Job Title: Executive Director, National Capital Region
Department: Chapter Impact
Location: Washington DC
Reports to: Vice President of Chapter Impact and Outposts
Classification: Exempt
Position type: Full-Time Employee
Anticipated Pay Range at Commencement of Employment: $106,000 - $146,000
Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families is the largest nonprofit dedicated to making military life better for families. Each year, we support over 1.5 million military- and veteran-connected family members through a national network of 300,000+ members and local chapters in communities across the country.
Our mission is simple and bold: We make military life awesome for families.
We listen, share, partner, and act to deliver evidence-based, data-driven solutions that work for real people. We’re a lifestyle organization, a friend and neighbor, and a trusted partner. Our approach is collaborative, human-centered, and designed with the whole family in mind.
A Blue Star Family is one with an immediate family member — a spouse, parent, or child — actively serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Guard and Reserves. These families face unique challenges: frequent relocations, deployments, career disruption, and isolation. We respond with research-informed programs that create connection, build resilience, and foster a true sense of belonging.
We serve with urgency but build trust over time — because change happens at the speed of trust. Whether we’re driving spouse employment, supporting caregivers, or helping communities welcome military families, we strive for upstream solutions.
Who We’re Looking For:
What You’ll Do Here:
If you're ready to work in a high-performance, mission-driven environment — and to make life better for those who serve — Blue Star Families is where you belong.
General Description
Reporting to the VP of Chapter Impact and Outposts, the Executive Director (ED), National Capital Region will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for the Chapter’s staff (to include volunteers), programs, budget, and execution of its mission. The ED will develop deep knowledge of core programs, operations, and the organization’s strategic business goals. Duties include local board management, local VIP engagement, fundraising, storytelling, stewardship (virtuous circle), program/project management, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), budgeting, volunteer management, partner development, membership engagement, marketing, and communications. To fulfill the mission, the ED will collaborate across the BSF enterprise, including operations, development, marketing, strategy, technology, and finance. The successful ED will create a sense of purpose in the community to welcome and support military families during and after their service and will bring creativity, positivity, and energy to sustaining the chapter’s presence as a vital resource in the community. The ED will be responsible for fundraising and meeting yearly goals.
*The Executive Director must reside in the community the chapter serves. Candidates must have resided in the designated Chapter community for a minimum of the past three years.
Key Job Functions
Fundraising & Storytelling (Virtuous Circle):
Leadership & Management:
Community Building:
Required experience, skills, background
Desired Experience, Skills & Background
More About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families empowers military and Veteran families to thrive by connecting them with their civilian neighbors — both people and organizations — to create strong communities of mutual support. We believe we're all stronger when we take care of one another.
Our groundbreaking research is raising the nation's awareness of the unique challenges of military family life. With the help of neighbors across the country, Blue Star Families is overcoming the isolation and alienation of frequent moves, deployments, and reduced support from the government. Our innovative programs are solving specific challenges for military families, including fighting economic insecurity with resources that foster spouse career development, creating family strength with rich family programming, and providing critical peer support for caregivers, whose numbers are only increasing.
Blue Star Families is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
EEO Policy
Blue Star Families is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Why Blue Star Families?
Virtual/remote nonprofit organization that moves with you (position specific)
Career growth opportunities
Excellent benefits (403(b) with matching, Flexible Spending, Medical Insurance, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Communications Allowance, and more)
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Leave for Active-Duty Military Spouses
On-the-job professional development training
Front-line opportunity to positively impact the military experience
Competitive salaries
Workplace flexibility