Chief Administrative Officer

This is a moment of existential consequence for American democracy. At this juncture Protect Democracy stands as one of the nation’s 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 Administrative Officer (CAO), leading our work in finance, accounting, risk management and legal, IT, and security—while uplifting and advancing our core culture principles.

Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the CAO is amongst the most senior operational leaders overseeing Protect Democracy’s business operations in service of our mission. This is a unique opportunity for a highly experienced senior leader to drive a transformational operational strategy—maximizing resilient systems, strengthening organizational health, and enabling our team to meet the complex demands of this moment in our democracy’s history.

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 maintaining strong programmatic partnerships, including a Harvard Law School clinic and coalitions with dozens of leading national and local groups and actors. 

What makes Protect Democracy so unique is our culture and the diversity of tools at our disposal. In 2023, our team received a Skoll Award for Social Innovation and a MacArthur Fellowship. Our organization is composed of 130 experts who have served under Democrats and Republicans and in the senior ranks of other nonprofit, political, or media organizations. Our integrated impact strategy includes: 

• 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.

• Growth-oriented feedback culture: Essential to our organization’s ability to meet the needs of this moment is our unique culture—guided by mission as our north star, we aim to balance collaboration and decisive leadership; excellence and work-life balance; candor and kindness.

The person we are looking for leads with integrity, is driven by operational impact, and is deeply committed to a growth- and feedback-forward culture. 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 Administrative Officer will oversee and directly manage the organization’s legal and finance directors (and through them, staff members across IT, security, compliance, legal, and FP&A), providing strategic leadership, coordination, and support across teams.

The priority application deadline is January 4, 2026. So long as this posting is live on our site, we are still accepting and reviewing incoming applications.

At Protect Democracy, we believe that diversity isn’t just a strength—it’s 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 & Operational Leadership

• Serve as a core member of the senior leadership team, acting as a strategic partner to the Executive Director and providing decisive leadership across all business operation domains;

• Develop and execute a unified operational strategy that aligns IT, security, legal/compliance, and finance to sustain and expand the organization’s impact;

• Ensure PD’s infrastructure, systems, and resources are resilient, compliant, and optimized to support programmatic excellence;

• Lead a process to innovate workflows with new AI tools to build additional efficiencies that free up team capacity to focus on higher priority needs;

• Collaborate with the Executive Director and senior leadership to set organizational priorities; manage enterprise risk; and uphold a culture of accountability, integrity, and security;

• Act as the steward of organizational health—balancing ambition with sustainability, ensuring that Protect Democracy’s operational foundation scales in step with its mission.

Organizational Systems, Finance & Risk Management

• Safeguard the organization's financial assets by ensuring financial functions—including budgeting, forecasting, reporting and auditing—are transparent, disciplined, and aligned with the org’s strategic long-term goals;

• Partner with the finance and development teams to strengthen financial strategy, resource allocation, and compliance with funder and regulatory requirements;

• Supervise legal and compliance operations, providing guidance on risk management, governance, insurance, contracts, and compliance frameworks;

• Ensure that IT and security systems are world-class—secure, scalable, and prepared to meet our mission—and that the organization maintains the highest standards of data protection, cybersecurity, and physical security;

• Continuously improve internal systems, processes, and policies to enhance efficiency, responsiveness, and collaboration across teams.

Team & Organizational Management

• Lead, mentor, and empower a high-performing team of operational leaders, fostering a culture of excellence, candid communication, and shared purpose;

• Collaborate closely with the Chief People Officer and Director of Partnerships to ensure alignment across org-side workflows;

• Build strong cross-functional partnerships that integrate operations seamlessly with programmatic work;

• Recruit and develop top-tier operational talent, ensuring the organization’s internal capacity and best practices evolve alongside its growing impact;

• Make critical decisions to balance short-term operational needs with long-term strategic priorities;

• Champion a learning-oriented, curiosity-led culture where feedback, growth, and continuous improvement are integral to how the organization operates.

Governance, Compliance & External Stewardship

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the Executive Director and Board on all operational, legal, and financial matters;

• Ensure organizational compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations, and proactively manage risk across domains;

• Represent Protect Democracy externally with key partners, auditors, legal advisors, vendors, and funders to ensure operational alignment with mission and values;

• Model ethical leadership and uphold the organization’s reputation for integrity and excellence in all business and legal dealings.