Chief Impact 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 Impact Officer (CIO), stewarding the entirety of our impact work while uplifting and advancing our core culture principles.
Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the CIO is the most senior programmatic leader overseeing all of Protect Democracy’s 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 nation’s leading law firms, and dozens of leading national and local groups and actors.
What makes Protect Democracy — and this role — so unique is 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. 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.
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 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 organization’s programmatic directors, providing strategic leadership, coordination, and support across all program areas.
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 & 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 tools—litigation, advocacy, tech, communications, and research — to 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 consideration of our core principles;
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 landscape — political, legal, and social — to ensure our strategy remains nimble, relevant, and effective in a rapidly changing environment.