Chief Impact Officer

Hiring Organization / Company Name
Protect Democracy

Location
Remote within the United States (remote-first; periodic travel required)

Job Summary
Protect Democracy is seeking an exceptional and courageous Chief Impact Officer (CIO) to lead all programmatic work at a time of profound consequence for American democracy. This senior executive role will oversee the organization’s multi-disciplinary impact portfolio—including litigation, advocacy, technology, communications, research, and reform—while championing and advancing Protect Democracy’s core cultural principles. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the CIO will guide a solutions-oriented team with a proven record of national influence on pro-democracy initiatives.

About the Organization
Protect Democracy is a leading nonpartisan organization dedicated to preventing American democracy from sliding further toward authoritarianism. The organization builds cross-ideological coalitions of conservatives, moderates, and progressives who set aside partisan interests to defend democratic norms and the rule of law. Through strategic partnerships—including a Harvard Law School clinic, pro bono relationships with top law firms, and collaboration with numerous national and local actors—Protect Democracy deploys a diverse toolkit to strengthen democratic institutions. The team includes approximately 130 experts from across the political spectrum and sectors such as nonprofit leadership, government, politics, and media, and has been recognized with honors such as a Skoll Award for Social Innovation and a MacArthur Fellowship. Protect Democracy is remote-first within the United States, maintains shared office spaces for those who prefer in-person work, and requires staff to travel at least twice per year for retreats, with this role also involving additional travel approximately 1–2 times per month (with limited exceptions).

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 initiatives.
• Design, implement, and steward a unified impact strategy that integrates litigation, advocacy, technology, communications, and research tools in support of the mission.
• Oversee the development, launch, and execution of all programmatic workstreams, ensuring each is grounded in robust theories of change and aligned with organizational principles.
• Collaborate closely with organizational leadership on cross-cutting priorities such as budgeting, risk management, legal compliance, talent planning, and sustaining a cross-ideological approach that aligns programmatic ambitions with organizational capacity.

Team & Organizational Management

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a large, high-performing cohort of senior program leaders, cultivating a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and psychological safety.
• Attract, develop, and retain world-class talent, ensuring the team is structured, resourced, and empowered to achieve ambitious impact goals.
• Make critical, mission-driven decisions regarding team structures, roles, systems, and processes to ensure the programmatic engine operates at peak effectiveness.
• Foster a growth-oriented feedback culture that balances excellence with work-life sustainability and encourages candor alongside kindness.

External Ambassadorship & Strategy

• Represent Protect Democracy at the highest levels, building and maintaining strong relationships with ecosystem partners, policymakers, and other key stakeholders.
• Serve as a compelling public voice for the organization and its mission, including speaking at conferences, engaging with media, and participating in high-profile public forums.
• Maintain a deep and current understanding of the political, legal, and social landscape to keep the organization’s strategy nimble, relevant, and effective in a rapidly evolving environment.

Integrated Impact Portfolio
The CIO will lead and coordinate the full spectrum of Protect Democracy’s impact tools, including:

• A nationally recognized impact litigation team handling complex, high-stakes democracy-related cases.
• A legislative, coalition, and advocacy operation driving policy change at federal and state levels, with a strong cross-partisan orientation.
• A dedicated technology and data analytics team that builds cutting-edge software and tools (such as VoteShield) to identify and counter threats to democracy.
• A strategic media and communications function that shapes public narratives and raises awareness of the stakes for democratic governance, including projects like the Authoritarian Playbook.
• An in-house think tank responsible for groundbreaking research and analysis on the core challenges facing American democracy.
• A forward-looking reform agenda that articulates a comprehensive vision for a 21st-century democracy.
• Emerging initiatives in areas such as expanding pro-democracy grasstops coalitions and exploring applications of AI for democracy.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Extensive senior-level experience leading complex, high-stakes impact work in a mission-driven context.
• Proven track record of exceptional people and strategy management, particularly with diverse, high-performing, multi-disciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated commitment to public service and a sophisticated understanding of how change occurs within the American political and legal system.
• Experience managing or capacity to manage integrated political, communications, litigation, and legal strategies, including organizing, coalition-building, engagement with elected officials, and navigating both traditional and new media.
• Familiarity with legal and political issues related to authoritarianism and democracy, including voting rights and elections, First Amendment and civic participation, and executive power.

Skills and Competencies

• Outstanding written and verbal communication abilities.
• Strong strategic thinking skills and the courage to make difficult decisions when required by the mission.
• Demonstrated ability to unite people around a shared vision, empower others to lead, and cultivate leadership across teams.
• Empathy and curiosity when engaging with individuals from diverse political, ideological, and demographic backgrounds.
• A growth mindset and enthusiasm for giving and receiving feedback in all directions (upward, downward, and across teams).
• Clear appreciation for the distinct mission, culture, and brand of Protect Democracy and its role within the broader pro-democracy ecosystem.

Benefits and Salary

• Starting salary range of $290,000–$345,000 per year, commensurate with experience, capabilities, and internal equity.
• Remote-first work structure within the United States, with access to shared office space for those who prefer in-person environments.
• Generous sick leave and a flexible vacation policy, with encouragement to take 4–5 weeks off annually, in addition to 12 paid holidays.
• 6 weeks of paid family medical leave and 18 weeks of paid parental leave.
• 401(k) plan with up to 6% employer match, vesting immediately.
• 100% coverage of employee medical premiums and up to 95% coverage for dependents (depending on plan selection), plus full coverage for employee and dependent dental/vision.
• Access to long-term disability and life insurance, fertility benefits, home office stipend, and performance-based bonuses at the Executive Director’s discretion.
• All staff are required to travel at least twice annually for team retreats, and this role involves additional travel expectations (with accommodations considered only in rare circumstances).

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Protect Democracy is deeply committed to building an inclusive workplace that reflects a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. The organization believes this diversity is essential for analyzing complex problems, designing effective solutions, and driving meaningful democratic change. All qualified applicants are strongly encouraged to apply, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or ideology. The application process includes an optional and confidential EEO survey used only in aggregate to evaluate progress toward a diverse and inclusive workforce and has no impact on hiring decisions.

How to Apply
🔗 Apply Here: https://protectdemocracy.recruitee.com/o/chief-impact-officer

Applicants will be asked to complete an online application and upload a resume and cover letter in PDF format. Incomplete applications that lack any required materials will not be reviewed. Candidates needing accommodations at any stage of the hiring process may contact hiring@protectdemocracy.org. Applicants are encouraged to monitor their promotions and spam folders to ensure they do not miss communications. Due to volume, individual status updates cannot be provided, and lack of response does not reflect a lack of appreciation for interest in the role.

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