Executive Director / President

Progressive Data Jobs; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Code for Science & Society in the United States is seeking an Executive Director to guide the organization through its next chapter. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on oversight of fundraising, financial strategy, and program stewardship.

The Executive Director will report to the Board, lead a small team, and work with fiscal sponsorship partners to advance public interest technology and open data initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Resource development to diversify funding and grow donor streams.
• Guide financial strategy, oversee asset management and reserves.
• Shape organizational strategy in fiscal sponsorship and nonprofit infrastructure.
• Provide organizational leadership and board-facing governance.

Job description

Position Summary

ABOUT CODE FOR SCIENCE & SOCIETY

Code for Science & Society (CS&S) is a nonprofit, fiscal sponsorship organization working to advance the power of data to improve the social and economic lives of all people. CS&S focuses on supporting the social and organizational infrastructure that allows data, research, and technology to improve lives through its best-in-class Fiscal Sponsorship Program. In practice, the organization provides the operational backbone public interest technology projects need to thrive. Sponsored projects across community-centered research and technology development receive comprehensive financial and operational support – from back-office infrastructure to strategic guidance on governance, organizational project development, and sustainability – so project leaders can focus on their mission rather than the administration of running a nonprofit. CS&S is home to 20 fiscally sponsored projects spanning open data, open source software, open scholarship, and research infrastructure.

THE CURRENT MOMENT

CS&S is experiencing a moment of transition and opportunity. The departure of a long-tenured leader positions CS&S for a new chapter of strategic leadership and impact. The current cultural and political climate has brought heightened visibility, vulnerability, and urgency to the advancement of public interest technology. At the same time, the funding landscape is shifting. Internally, CS&S is experiencing the need for renewed strategic clarity, and the next Executive Director / President (Executive Director) will guide the organization to become an even more visible and catalytic force, building on its role as fiscal sponsor and leaning into the opportunity to serve as a best-in-class model of critical infrastructure support. This leadership transition creates a rare and exciting opportunity to deepen CS&S’ impact, strengthen resource development, evolve strategic vision, and reaffirm CS&S as a powerful champion for public interest technology.

THE OPPORTUNITY

CS&S seeks a visionary, strategic leader with strong executive presence, fundraising acumen, and a deep understanding of fiscal sponsorship excellence. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to the success of the public interest technology and open-source communities and possess a combination of strategic sophistication and results orientation, balancing external engagement with internal capacity building. Areas for impact in this role include:

Resource Development. Ensuring CS&S’ long-term financial stability and capacity for growth will be a central leadership priority. The Executive Director will take a holistic approach to resource development, expanding both the fundraising strength and the business development capacity of CS&S and its fiscal projects. They will diversify revenue streams, cultivate relationships with new and existing institutional and philanthropic funders and new donor communities, and identify and pursue innovative revenue and partnership opportunities. Through strategic leadership, relationship building, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a sophisticated understanding of today’s funding landscape, they will diversify and grow the resources that fuel CS&S’ impact.

Financial Strategy. The Executive Director will bring strategic insight to guide sound decision‑making and deepen organizational understanding of financial risks and opportunities within the fiscal sponsorship model. They will oversee financial health and asset management, sustain and grow reserves, and guide thoughtful choices about resource allocation that advance CS&S’ mission.

Organizational Strategy. The Executive Director will bring a current understanding of fiscal sponsorship models and the fiscal sponsor field to effectively navigate the broader nonprofit infrastructure environment. They will monitor changing landscapes, trends, and developments to ensure that CS&S is selecting objectives and deploying resources as effectively as possible to achieve their goals. The Executive Director will clarify CS&S’ theory of change and define short- and long-term organizational strategy and scope, and as a result, CS&S’ external positioning to strengthen the organization’s external and fundraising profile.

Organizational Leadership. The Executive Director will serve as the visible leader of CS&S, guiding the organization internally and representing it externally. They will report to the Board of Directors, lead a core team staff of 9, and manage 2 direct reports. They will be an effective leader of teams, cultivating talent, fostering trust, and inspiring a positive internal culture grounded in collaboration, transparency, and service excellence for fiscal