Program Planning & Operations Director

Unite America seeks a full-time Program Planning and Operations Director. This is an opportunity to design and steward the planning, portfolio, and decision-support systems that translate Unite America’s mission into disciplined execution in support of nonpartisan election reform and a more representative and functional government.

The individual in this role reports to our Head of Program and will be responsible for leading the planning, financial and operational aspects of the Program team, including oversight of the annual planning and budgeting, ongoing pipeline and portfolio management, business analysis and the collaboration between the Program team with the Strategy & Operations Team and the Investor Relations Team on planning, financial, operational and compliance issues.

Unite America strongly encourages candidates from diverse backgrounds and from across the political and ideological spectrum to apply.

The position will be based at Unite America’s headquarters in Denver, CO, or remote. Unite America offers a stipend for new hires willing to relocate. This position may be expected to travel 1-3 times per quarter for both Program efforts and broader organizational needs (team meetings, retreats, etc). If based in Denver, travel may be less.

The application deadline for this role is February 27th, 2026. Applications received after this date will still be reviewed, but priority will be given to candidates who meet the deadline.

Requirements

RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning, Operations & Portfolio Management

• Serve as a trusted thought partner to the Head of Program and Program Department Leads by helping translate strategic priorities into actionable plans, frameworks, and measurable outcomes, frame decisions, pressure-test assumptions, surface tradeoffs, and prepare for high-stakes internal and external conversations.
• Lead and coordinate annual and multi-cycle planning processes and Rhythm of Business (RoB)for the Program Team, in collaboration with the Strategy & Operations Team and the overall organizational RoB.
• Drive process and system improvements including with Program annual planning, the Program Pipeline Approval, the “How We Move Money” and other processes that enhance efficiency, clarity and collaboration across the Program Team and the organization
• Lead on the development and management of the Program discretionary budget to ensure that Program Department Leads and the Head of Program have the budget and financial information to guide Program strategy and investment decisions
• Oversee operational systems related to budgeting and portfolio tracking, ensuring timely, accurate, and integrated management and smooth planning and reporting cycles.
• Produce and maintain dashboards and performance metrics to inform decision-making, track progress, guide resourcing, and support leadership reporting and engagement.
• Proactively identify operational, execution, and resourcing risks across the Program portfolio, and partner with Strategy & Operations to surface mitigation options and inform leadership decision-making.
• Serve as a liaison for select program-related vendors or external partners, as appropriate, ensuring alignment with program goals, budgets, and compliance requirements.

Organizational Leadership & Collaboration

• Embody organizational values; cultivate a strong Program team culture; and ensure adherence to organizational norms, policies, and ways of working.
• Lead the synthesis of programmatic inputs into clear, cohesive narratives and recommendations for leadership and the Board, including monthly updates, board materials, and ad hoc requests.
• Lead on collaboration between the Program function, Investor Relations function and Strategy+Operations function (which includes Legal, Finance and HR) on planning, financial and operational issues and Investor Relations collateral (eg grants and reporting)
• Represent the perspective of the Program team and direct reports within the organization and ensure effective and transparent communication of strategic plans, decisions, and progress back to your departmental teams.
• Ensure responsible stewardship of resources, effective budget management practices, and compliance with fiscal and legal policies.

Management

• Manage, coach, and mentor junior staff, setting clear expectations, aligning individual goals with team needs, providing regular feedback, removing obstacles to support strong performance, and supporting professional development.
• Monitor team capacity and align resources with evolving priorities, including proactively designing future team structure, supporting staffing plans, and ensuring the team is resourced to deliver impact at scale.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong alignment and commitment to Unite America’s mission, vision, culture, and values
• MBA or equivalent work experience
• 5+ years in business, nonprofit or philanthropic strategy, planning and management
• Deep knowledge of strategy development and implementation and the design of performance management system(s) of goals, targets and monitoring processes.
• Demonstrating proficiency in planning and financial matters; effectively conveying data and results to enable informed strategic and tactical decision-making.
• Experience developing, evaluating, managing, and monitoring organizational plans, budgets and financial reports.
• Experience with Salesforce preferred but not required.
• Proven strength in structured problem solving and strategic business planning, with the ability to easily identify and communicate frameworks to analyze issues and synthesize disparate information.
• Intellectual quickness, curiosity, discipline, resourcefulness and resilience
• Demonstrated ability to lead people and teams through influence not direct authority to optimally achieve clear, yet complex goals and objectives
• Experience collaborating effectively with senior decision makers and a diverse range of partners with different styles and cultures
• Exceptional conflict resolution skills, promoting a positive and productive team environment
• Familiarity with grantmaking and philanthropic strategy and processes is preferred, not required
• Entrepreneurial, self-starter with strong critical thinking skills and proven ability to effectively manage details, recognize trends, analyze data, and make strategic recommendations
• Strong relationship builder and networker with ability to quickly build rapport and establish trust and respect
• Track record of developing, managing, and driving multi-faceted projects and initiatives
• Solutions orientation with proven track record of identifying gaps and recommending improvements
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

OUR ORGANIZATION

Unite America is a philanthropic venture fund that invests in nonpartisan election reform to foster a more representative and functional government capable of solving America’s most pressing challenges.

Unite America and its 30+ person team has grown to be a leader in the election reform movement. Since 2019, we have mobilized $150+ million dollars from a cross-partisan community of philanthropists to achieve dozens of policy victories across the country.

At Unite America, we are working to build a more representative and functional government that puts voters first and reflects the diversity of our country, and an inclusive democracy in which leaders embrace problem-solving over fueling divisiveness. Likewise, we have a vision of building an organization that reflects diverse identities, ideologies, experiences, and perspectives; a culture of working across differences toward common goals; and a workplace where everyone feels included, respected, and heard. Our organizational values reinforce this commitment as we work to model the leadership we seek, solve problems together, and take care of one another, to name a few.

Benefits

• • Competitive Compensation ($110,000-135,000)
  • 401(k) Plan (with up to a 3% employer contribution match)
  • Health Care Plan (medical, dental, and vision)
  • Unlimited Paid Time Off (vacation, sick days, public holidays, and team-wide wellness days)
  • Family Leave (maternity, paternity, and adoption)
  • Paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff
  • Training & Professional Development
  • Wellness Resources
  • Opportunity to join an inclusive, vibrant, and diverse team

The application deadline for this role is February 27th, 2026. Applications received after this date will still be reviewed, but priority will be given to candidates who meet the deadline.