Director of Democracy Reform

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) seeks a passionate and creative advocate to join our team and help us secure our democracy and build a better Washington.

Project 2025 set out a wildly unpopular vision to gut the federal government, tear down checks and balances and democratic protections, and push the bounds of presidential authority beyond long-recognized constitutional and legal limits. Rebuilding American democracy after this assault will require a comprehensive long-term plan. To respond to this need, CREW proposes a multi-year project, Democracy 2.0, to work with policy experts, academics, grassroots leaders, as well as local, state, and federal legislators to develop a blueprint to rebuild our democracy.

As a leading nonpartisan nonprofit government watchdog committed to innovative policy work, CREW is dedicated to defending our democratic institutions, rooting out government corruption, building an ethical and accountable judiciary, and fighting the influence of money in politics through legal action and communications grounded by in-depth research. CREW is looking for a creative, results-driven colleague who is committed to our mission and cares deeply about protecting our democracy. We welcome diverse skills and experiences.

Responsibilities:

The Director of Democracy Reform will lead an effort to envision how we rebuild American democracy and will serve as a strategic thought partner to the Vice President for Policy, Policy Director, President, and Executive Director. This position will report to the Vice President for Policy.

• Policy Development: Work in conjunction with the Vice President for Policy and Policy Director to develop CREW’s long-term policy agenda to reimagine and rebuild American democracy focused on six main pillars: creating a 21st century apolitical federal civil service; ending the privatization of government; establishing an enforceable ethics infrastructure for all three branches of government; preventing the weaponization and manipulation of government functions; reinstituting checks and balances; and responding to anti-democratic abuses through truth and reconciliation and ensuring accountability for official misconduct. Produce a blueprint that can be shared widely with concrete policy recommendations for how to reconceive and rebuild American democracy.
• Convening: Move beyond Washington and envision and hold a series of convenings with stakeholders across the country that bring together international and domestic democracy experts, academics, local and state lawmakers, and locally affected Americans to gain insights into what is and was working in American democracy, and what is and was not working. Incorporate these insights into Democracy 2.0’s policy recommendations.
• Advocacy: Create a plan to disseminate Democracy 2.0’s policy recommendations to lawmakers, advocates, activists, academics, and the public at large in collaboration with colleagues on the communications team.
• Writing and communications: Write reports, articles, and OpEds about American democracy. Work with a communications team to coordinate media responses and web presence on policy issues.
• Collaboration: Represent CREW with outside partners as part of Democracy 2.0’s work. Coordinate with CREW’s litigation, research, and communications teams as appropriate to ensure a consistent policy message.

Qualifications:

• J.D. (preferred).
• A minimum of 7 years policy experience in non-profit, executive branch, Capitol Hill, or comparable setting
• Familiarity with and interest in democracy reform and political corruption.
• Knowledge of domestic and international efforts to advance democracy reform and fight corruption, including legislative and litigation strategies to reform our democratic institutions and ensure public accountability for efforts to undermine our democracy.
• Experience working with both academics and grassroots organizations and organizing convenings.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks.
• The ability to work collaboratively.
• Outstanding research and analytical skills.
• Great writing and communication skills.
• Initiative to identify needs, take charge of tasks, and get things done in an exciting, fast-paced environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and sound judgment, including the ability to work effectively with outside partners.
• The position is based in Washington, D.C. but will be hybrid with employees splitting their time between working at home and working in the office.

The salary range for this position is $130,000-$160,000 based on experience and qualifications. CREW offers a compensation and benefits program that creates a supportive, respectful, sustainable environment that allows our employees to show up as their authentic selves and perform at their best. We’re in this work for the long-haul, and that means investing in our most important asset: our staff. Our benefits include:

• Generous paid time off
• Platinum medical insurance (100% of premium covered for employees; 55% of premium covered for dependents)
• Dental and vision insurance (99.9% of premium covered for employees and 55% of premium covered for dependents)
• 10 weeks paid family leave for non-birthing parent and 16 weeks paid family leave for birthing parent
• Family planning benefits that includes a $10k annual employer contribution with up to $30k over the term of your employment for employees AND their partners
• Option to enroll in FSA and dependent care FSA accounts with a $2,500 employer contribution to dependent care FSAs
• Option to enroll in commuter benefits
• Flexible, hybrid work environment
• Fully vested 401k with 3% employer contribution
• One week of organization-wide paid holiday closures between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, as well as major national holidays
• Employee assistance program
• Summer Fridays all year long
• Free in-office lunches weekly
• Free virtual yoga classes