Vice President of State Expansion

TechCongress • Full-time • Washington, District of Columbia, United States • $165k - $195k / year • 2h ago

About TechCongress

TechCongress is a nonpartisan nonprofit that places technologists in Congress and state legislatures as fellows, building the technical expertise our democratic institutions need to govern AI, digital infrastructure, and emerging technology. Over eleven years, we have placed more than 146 fellows in top offices across both parties — including the offices of Speaker Pelosi, Senator Thune, and the Senate Intelligence Committee — with 31 hired into full-time congressional staff roles.

We are now at an inflection point. Nine states have STEM fellowships for their legislatures, and demand for tech-specific legislative fellowships is accelerating. We are building a Legislative Innovation Fellowship Accelerator (LIFA) to reach all 50 state legislatures by 2030 — and we are hiring a Vice President of State Expansion to lead that effort.

The Opportunity

The Vice President of State Expansion is a new role, created to build and lead TechCongress's state expansion strategy. This person will be the architect and primary driver of the work to bring tech fellowship programs to state legislatures across the country, building the ecosystem infrastructure that makes those programs sustainable and impactful. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Vice President of State Expansion os equally comfortable working with significant autonomy and collaborating closely with the team. Specifically, the Vice President of State Expansion will:Own TechCongress's state partner recruitment strategy. Identify, cultivate, and close partnerships with state-based organizations (nonprofits, universities, civic tech groups, state academies of science, and others) capable of running state legislative tech fellowships; build and manage a pipeline from initial outreach through program launch; and represent TechCongress at legislative technology, civic tech, and state policy convenings.
Guide recruited partners to design and launch programs. Work closely with new partners to get programs off the ground, drawing on TechCongress's eleven years of model-building; build a "fellowship in a box" (templates, toolkits, onboarding materials, and best practices) that open-sources the TechCongress model; and provide hands-on support to first-year pilot programs in Michigan, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and California.
Design and manage the Legislative Innovation Fellowship Accelerator (LIFA). Build the infrastructure for a 12-month curriculum covering recruitment, placement, legislative politics, and program evaluation; peer learning structures; shared tools; and regular convenings. Help program directors build models that place fellows directly with members, not just in research offices, and navigate the political and institutional dynamics of their states.
Build relationships with state legislators and legislative stakeholders. Cultivate relationships with legislators, legislative staff, and state-level tech policy stakeholders to create demand for fellowships,
Steward the re-grant funding mechanism. Work with the ED and aligned national funders to develop and manage the cost-share model that seeds new state programs, covering up to 50% of program costs in the launch years, and helps partners build toward long-term sustainability.
Track, document, and share impact. Develop program evaluation frameworks and a research agenda to understand what makes state programs succeed; ensure visibility into what state fellows are actually doing; and build the proof points (bills passed, capacity built, fellows hired into staff roles) that will fuel TechCongress's fundraising and public narrative.
Contribute to TechCongress-wide strategy and leadership. Serve as a thought partner to the ED on long-term expansion strategy, including programs for state Attorneys General offices (including working immediately with the AG of Connecticut) and, longer-term, international legislative bodies; contribute to fellow recruitment, board presentations, and team activities; and build and manage an expansion team as the program scales.

The Candidate Profile

The Vice President of State Expansion role calls for candidates who bring the following experiences, competencies, and personal qualities:A mission-driven leader with genuine commitment to TechCongress's work. You believe that a democracy that cannot understand technology cannot govern it, and that TechCongress is uniquely positioned to fix that. You are energized by the opportunity to do it at scale, and committed to doing it in a nonpartisan, public interest way.
A builder and self-starter. You have at least 15 years of professional experience, with a track record of launching programs, building partnerships, or growing an initiative from early stage to scale. You can build the playbook and operate with autonomy.
A skilled external relationship builder. You are comfortable recruiting partners, representing an organization in high-stakes settings, and building trust with people across the political spectrum. You are personable and persuasive without being salesy, and you know how to get a meeting and make it count.
A practitioner who has designed or operated a fellowship, training program, accelerator, or similar program. You understand what it takes to recruit participants, build structure, and support their success. You have a feel for what program models work and why. You bring that judgment to the design and continuous improvement of TechCongress's programs.
A self-directed, outcomes-oriented operator. You can own a multi-year strategy, set your own milestones, and drive toward ambitious goals without step-by-step management. You are as comfortable building something from scratch as you are representing it to a room full of legislators.
An actor with demonstrated knowledge of how state government works. You have worked in or directly with state legislatures, state agencies, or state-level policy ecosystems. You understand the political dynamics, institutional cultures, and stakeholder relationships that make or break programs like this one.

It's a plus if you bring:

Knowledge of or relationships in the civic tech, public interest technology, or legislative modernization ecosystem (Code for America, Beeck Center, State Innovators Network, CSG, NCSL, etc.).
Experience working with academic centers (a common home for state-based programs).
Familiarity with grant writing, re-granting, or pooled-funding mechanisms.
Technical background or fluency or experience in technology policy.
Experience with or knowledge of international legislative bodies or comparative legislative strengthening efforts.

We don’t expect you to have every qualification listed. We encourage you to apply if you believe in the mission and think you’re a strong fit.

What To Expect In Your First Year

Within your first month, you will meet the full TechCongress team, get oriented on the model and existing state partnerships, review lessons from the 2025 State Legislative Futures Summit, and begin building relationships with current state partners.
Within three months, you will have a clear recruitment pipeline and outreach strategy for new state partners, be providing active support to first-year programs in Michigan, Colorado, and Pennsylvania, have drafted a first version of the “fellowship in a box” toolkit, and have a working framework for the LIFA.
Within six months, you will have recruited at least two additional state partners, delivered a state ecosystem strategy and roadmap to the ED and board, and presented TechCongress’s state expansion work at at least one external convening.
Within twelve months, you will have helped launch four state programs, built and launched the LIFA with functioning accelerator infrastructure, open-sourced the TechCongress model with a complete toolkit, and be managing a portfolio of six or more state relationships at various stages of development.

Job Location, Salary, And Benefits

This position is based in Washington, DC, with a hybrid schedule of two days per week in office. Salary range is $165,000 to $195,000 depending on experience. Benefits include platinum-level health, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) with an automatic 9% employer contribution; 20 days PTO in year one and 30 days each year thereafter, plus federal holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year’s; Every other Friday off between Memorial Day and Labor Day; 16 weeks paid parental leave; a $1,500 annual professional development stipend and $500 wellness benefit; a sabbatical policy after six years; and the ability to travel up to 30% to state capitals and tech hubs to build relationships with partners and stakeholders.

To Apply

Please apply here with 1) a thoughtful cover letter that explains why TechCongress’s mission excites you and why this role is a fit for you, and 2) your resume. Please address your cover letter to Travis Moore, Founder and Executive Director. No phone calls or emails please.

TechCongress has partnered with DH Search to support the search for a Vice President of State Expansion. DH Search partners with mission-driven organizations to hire the people they need to create a more just and equitable world. Learn more at www.dhsearch.net.