Community Economic Development Jobs in Washington, DC

Peregrine is seeking a Community Engagement Lead to build and lead the function responsible for how we engage the communities we serve and drive success in the civic arena.

As Peregrine's technology is adopted by state and local governments, decisions about deployment can play out through public hearings, council votes, community conversations, and high-visibility civic debates. This role ensures Peregrine and our government partners are prepared to navigate those moments with credibility, transparency, and trust.

This is a founding role with national scope and significant ownership, sitting at the intersection of government affairs, communications, public relations, and go-to-market strategy.

Build the strategy, relationships, and playbooks that help communities understand Peregrine's work, surface and address legitimate concerns, and build durable public support for successful deployments.

• Lead community engagement strategies for Peregrine deployments by mapping civic and political landscapes, identifying key stakeholders and influencers, conducting community listening, and preparing Peregrine and government partners for public meetings and high-visibility moments.
• Build Peregrine's community engagement playbook by creating scalable approaches for stakeholder mapping, community listening, coalition building, public meeting preparation, and responding to emerging concerns.
• Translate Peregrine's technology into community value by partnering with Sales, Product, Marketing, and Implementation teams to explain complex technology in clear, accessible language grounded in local priorities and civic values.
• Shape the public narrative around Peregrine's work by monitoring public discourse, media coverage, and stakeholder sentiment; identifying emerging concerns or misinformation; and developing clear, fact-based communications.
• Build trusted relationships across the civic ecosystem, including community organizations, civil rights advocates, faith leaders, business and economic development groups, public safety leaders, policy influencers, and local media.
• Support government partners through high-stakes civic moments, including public hearings, council votes, community meetings, and other processes that can influence the success of a deployment.
• Partner cross-functionally across Peregrine to ensure community perspectives are incorporated into how we communicate, position, and deploy our technology.

• Successful Peregrine deployments supported by thoughtful, credible community engagement strategies.
• A scalable community engagement playbook that can be applied across jurisdictions nationwide.
• Strong relationships with community leaders and civic stakeholders in Peregrine's key markets.
• Government partners who are better prepared to navigate public processes and community concerns.
• Clear, accessible understanding of Peregrine's technology and its impact among the communities we serve.
• Early identification and effective response to emerging concerns, misinformation, and public opposition.

• 8+ years of experience navigating local or state political environments, public affairs, government relations, campaigns, or community engagement.
• Deep understanding of how civic decisions are made and how initiatives move through city halls, public hearings, and local government processes.
• Proven ability to build coalitions, navigate high-stakes public conversations, and move complex initiatives toward successful outcomes.
• Strong relationships and working familiarity with community organizations, elected officials, government leaders, or other civic stakeholders.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex or technical concepts into clear, compelling narratives.
• High-agency, entrepreneurial operator who is comfortable building from scratch and working across functions in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
• Strong judgment and credibility when operating in politically sensitive or high-visibility environments.
• Experience working with public safety, government technology, or other complex civic issues is highly valuable
• Located in DC and willing to work in the office 4 days/week

• You may have served as a:
• Chief of Staff to a mayor, council member, or elected official
• Political campaign manager or senior campaign operative
• Public affairs or government relations leader
• Policy director or senior advisor in local or state government
• Community engagement lead on high-visibility civic initiatives

Salary Range: $165,000 - $195,000 Annually + Benefits + Equity (if applicable) + Bonus (if applicable)

Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific work location. Information on the benefits offered is here.