Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff

FAIRVOTE SUMMARY

FairVote, headquartered in Silver Spring, MD, is a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is associated with FairVote Action, a 501 (c)(4) advocacy organization. Our focus is electoral reform that gives voters a greater choice, a stronger voice, and a more representative democracy.

Since 1992, FairVote has been the national leader in developing and distributing the educational tools and analyses necessary to increase public appreciation for the value of ranked-choice voting (RCV). FairVote also collaborates with partners to build, win, and sustain campaigns for RCV and proportional representation at every level—local, state, federal—and within political parties.

POSITION SUMMARY

FairVote seeks a dynamic Chief of Staff to provide leadership to the organization’s critical institutional strengthening functions—encompassing strategy and learning, development and board relations, finance, people and culture, compliance, and general operations. This role will seamlessly integrate strategy and operations across the organization, playing a central part in driving excellence and impact. The Chief of Staff will provide leadership to a talented team of 10+ institutional strengthening staff and contractors, ensuring alignment, clarity, and execution at every level.

We’re looking for a leader who is an exceptional people manager, facilitator, coach, integrator, strategist, project manager, and communicator—someone who thrives on bringing structure to complexity and empowering others to succeed. This position expands the CEO’s strategic and operational bandwidth while fostering cohesion among senior leaders.

The Chief of Staff will join our C-Suite, which collectively leads the organization to achieve five ambitious goals by 2030:

• Doubling the number of voters using RCV,
• Expanding RCV to eight total states,
• Winning ranked choice voting in 30 new localities,
• Winning proportional representation in 10 total localities, and
• Broadening support for our policy agenda within both major political parties.

The Chief of Staff position will not:

• Manage programs or advocacy functions,
• Act as a proxy decision-maker for the CEO or handle administrative tasks,
• Hold primary relationships with external stakeholders.

POSITION TYPE:

The Chief of Staff is a full-time exempt position that reports to the Chief Executive Officer. Exempt employees are expected to work the appropriate and necessary time to complete key assignments and related tasks on schedule.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Executive Team Leadership

• Facilitate critical conversations: Sequence and guide discussions among senior leaders to drive clarity and consensus.
• Enable decisive decision-making: Identify key decision points for the CEO, Board, and senior leaders, ensuring meetings are well-prepared and processes reflect our inclusive, collaborative culture.
• Serve as an “air traffic controller”: Manage the flow of information across departments and to the CEO, keeping staff aligned and informed.
• Align priorities and resources: Act as a central coordination point to ensure teams are synchronized on projects, timelines, and resource allocation.
• Craft high-impact communications: Develop memos, decks, and emails that keep staff, board members, investors, and partners informed and aligned.
• Be a trusted advisor: Partner closely with the CEO to prioritize, brief, and prepare for strategic engagements.
• Strategize and sequence organizational conversations and processes to maximize the effectiveness of Executive Team, Leadership Team, and full-staff meetings.

Institutional Strengthening

Work closely with institutional strengthening directors and staff, empowering and supporting them to execute in the following key areas to ensure operational effectiveness, efficiency and keep our strategy dynamic, integrated, and actionable.

Strategy & Learning

• Iteratively refine long-term organizational strategic goals and manage the annual planning process.
• Manage the “strategic parking lot” – evaluate new initiatives for impact and feasibility.
• Maintain integration of the strategic plan with budgeting, goal-setting, fundraising, and stakeholder communications.
• Support development of meaningful departmental metrics to quantify impact and foster leadership accountability.
• Manage contracts with strategic advisors.

Operations, Finance, People and Culture

• Drive FairVote’s financial strategy, oversee budgeting, and ensure operational efficiency.
• Introduce best practices in project management and meeting facilitation, and integrate AI capabilities into workflows.
• Cultivate a positive culture, refine organizational design, recruit top talent, and support labor relations.

Development

• Strengthen investor communications and stewardship.
• Innovate to expand the prospect pipeline and equip the Board to serve as effective fundraisers.
• Ensure fundraising aligns with organizational strategy and growth priorities.
• Maximize Board effectiveness by preparing agendas, drafting materials, and project managing committee meetings.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong interest in FairVote’s core strategic priorities and deep commitment to its mission and values.
• Experience as Chief of Staff or in a similar role, and/or reporting directly to a CEO or C-Suite executive.
• Background in nonprofit, advocacy, or other mission-driven organizations.
• An advanced degree in business or a related field is preferred.
• Expertise in project management and organizational operations, including budgeting and resource allocation.
• Familiarity with governance and board relations.
• Understanding of fundraising strategies and investor engagement.
• Skilled facilitator with experience building consensus among senior leaders.
• Strong analytical ability to interpret data and define success metrics.
• Knowledge of organizational design and people management best practices.
• Skilled at leading complex, high-impact meetings with confidence and strategic insight to drive decisions.
• Proven experience managing teams and cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong strategic thinking and operational planning skills.
• Digital & Analytical Proficiency: Expertise in productivity and collaboration tools, CRMs, and PMEL practices.
• Exceptional Communication & Influence: Demonstrated ability to craft and deliver clear, persuasive messages—both written and verbal—to diverse audiences, including senior stakeholders and external partners.
• High emotional intelligence and ability to build trust across diverse teams.
• Collaborative mindset with a commitment to empowering others.
• Strong judgment and discretion in handling sensitive information.
• Adaptability in fast-paced, dynamic environments.
• Ability to foster a work environment that values integrity, adaptability, reliability, collaboration, equity, inclusion, and continuous learning.

LOCATION

The FairVote office is located in Silver Spring, MD. The role can be performed remotely.

SALARY & BENEFITS

This is a full-time, exempt position. FairVote offers a competitive benefits package for all full-time employees. The salary range for this position is $160,000 - $180,000, with the higher end of the range for candidates exceeding qualifications.

HOW TO APPLY

A Cover Letter and Resume are required to consider an application complete. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Due to the volume of applications, we will unfortunately not acknowledge receipt of all applications. No phone calls, please.

FairVote is an equal-opportunity employer committed to maintaining a non-discriminatory work environment. FairVote places a high value on fostering an inclusive workplace, and we are committed to building a team as diverse as the American people. We do not make hiring or advancement, or other employment decisions based on race, religion, gender, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, political affiliation, pregnancy, disability, or any other status protected by law. Individuals from across all spectrums who are passionate about fixing our broken political system are strongly encouraged to apply.

FairVote offers a competitive benefits package for all full-time employees. Our competitive compensation package includes: paid holidays, paid vacation, paid sick leave, paid parental leave, medical, dental and vision coverage, and a retirement program.