Senior Director of Podcasts

Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD); Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Job summary

Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, DC, seeks a Senior Director of Podcasts to own and elevate its podcast vertical. You will steward editorial direction, manage hosts, and drive systematized production across four shows.

You will lead a small in-house team, coordinate with communications and digital teams, and shape audience growth while staying informed on U.S. foreign policy and national security topics.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional experience in editorial, content leadership, or production in podcasting or related media.
• Demonstrated ownership of editorial direction and a track record as a decision-maker.
• Substantive familiarity with U.S. foreign policy and national security matters.

Responsibilities

• Assume editorial ownership of FDD’s podcast vertical, setting direction and priorities.
• Shape episode concepts, interview briefs, and maintain brand identity across shows.
• Lead guest outreach, scheduling, and logistics with hosts and staff.
• Build and sustain production systems for multiple shows and platforms.
• Hire and develop a small in-house team and manage contractors.
• Drive audience growth with measurable strategies and platform decisions.

Skills

Editorial leadership

Podcast production

Team leadership

Audience growth

Strategic thinking

Tools

Podcast production tools

Job description

Roles And Responsibilities

About The Foundation For Defense Of Democracies

FDD is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) research institute in Washington, DC, focused on national security and foreign policy. Since 2001, we’ve produced independent, non-partisan research and analysis to strengthen U.S. national security and support free societies. Behind that work is a professionally run organization that depends on strong operational, finance, and people-focused talent to keep it moving—and this role is central to that. The Senior Director of Podcasts will be FDD’s first dedicated senior leader for its podcast vertical — inheriting four established shows and the mandate to build the systems, team, and vision to elevate them into a consistently excellent, growing platform.

The ideal candidate brings equal parts passion and diplomacy: genuine conviction about the craft and the subject matter, paired with the interpersonal skill to earn the trust and creative confidence of FDD’s executive hosts. An editorial and content strategy background is preferred alongside substantive familiarity with U.S. foreign policy and national security – the issues, institutions, and players that define FDD’s work. FDD’s lineup – Foreign Podicy, The Iran Breakdown, Generation Jihad, and The FDD Morning Brief – reaches a national and international audience of policymakers, analysts, journalists, and engaged citizens.

Editorial Leadership

• Assume editorial ownership of FDD’s podcast vertical — establishing narrative direction, programming priorities, content standards, and a long-term strategic vision, in close partnership with the show hosts.
• Develop episode concepts, shape interview briefs, and ensure every show reflects the editorial quality, subject-matter rigor, and brand identity FDD’s audience expects.
• Serve as the primary editorial and operational liaison for all podcast hosts, managing or delegating scheduling, communications, episode logistics, and creative expectations with professionalism and discretion.
• Support guest outreach and booking coordination; build and maintain the logistical infrastructure that allows hosts to focus on content and relationships.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to grow the lineup, expand reach, and develop new show formats in alignment with FDD’s mission.

Production & Systems

• Own the full production lifecycle across all four shows — from pre-production planning and recording through post-production, publishing, and multi-platform distribution (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and others).
• Build reliable, repeatable production systems that reduce variability, establish consistent release cadences, and create organizational infrastructure that scales beyond any one person.
• Maintain high standards for audio quality, video presentation, content flow, and brand consistency across all shows.
• Manage studio operations and recording technology in coordination with technical staff and vendors.

Team Leadership

• Drive the recruitment, hiring, and development of a small in-house podcast team (1–2 staff), and manage an integrated network of outside contractors and editor — establishing clear roles, expectations, and accountability from the outset.
• Manage day-to-day team operations with a focus on timeliness, quality, and production discipline.
• Collaborate closely with FDD’s Communications and Digital teams on audience development, promotional strategy, social media integration, and performance analytics.

Strategy & Audience Growth

• Develop and execute a measurable audience growth strategy — with the explicit goal of raising the consistent listenership baseline across all shows to the level currently achieved at FDD’s highest-performing episodes.
• Monitor performance metrics across all platforms and translate data into programming and distribution decisions.
• Stay current on trends in podcast and digital media and make proactive recommendations on format, technology, or platform strategy.

Qualifications And Qualities

• 8+ years of professional experience, including significant time in a editorial, content leadership, or production role in podcasting, broadcast media, digital media, or a related field.
• Demonstrated track record of editorial ownership — shaping the direction of a media product. Prior experience as a decision-maker, not just a practitioner.
• Substantive familiarity with U.S. foreign policy, national security, and the key institutions and players. Intellectual engagement with FDD’s issues is critical and candidates should be able to speak knowledgeably about the subject matter.
• Working competency in podcast production tools and workflows — recording, audio and video editing, and multi-platform distribution. Technical mastery is not required; fluency is.
• Proven ability to build or shape a small team; strong hiring judgment; track record of managing contractors and/or an internal team with clear expectations and accountability.
• Organizational discipline and consistent reliability across multiple simultaneous projects. The ability to build systems that ensure on-time, high-quality output rather than relying on heroic individual effort.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to work alongside strong‑personality senior executives in a high‑trust, high‑stakes environment.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to set a direction, communicate it clearly, and execute against it, including in the ambiguous early stages of building something new.
• A candidate based in the Washington DC area is strongly preferred; must be available to work from FDD’s office in accordance with production schedules. Exceptional candidates outside the DC area will be considered.

Salary: $140,000–$200,000 per year, based on candidate’s experience and qualifications. Additional benefits are available, including healthcare coverage based on eligibility.