Chief Program Officer

About Voting Rights Lab

Voting Rights Lab, a national nonpartisan 501(c)(3), and its 501(c)(4) affiliate are fighting the state-level battles that will shape elections in 2026, 2028, and for decades to come. Our strategy is threefold: build the Advancing Liberty Coalition — uniting veterans and military families, women of faith, people with disabilities, and business leaders across the ideological spectrum; block efforts to manipulate elections or interfere with certification; and protect democracy's guardrails to ensure elections are fair, accessible, and transparent.

In 2025 alone, we stopped a wave of proof-of-citizenship mandates in red and purple states from Texas to Michigan, and produced the first-ever 50-state map of election law vulnerabilities — showing where losing candidates can exploit state laws to challenge legitimate results. Grounded in deep state-level relationships and cross-ideological credibility, we anticipate threats and deliver solutions where democracy is most at risk.

The Opportunity

This is a newly created role at the top of VRL's organizational structure. The Chief Program Officer serves as a peer to the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer and Chief Development Officer — and as the CEO's primary partner on program strategy and execution.

The right candidate is both a strategist and an executor: someone who can generate bold ideas, shape organizational direction, and see complex initiatives through to completion. Right now, too much of VRL's strategic and programmatic innovation originates with the CEO. This role exists, in part, to change that — to bring in a leader who will drive ideas forward independently while building a team and culture that does the same.

This leader will oversee VRL's advocacy and policy work and its communications function, and will play a central role in developing and scaling the Advancing Liberty Coalition — a cross-ideological effort that is among VRL's most distinctive and consequential programs.

A Note on the Advancing Liberty Coalition

The Advancing Liberty Coalition is the heart of what makes VRL unusual in the democracy space. It brings together organizations that don't typically share a table: progressive civil rights groups, center-right democracy organizations, veterans and military families, Mormon and evangelical women's organizations, disability advocates, and business leaders. The coalition operates on the conviction that defending democratic institutions requires a big tent — and that credibility across ideological lines is a strategic asset, not a compromise.

The CPO will manage staff dedicated full- or part-time to the ALC, and will be responsible for growing its depth, reach, and impact. Candidates who are energized by cross-ideological work and comfortable engaging authentically with partners across the political spectrum will thrive here. This is not optional — it is central to the role.

Key Responsibilities

Program Strategy & Execution

• Develop and drive a multi-year program strategy aligned with VRL's mission and theory of change — from inception through execution and promotion.
• Integrate the organization's advocacy, policy, communications, and coalition functions into a cohesive, high-impact model.
• Identify emerging trends, legislative patterns, and strategic inflection points in the voting rights landscape and translate them into action.
• Pitch and develop new programs and initiatives that expand VRL's reach and deepen its impact.
• Plan and prioritize strategic initiatives with clear milestones, measurable outcomes, and stakeholder accountability.

Advancing Liberty Coalition Leadership

• Lead the strategy and day-to-day development of the Advancing Liberty Coalition, overseeing staff dedicated to coalition work.
• Build and sustain authentic relationships with cross-ideological partners, ensuring the coalition grows in depth, credibility, and capacity.
• Identify and develop opportunities for coalition members to work together on shared goals, including rapid-response campaigns and longer-term advocacy efforts.

Organizational Positioning & Tools

• Create opportunities for VRL to strengthen its position in the broader democracy space and advance narratives that support healthy elections.
• Oversee VRL's external digital infrastructure, including the Election Policy Tracker and Heat Map tools, ensuring they are innovative, accessible, and useful to advocates, policymakers, journalists, and partners.
• Identify opportunities to expand product offerings and increase their usability across diverse audiences.

Internal Integration & Communication

• Ensure clear and consistent communication across departments on program priorities, timelines, and strategy.
• Establish systems that promote transparency, role clarity, and effective cross-functional collaboration.
• Ensure organizational strategy — across departments and the c3/c4 structure — is aligned and well-executed.

External Engagement

• Engage with partners, funders, policymakers, and field leaders to inform strategy and strengthen collaboration.
• Represent VRL externally as a thought leader in the voting rights and democracy space.
• Maintain strong alignment between VRL's c(3) and affiliated c(4) workstreams while reinforcing appropriate legal and operational boundaries.
• Embed equity considerations into program design, product development, and advocacy strategy.

Team Leadership

• Directly manages the Advocacy, Policy, and Communications functions, with the team expected to grow. This program team comprises 18 staff.
• Mentor and develop senior program staff, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Support organizational growth by aligning talent, resources, and infrastructure with strategic goals.
• Collaborate inclusively and operate in accordance with VRL's core values and theory of change.

Qualifications

Required

• 10+ years of senior leadership experience in advocacy, policy, voting rights, democracy reform, or related fields.
• Proven track record building innovative programs, campaigns, and partnerships at scale — and developing the high-performing teams to execute them.
• Deep expertise in at least two of the following: advocacy, policy, organizing, campaign strategy, and communications — with demonstrated experience integrating across functions.
• Strong strategic planning ability with a track record of translating vision into operational execution.
• Experience developing strategic communications, digital or data-driven tools, and research in a mission-driven context.
• Deep understanding of the legislative and advocacy landscape at the state and/or federal level.
• Genuine comfort and experience working across ideological lines — with conservative, cross-partisan, or non-traditional democracy partners. This is a core requirement of the role.
• Strong organizational communication and change management skills.

Preferred

• Experience working within or alongside both 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities.
• Familiarity with voting rights legislation and state-level policy landscapes.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong political judgment and an eye for emerging opportunities
• Idea generator who can move from concept to execution
• Clear, confident communicator across diverse audiences
• Pragmatic problem solver
• Collaborative and inclusive leader who builds trust across lines of difference

Compensation and benefits:

We value our staff by offering competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package, detailed below.

The Chief Program Officer is in the Executive pay band, and the hiring range for this position is $265,000 - $315,000 per year. The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, among other factors. The total compensation package may include the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, depending on the level and position offered.

At this time, we provide the following benefits for eligible employees:

• Medical (90% employer funded), dental, and vision insurance (100% employer funded)
• 401(k) retirement plan, with up to 6% employer match
• Generous paid time off package, including unlimited flexible vacation leave, 2 weeks sick leave, in addition to 13 paid holidays, winter holiday closure, and other PTO opportunities such as parental leave, volunteer time, and more
• Flexible spending account for medical and dependent care
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Basic-term life and accidental death and dismemberment (ADD) insurance, with an employee buy-up option
• Additional benefits including work from home benefits, cell phone benefits, and fitness benefits

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Voting Rights Lab is a non-profit organization that is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding, and enables each of us to realize our potential. VRL's work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

Part of VRL's mission is to ensure that people with records of arrest or conviction can vote. As such, we give full and fair consideration to all applicants, regardless of a past record of arrest or conviction.

At this time, we provide the following benefits for eligible employees:

• Medical (90% employer funded), dental, and vision insurance (100% employer funded)
• 401(k) retirement plan, with up to 6% employer match
• Generous paid time off package, including unlimited flexible vacation leave, 2 weeks sick leave, in addition to 13 paid holidays, winter holiday closure, and other PTO opportunities such as parental leave, volunteer time, and more
• Flexible spending account for medical and dependent care
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Basic-term life and accidental death and dismemberment (ADD) insurance, with an employee buy-up option
• Additional benefits including work from home benefits, cell phone benefits, and fitness benefits