Chief Impact Officer

This is a moment of existential consequence for American democracy. At this juncture Protect Democracy stands as one of the nations leading and most respected nonpartisan organizations dedicated to preventing our democracy from further declining into authoritarianism. We are now seeking a courageous exceptional leader to serve as our Chief Impact Officer (CIO) stewarding the entirety of our impact work.

Reporting directly to the Executive Director the CIO is the most senior programmatic leader overseeing all of Protect Democracys work in service of our mission. This is a unique opportunity for a highly experienced leader to guide a solutions-driven multi-disciplinary team with a track record of national impact on pro-democracy reform.

Our mission is not partisan. We build coalitions of conservatives moderates and progressives who put aside politics to defend the principles of democratic government and the rule of law. Critical to this mission is forming programmatic partnerships including a Harvard Law School clinic pro bono relationships with the nations leading law firms and dozens of leading national and local groups and actors.

What makes Protect Democracyand this roleso unique is the diversity of tools at our 2023 our team received a Skoll Award for Social Innovation and a MacArthur Fellowship. Our organization is composed of 120 experts who have served under Democrats and Republicans and in the senior ranks of other nonprofit political or media organizations. The CIO will lead an integrated strategy that maximizes our:

• World-class impact litigation team: A nationally recognized legal team inside the organization bringing some of the most complex and high-stakes cases in the country.

• Influential legislative coalitions & advocacy operation: Driving policy change at the federal and state levels to build more resilient democratic institutions with a strategy rooted in working across the aisle.

• Wholly owned & operated technology and data analytics team: Building cutting-edge software and analytic tools to understand and counter threats to democracy (such as VoteShield).

• Strategic media & communications shop: Shaping the narrative landscape and ensuring the public understands the stakes of the current moment including producing the Authoritarian Playbook.

• In-house think tank: Generating groundbreaking research and analysis to diagnose and solve the core problems facing our democracy.

• Forward-looking agenda for reform: Developing a comprehensive affirmative vision for a 21st-century democracy.

• Emerging projects: Incubating nascent efforts in areas like expanding the pro-democracy grasstops coalition and AI for Democracy exploration.

The person we are looking for is first and foremost an exceptional manager of people and strategy. This is a role for a leader who knows how to get the very best out of high-performing mission-driven teams; who can lead with inspiration clarity and purpose; and who has the courage to make hard and unpopular decisions when the mission demands it. The Chief Impact Officer will oversee and manage the organizations programmatic directors providing strategic leadership coordination and support across all program areas.

At Protect Democracy we believe that diversity isnt just a strengthits a necessity for tackling the complex challenges facing our country today. A broad range of backgrounds perspectives and lived experiences strengthen our ability to analyze problems craft solutions and drive meaningful change. We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and from across the political and ideological spectrum to apply.

Key Responsibilities

Executive & Programmatic Leadership

• Serve as a key member of the executive team acting as a strategic partner to the Executive Director and providing decisive leadership on all programmatic matters;

• Implement and steward a unified and comprehensive impact strategy that integrates our diverse set of toolslitigation advocacy tech communications and researchto achieve our mission;

• Provide oversight and judgment on the design launch and execution of all programmatic workstreams ensuring they are driven by strong theories of change and a commitment to excellence;

• Collaborate closely with organizational leadership on cross-cutting operational priorities including budgeting risk management legal compliance talent planning and upholding our unique cross-ideological approach to ensure programmatic goals are aligned with organizational capacity and sustainability.

Team & Organizational Management

• Lead mentor and inspire a large high-performing team of senior program leaders fostering a culture of collaboration accountability innovation and psychological safety;

• Master the art of getting the best out of our people: Attract develop and retain world-class talent ensuring the team is structured resourced and empowered to meet its ambitious goals;

• Make critical decisions to optimize for impact: Continuously assess and refine team structures roles systems and processes to ensure our programmatic engine is running at peak performance.

External Ambassadorship & Strategy

• Represent Protect Democracy at the highest levels building and maintaining strong relationships with ecosystem partners policymakers and other principal stakeholders;

• Serve as a powerful public voice for the organization and its mission at conferences in the media and in other public forums;

• Maintain a deep understanding of the external landscapepolitical legal and socialto ensure our strategy remains nimble relevant and effective in a rapidly changing environment.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a seasoned executive with a proven track record of leading complex high-stakes impact work. You are known for your exceptional management skills and your ability to build and lead diverse multi-disciplinary teams. You are not just a strategist; you are an inspiring leader who can unite people around a shared vision and empower them to do their best work. You are empathetic and curious about different perspectives and can work well with people from different political ideological and demographic backgrounds. Your career demonstrates a deep commitment to public service and a sophisticated understanding of the levers of change in the American system. You are looking for the role of a lifetime: a chance to bring your full range of talents to bear on one of our generations greatest challenges.

More specifically the CIO brings:

• Familiarity with legal and political substantive issues around authoritarianism and democracy including voting and elections the First Amendment and civic participation and executive power;

• Track record of managing and/or the capacity to manage political comms litigation and legal strategies including organizing coalition-building elected engagement and navigating old and new media;

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;

• Growth mindset and enthusiasm for giving and receiving feedback up down and sideways;

• An appreciation for whats unique about Protect Democracys mission brand and position in the ecosystem.

Compensation

The starting salary range for this role is $290000-$345000 commensurate with the candidates relevant experience capabilities and skills and in alignment with internal equity.

About Protect Democracy

• *Flexible location. We are a remote-first organization based exclusively in the United States meaning our staff work within the US and primarily virtually. We also offer shared workspaces for those who enjoy working in an office environment. We are established for remote work in many states across the country and while candidates based anywhere in the United States are welcome to apply we may not be able to offer employment in your current location. If you proceed in the hiring process we will discuss where you currently live and what is possible in our initial interview. All staff are also required to travel at least two times per year to team retreats and this role also requires periodic travel (1-2 times per month). (Accommodations to this requirement will be made only in exceptional circumstances.)

• Commitment to an inclusive workplace. Protect Democracy is an equal opportunity employer. We believe that a broad range of backgrounds perspectives and lived experiences strengthens our ability to analyze problems craft solutions and drive meaningful change. Protect Democracy encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race color religion gender sexual orientation gender identity or expression age national origin marital status citizenship disability or veteran status.

• Phenomenal benefits. Our benefits package includes generous sick leave and a flexible vacation policy where we encourage team members to take 4-5 weeks every year along with 12 paid holidays 4 weeks of paid family medical leave and 18 weeks of paid parental leave. We also offer a 401(k) plan with up to 6% employer match that vests immediately full coverage for an excellent health care plan that includes both dental and vision insurance long-term disability and life insurance for all employees a home office stipend and as budget allows discretionary bonuses.

Important Notes

• Contact if you require specific accommodations at any point in the hiring process.

• Keep an eye on your promotions/spam folders to avoid missed communication.

• We are unable to provide status updates for each application we receive. If you reach out and do not hear back please know it is not for lack of appreciation or interest but simply for lack of staff capacity to respond to individual inquiries.

• The application will include a voluntary EEO survey so that we can monitor the applicant pool as a whole for representation and equal employment opportunities and to evaluate our progress as an organization toward a diverse and inclusive workforce which we believe is a pillar of a thriving democracy.
  The categories used by the EEO survey are limited and may not reflect your lived experience; please feel free to opt out of any of the questions. Your responses to this survey are entirely separate from your application materials are not accessible to those responsible for hiring decisions and will not affect your candidacy in any way.