Principal

Job description

PRINCIPAL - SEATTLE TEAM LEAD RALLY is seeking a Principal to join our senior leadership team to help lead our Seattle office. RALLY Principals are expert strategists and communicators, experienced consultants, and team leads. And they are enterprising and entrepreneurial drivers of business. charged with guiding our practice and partnerships while shaping what’s next for the firm. Principals are senior client advisors and internal leaders at the firm. You will be responsible for setting the strategic vision for client work, driving new business growth, mentoring talent, and shaping RALLY’s long-term direction. You will lead high-profile engagements across sectors, providing strategic oversight, insight, and direction. As a Principal and our most senior Seattle-based representative, you will be the primary architect of RALLY’s presence in the Pacific Northwest —the leader who ensures we are the first call for foundations, non-profits, and others looking to move the needle on a major issue. Key Priorities Market Growth: You will aggressively expand our portfolio across the foundation, nonprofit, and some government sectors, with an emphasis on the Pacific Northwest but not confined to it. How you go about this will be based on a sales plan you develop in collaboration with your Principal and local colleagues. Thought Leadership: You will have a presence beyond RALLY. Whether through op-eds, speaking at regional summits, or publishing insights on the future of advocacy, you will shape the narrative on how communications can drive systemic change. Internal Stewardship: You will play a vital role in internal operations, mentoring senior staff, leading cross-functional initiatives, and contributing to the health, culture, and evolution of the firm. You will be the "cultural North Star" for the Seattle team, ensuring RALLY’s values are lived and felt in the daily rhythms of the office. Senior Account Leadership: RALLY is a hands-on consultancy, and that expectation of deep and ongoing client engagement runs across the firm at all levels. As Principals, we are in the work, not just managing the work. This is an opportunity for a seasoned strategist and natural builder, eager to leverage deep-rooted relationships to drive systemic change while shaping the culture and national trajectory of a premier social impact firm. RESPONSIBILITIES As a Principal at RALLY, your responsibilities span high-level strategy, business growth, and organizational health. You will be expected to: Seattle Market Expansion & Thought Leadership Drive Regional Growth: Cultivate and convert new business opportunities across the foundation, nonprofit, and government sectors, with an overemphasis on the Pacific Northwest. This includes working with our Seattle team to develop and execute an office-specific sales plan while also contributing to RALLY’s more general new business pursuits. Lead the Pitch & Proposal Process: Own the proposal and pitch process from start to finish, building the relationships necessary to expand RALLY’s client base both regionally and nationally and finding ways to be the answer to client needs. Elevate the Firm’s Profile: Represent RALLY publicly through speaking engagements, media appearances, and strategic publications (e.g., op-eds and white papers), establishing RALLY as a leading authority on systemic and social change. Establish Subject Matter Expertise: Serve as a recognized thought leader both regionally in Seattle and on the national stage within a specific issue area—such as education, health equity, or civil rights—shaping RALLY’s intellectual capital and market positioning in that space. Internal Leadership & Team Development Shape Firm Direction: Partner with the executive team and other Principals to shape organizational priorities, business planning, and the long-term evolution of the firm. Champion Innovation: Lead cross-functional initiatives to evolve RALLY’s service offerings, identifying new tools, products, and methods—including AI and emerging media—to enhance our strategic advantage. Mentor and Sponsor: Guide the professional trajectory of senior leaders (such as Directors and Associate Directors), fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and equitable advancement. Cultivate Office Culture: Direct the health and operations of the Seattle office, implementing systems and processes that improve efficiency and knowledge-sharing while maintaining a vibrant team culture. Strategic Client Leadership & Oversight Set the Vision: Serve as the senior-most strategist on major client accounts, defining campaign strategy and ensuring high-impact execution across media, digital, brand, and stakeholder engagement. Lead Complex Advocacy: Provide thought leadership and counsel to guide multi-channel advocacy campaigns—from initial concept to completion—ensuring they remain bold and effective. Act as a Trusted Advisor: Serve as the primary point of contact for C-suite and senior stakeholders at large foundations and government agencies, offering clarity and insight in high-stakes, high-pressure situations. Ensure Quality & Alignment: Oversee the growth and retention of key accounts, maintaining rigorous quality control while ensuring all work aligns with RALLY’s values and the client’s long-term goals. QUALIFICATIONS The ideal candidate is a seasoned, battle-tested strategist with a demonstrated commitment to social change and a master-level command of the Pacific Northwest’s political and philanthropic landscape. As a core member of our senior leadership team, you bring the authoritative experience required to spearhead RALLY’s regional expansion, provide high-level counsel to the nation’s most influential change-makers, and drive the firm’s long-term operational and strategic evolution. A Track Record of Success: 15+ years of experience in strategic communications, public affairs, advocacy, or a related field. Senior-level experience within an agency, nonprofit, political, or philanthropic sector is required.. Proven Mastery of Campaign Strategy and Execution: A significant track record of developing and leading high-impact advocacy or communications campaigns that have successfully moved the needle on diverse issue areas and reached complex audiences. Local Market Command: Deep-rooted regional expertise and an established "rolodex" of relationships within the Pacific Northwest (especially Washington State and Seattle) political and philanthropic ecosystems. You understand the nuances of the PNW's civic landscape and have the credibility to navigate it at the highest levels. Business Development Excellence: Demonstrated success in sourcing, pitching, and securing long-term, high-value engagements. You possess an entrepreneurial mindset with a solutions-oriented approach and a strong ownership mentality toward growth. Executive Advisory Skills: Extensive experience advising foundation presidents, communications directors, political leaders, or advocacy coalitions through complex communications and high-stakes strategy challenges. Integrated Communications Expertise: A sophisticated understanding of earned media, digital strategy, brand, and creative. You have a proven ability to collaborate with and direct specialized experts across these disciplines to deliver a cohesive, winning strategy. Exceptional Leadership & Mentorship: Advanced skills in team development, with a demonstrated ability to grow, coach, and retain high-performing senior staff. You are committed to building a culture of excellence and equitable advancement. Communication Mastery: Outstanding written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with a rare ability to distill the most complex policy or political ideas into compelling, persuasive narratives. Financial & Operational Acumen: Strong experience in the business of consulting, including account management, complex budgeting, resource allocation, and organizational planning. Strategic Resilience: High emotional intelligence and self-awareness, with a collaborative leadership style. You are adept at navigating ambiguity, political nuance, and fast-moving news or campaign cycles with calm and creativity. Mission Alignment: A fierce passion for social impact, equity, and the belief that communications is a fundamental tool for driving systemic change. JOIN US We’ve built an agency that looks different because we come from the communities we serve. Our team is shaped by varied economic and cultural backgrounds, and we thrive on the unknown, the unknowable, and the counterintuitive. We aren't intimidated by difficult challenges—we’re energized by them. We are committed to a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to do their best work. As an equal opportunity employer, we make decisions based on qualifications, merit, and organizational needs. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status. BENEFITS AND PERKS At RALLY, we believe a business is only as strong as its people. That’s why we offer a robust benefits package and thoughtful perks that support your wellbeing, fuel your growth, and reflect the culture we’re building together. We believe changing the world should come with a healthy paycheck, time to recharge, and space to grow. Here’s what we offer: Competitive salary + generous commissions Flexible time off policy Two months each year of remote work flexibility (July and December) Twelve paid holidays, including Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day One week of paid time off between Christmas and New Year’s Day One-month paid sabbatical after seven years at RALLY 401(k) plan Generous health, dental, and vision benefits Transportation and technology stipends RALLY is a hybrid workplace. Team members are expected to work on-site two days per week to foster collaboration and connection, with flexibility on other day s. The starting salary for this position is $225,000, with opportunities for growth and advancement based on performance and contributions to the team’s success. CALLING ALL BIG-HEARTED, BIG THINKING PEOPLE ARE YOU READY TO DO THE BEST WORK OF YOUR LIFE? We seek strategists, creators, and communicators ready to do some heavy lifting—folks who aren’t afraid to break glass and who thrive in collaboration. Those who bring conviction but can still see both sides of a coin. Because that’s how real progress gets made. Join us. WHO WE ARE RALLY is an advocacy communications agency. And at our core, we are advocates. Our entire business model—from our team, to our craft, to the clients we partner with—is designed to shape a better tomorrow. We take on the most complex political, cultural, and social challenges. Even when the path forward is rough or uncertain, we start with what if we… and keep going until change is possible. We are restless and relentless when it comes to our work because the outcomes matter to us. And so many others. RALLY partners with those driving change across today’s most pressing issues, from education and environmental justice to economic equity, gun violence prevention, healthcare access, LGBTQIA+ rights, women’s rights, and more. Whether serving as the agency of record for day-to-day communications, raising leaders’ profiles, or guiding organizations through a crisis, we are co-pilots through thick and thicker. Combining our passion as advocates with research, cultural insights, strategy, and multichannel communications, we change the way people think and act around today’s biggest social and political challenges. HOW WE WORK We work alongside leading foundations, advocacy organizations, philanthropists, and mission-aligned companies to influence policy, shift public opinion, and shape the conversation. Our team helps: Craft bold strategies to move issues forward Design and launch communications campaigns that resonate Build and run digital efforts that drive action Create powerful visual identities, stories, and content that spark connection Changing minds on the toughest issues of our time takes more than facts or flash. In today’s crowded landscape, only a rare mix breaks through: deep issue fluency, proven persuasion tactics, and emotional and cultural resonance. We do inventive. We do creative. We do whatever it takes—and we don’t stop until we win. That’s the RALLY edge—and it’s how we drive real impact.