Chief of Staff

Alliance for Justice; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Alliance for Justice in Washington, DC, seeks a Chief of Staff to oversee the Office of the President and advance the organization’s priorities. The role requires close collaboration with the President, VP of Strategy, and senior leaders to align programs, communications, and governance.

The successful candidate will coordinate cross‑functional work, support board processes, and help implement AFJ’s strategic plan as the organization approaches its 50th anniversary.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; juris doctorate degree strongly preferred.
• At least 10 years of experience in nonprofit, public policy, government, or mission-driven organizations.
• Leadership experience in nonprofit advocacy organizations or AFJ mission-aligned work preferred.
• Strong discretion, influence, and ability to navigate ambiguity.
• Proven ability to think strategically and serve as a trusted strategic partner to the President.

Responsibilities

• Maintain continuous lines of communication across AFJ functions and keep the President informed of critical issues.
• Liaise with the President and VP of Strategy to drive organizational programmatic strategy and cross-team initiatives.
• Support strategic planning, board meeting prep, and materials, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements.
• Assist with external communications, and coordinate scheduling, logistics, and action item follow-through.
• Travel occasionally with the President to events and engagements; support cross‑team workflows and resource allocation.

Skills

Executive communication

Strategic thinking

Project management

Nonprofit leadership

Stakeholder management

Discretion

Education

Bachelor's degree

Juris Doctorate (JD)

Job description

Alliance for Justice (AFJ) is a national association of over 140 organizations representing a broad array of groups committed to progressive values and the creation of an equitable, just, and free society. AFJ’s programs comprise four core pillars:

• Bolder Advocacy program builds progressive power by providing nonprofit advocates with the training, technical assistance, and resources they need to comply with the federal and state laws associated with nonprofit advocacy. Bolder Advocacy is the nation's leading resource for foundations and nonprofits who want to engage more actively and knowledgeably in the policymaking process.
• AFJ Law deepens our support of nonprofits’ advocacy, strengthen the progressive movement’s ability to advocate within the bounds of IRS restrictions on tax-exempt organizations, and ensure compliance to keep their organizations safe. AFJ Law goes beyond providing technical assistance to providing legal advice on nonprofit clients’ activities.
• Our Justice Program works to ensure that our state and federal courts protect our democracy and our core rights and values, preserve human rights, and provide access to justice for all. We research federal judicial nominees, educate the public and elected leaders about them, and advocate for demographically and professionally diverse nominees, who will protect our rights.
• Our Outreach & Membership team deepens and expands the engagement of AFJ’s core constituencies, including supporting our member organizations with Bolder Advocacy, judicial nominations, and capacity building resources to advance their missions. We also educate and mobilize members, partners, and advocates with the tools and AFJ resources they need to advocate for courts that protect the rights of all us and defend nonprofits’ role in protecting our democracy.

AFJ Action promotes a national conversation about the importance of the courts and other key AFJ issues through advocacy, research, and mobilizing progressive advocates and voters. It also serves as the leading expert on the legal framework for 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy efforts because we believe it will take all of us to defend our democracy.

Job Description

The President of the Alliance for Justice/ AFJ Action is seeking a Chief of Staff who will oversee and advance the effectiveness and impact of the Office of the President and serve as the trusted right hand to the President. The Chief of Staff will work closely with the President to coordinate, align, and build cohesion across the organization and to advance the organization’s priorities. The Chief of Staff will also support the President in working and communicating effectively with all internal and external stakeholders, including staff, volunteers, board members, donors, and partners, ultimately ensuring that the President is maximizing her time and meeting near and long-term goals, priorities, and objectives, particularly as it pertains to organizational culture, external communications, and development. The Chief of Staff will join the Alliance at an exciting moment of strategic building as the historic organization deepens its impact through its next chapter and 50th anniversary.

Job Responsibilities

• Maintain continuous lines of communication with all AFJ functional areas, keeping the President informed of all critical issues and disseminating policies, processes and ideas across departments on behalf of the President.
• Work closely with all Vice Presidents and all direct reports to the President, acting as both a liaison to the President when needed and executive team partner.
• Work closely with both the President and Vice President of Strategy as a strategic thought partner and driver of organizational programmatic strategy, including by:
  • translating strategic decisions into operationalized work plans;
  • assisting in the systems-design supporting cross-team initiatives, campaigns and multi-year strategies;
  • spotting opportunities to strengthen alignment of programs with strategic plan, build on existing program priorities, and/or issue-spot potential challenges;
  • monitoring information across functional teams to inform high level program decisions and allocation of program resources;
  • facilitating effective communication and workflows across program teams;
  • and developing operational systems as needed to track shared priorities and strengthen collaboration.
• Work closely with the Operations team, including the budget, administrative, technology, general counsel and human resources functions for the organization.
• Work collaboratively to lead strategic planning processes, as needed. Support the building and implementation of the organization’s next strategic plan that will carry it into its 50th anniversary.
• Maintain a critical eye to ways the organization’s impact can be deepened by formally and informally assessing systems in place and implementing new ways to improve processes.
• With support from the Senior Manager of Executive Operations and in close collaboration with the President and Board Chair, support the planning and preparation of Board meetings and Board committee meetings; including oversight of materials shared with the Board, meeting planning and logistics, and quality assurance of all statutory requirements for Board efforts, including collection, approval and archival of minutes, changes to by-laws and directives.
• Occasionally travel with and staff the President at events, meetings and speaking engagements.
• Monitor cross-team processes to ensure appropriate preparation and staffing for the President’s external engagements.
• Assist with the President's internal and external communications, both written and spoken, and support the drafting and timeliness of external communications, as necessary.
• Own behind-the-scenes preparation to make President meetings, both internal and external, successful, including the tracking, monitoring, and execution of action items that stem from these meetings, as well as attending many of them.
• Structure recommendations on decisions for the President by clarifying objectives, options, risks, and tradeoffs across mission impact, financial sustainability, reputation, and organizational capacity, integrating perspectives from research leadership, finance, administration, legal, development, communications, and external affairs into clear, decision-ready materials.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; juris doctorate degree strongly preferred.
• At least 10 years of experience in nonprofit, public policy, government, or mission driven organizations.
• Leadership experience at a nonprofit advocacy organization or in a position conducting AFJ mission-aligned work highly preferred.
• Management experience not required but strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success advising top executives and managing conflicting priorities with little supervision required.
• Proven ability to operate with discretion, influence outcomes, and navigate ambiguity.
• Track record of roles where you have had to utilize acumen and finesse to handle complex situations and multiple responsibilities, and simultaneously mix long-term projects with the urgency of immediate demands.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and serve as a strategic thought partner to the President.
• Strong interest in the social justice mission of Alliance for Justice.

Traits that Will Make You Successful in this Role

• Exceptional judgment and communication skills: ability to collaborate with and achieve actionable results through others; interact within all levels of the organization; and engage with members, donors, and stakeholders.
• Results-focused project manager: knows how to set clear timelines and drive projects to completion with a sense of urgency and knowing how to get things done.
• Collaborative people person: As one of the main public faces for the President, friendly, kind, collaborative, and professional.
• Clear communicator: Direct and concise. Speak and write eloquently and with a situation-appropriate tone, whether over the phone, in person, e‑mail, memos, PowerPoint, snail mail, or social media channels.
• Politically savvy: possess a recognition of the political landscape and the intersection of the organization’s work in relation to the executive branch, the Hill, the judiciary, and dynamics of the progressive nonprofit sector. Remain engaged in and aware of relevant news cycles, and deep understanding of the Washington D.C. policy environment, with the ability to navigate complex institutional, political, and stakeholder dynamics and to apply that understanding in support of senior leadership decision-making.
• Process and implementation: possess the skills to take ideas and turn them into implementable projects and enjoy advancing and implementing strategic programs and policies.
• Trustworthy: handle confidential and sensitive information with humility, professionalism, and discretion.
• An interest in, and commitment to, expanding analysis and knowledge of the role that structural racism plays in our society and the institutions that are working to prioritize racial equity.

Compensation

The salary range is $175,000 - $200,000 based on experience. AFJ provides a comprehensive benefits package including medical, prescription, optional vision, dental, flexible spending account, and life and disability insurance, as well as commuter benefits and retirement programs.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position. Days and core hours of work are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Physical Demands

This position requires the ability to travel domestically and work long hours when needed. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Racial Equity

Our employees share our commitment to increasing racial diversity in our movement and organization, integrating justice and equity into the work we do and ensuring an inclusive organizational culture.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may changeat any time with or without notice.

Job Location

Washington, DC – hybrid position, some in person work and travel required.

AFJ/AFJAC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. AFJ/AFJAC prohibits discrimination against its employees and applicants for employment based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, sero-status and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or income.

Disclaimer

This description is intended to provide an overview of this position and is not all-inclusive. The incumbent in this position will be expected to perform other duties as required. Responsibilities may change over time. This description is provided for informational purposes only and does not form the basis of a contract.