Chief Program Officer

Position: Chief Program Officer
Position Type: Full-Time
Reports to: Layla Zaidane, President & CEO
Location: Hybrid in Washington, DC 

Anticipated Start: January 2027

ABOUT THE ROLE
The Chief Program Officer is a senior executive who will translate Future Caucus’ strategy into a coherent, high-impact experience for lawmakers across their full lifecycle in the network.  They ensure the experience for our lawmakers delivers measurable results against our mission and long-term outcomes, manage a team responsible for executing exceptional programming, and represent Future Caucus’ programmatic strategy and impact to external audiences.

The CPO will establish a clear bar for what excellent programming looks like and develop the judgement and leadership of their team to execute against that bar.  They ensure strong organizational learning cycles about our programs to guide programmatic decision-making.  As a key member of the executive team, they work closely with the President & CEO and other senior leaders to facilitate cohesion between programmatic and other organizational outcomes, and advise the executive team on threats, opportunities, and new initiatives that advance the ability of young legislators to govern effectively and wield their political power.

The CPO will focus on strategic sustainable growth for Future Caucus programming - and will serve as an external representative of Future Caucus’ CEO at functions, to funders, and the media.  They oversee a team responsible for executing a portfolio that includes 1) strategic planning implementation; 2) the lawmaker-engagement lifecycle from recruitment of new members to the Future Caucus network through alumnihood; 3) lawmaker-facing cross-state programming and state chapter success; and 5) program evaluation & learning.  They will ensure a team-wide dedication to rigorous relationship management and data tracking, seamless internal communications, and collaborative cross-team relationships.

We’re looking for someone who is excited about joining a team during a period of organizational growth and loves flexing their skill of helping a team translate visionary-level thinking into exemplary day-to-day execution.  

The ideal candidate has significant experience developing other leaders and relishes taking on the role of player-coach as they help others grow.  They also have a deep understanding of the realities facing elected officials, especially at the state level, and can align programming around their anticipation of what young lawmakers will need to govern effectively.  They are eager to bring an entrepreneurial spirit to their work, knowing that transforming American politics will take disruptive and innovative thinking from them and their entire team. Critically, they have a sincere commitment to working across partisan lines to define the next era of leadership in America.

ABOUT FUTURE CAUCUS
Future Caucus has an audacious mission: activate young leaders to bridge the partisan divide and transform American politics. Future Caucus is a national, nonpartisan organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of elected leaders. We provide the resources, networking, and capacity-building opportunities for these policymakers to forge productive partnerships on critical national issues. 

In 2013, Future Caucus organized the nation’s first and only caucus for young members of Congress, the Congressional Future Caucus, to build coalitions on future-oriented challenges. Future Caucus also scaled this model into 36 state legislatures, each with a Future Caucus consisting of young, high-potential legislators, and now engages more than 2,100 young legislators nationwide. In 2025, Future Caucus’ President & CEO was named to the TIME100 Next list.  Learn more at www.futurecaucus.org.  

RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership, Management, and Coaching

The CPO is first and foremost a leader of leaders.  A strong orientation to and track record of leading toward results through layers is required for the role.

• Supervise, coach & lead a group of program leaders and their direct reports; operating as a multiplier who seeks to unlock the intelligence and potential of all team members
• Create and implement information sharing streams across legislator-facing teams that enable more strategic decision making, communication, and cooperation
• Model and establish an effective feedback and learning culture across the program team, contributing to a staff-wide living of our organizational values
• Set performance goals and accountability systems to build a culture of results-based leadership
• Shape and clarify emerging roles, teams, and operating models as Future Caucus grows, working with the senior leadership team to ensure each team member has what they need to do some of the best work of their lives
• Develop a team-based environment to motivate and inspire staff to work collaboratively toward vision and goals
• Organize work allocation & project management, training, problem resolution, and performance evaluation for your direct reports, and support your direct reports in doing so for their teams
• Support the development and management of budgets across all programmatic activities and initiatives, in collaboration with the senior leadership team

Programmatic Strategy & Execution

The CPO’s mandate is to develop and oversee execution of Future Caucus’ lawmaker programming strategy to achieve our vision and long-term outcomes.

• Translate Future Caucus’ organizational strategy into clear programmatic priorities, goals, outcomes, and measures of success for the program team
• Manage the design & oversee the execution of a strategy for the ideal Future Caucus member lifecycle, from identifying and recruiting prospective members, to onboarding and ongoing engagement, to an “alumni” transition
• Monitor emerging needs and interests among key stakeholders such as legislators, partner organizations, and funders, partnering with the executive team to turn field insights into tangible organizational action
• Build and execute clear programmatic learning cycles that enable your team to 1) monitor progress to goals; 2) analyze data & adjust to emerging trends; and 3) inform programmatic strategy
• Ensure the state chapter model and cross-state programming model work in concert with one another, leading to real outcomes for chapters & lawmakers as a result of the synthesis of deep relationship building, powerful leadership training, innovative policy solutions, and robust press coverage
• Lead program input into strategic and annual planning, ensuring alignment to organizational priorities
• Support program directors in developing and strengthening strategic partnerships, ensuring the partnerships align with organizational need and enhance organizational strategy
• Create and manage accountability systems so that relationship management data is captured in organizational CRM systems across the program team

Executive Leadership

The CPO sits on the executive team, which is tasked with ensuring the long-term future of the organization, making strategic decisions about resource allocation, and executing against Future Caucus’ vision cohesively.  All members of the executive team:

• Think 2-4 years ahead for the entire organization & your teams, looking around the corner to identify strengths, opportunities, threats & weaknesses that the organization should act on
• Represent Future Caucus’s programmatic strategy, quality, and impact with credibility before funders, partners, policymakers, and other high-level external audiences
• Provide leadership within & thought partnership to the executive team on organizational priorities, work planning, team coordination, and team culture
• Participate in quarterly Board of Directors meetings, sharing relevant updates and integrating insights or feedback back into Future Caucus efforts
• Collaborate with the Development department to align grant proposals and reports to organizational priorities, making certain that grant requirements are met through programmatic execution and achievements

Administration & Miscellaneous

• Any job comes with its fair share of administrative tasks, including this one.  Things like systems upkeep, expense reporting, data entry, and grant reporting, etc.
• Perform other related duties as needed

Requirements

ABOUT YOU

• Required 10+ years of relevant experience; at least 4 years of experience managing senior leaders and multidisciplinary teams across multiple programs on team sizes of 5+
• Track record of leading teams to achieve more than they thought possible through strong staff development, coaching & leadership
• Political savvy - you have In-depth familiarity with state-level politics and the day to day governing needs of young lawmakers
• A known dot-connector who is more motivated by getting things right than by being right
• Natural relationship builder with a knack for network building
• Comfortable speaking publicly on behalf of Future Caucus to VIP rooms
• Creative, entrepreneurial, and self-motivated
• Has a high bar for excellence and an ability to motivate others to achieve it
• Detail-oriented and proactive communicator, not only skilled at managing those who report to you, but managing up laterally

OUR VALUES

In 2020, Future Caucus unveiled a set of organizational value statements developed collaboratively by our team. This ethos represents what we believe in at Future Caucus, and what we have worked to establish during the last eleven years. These are the values we have set for ourselves, and what we see come to life through our legislators in our network, partners, and supporters:

• Listen First: communicate openly and respectfully - make room for others at the table
• Say “We”: there is no “I” in Future Caucus - welcome diversity; it makes us stronger
• Build Trust: Integrity in our relationships is fundamental - be reliable and follow through
• Empower Others: Be empathetic - practice transparency and collaborate openly
• Break Barriers: Climb it, go through it, or work around it - limits are challenges to overcome
• Innovate Freely: Disruption leads to creative solutions - forge a new path forward

Benefits

LOCATION
Future Caucus is currently in a hybrid work environment, with staff coming in 3 days per week every other week. Ideal candidates must be located in the Washington, D.C. metro area, or be willing to relocate.

COMPENSATION
Salary for this position is $151,000-$163,000 and the position is bonus eligible. Highly competitive benefits are provided, including commuter/telework stipend, 401(k) with employer contributions, generous vacation policy, professional development stipend, and comprehensive health benefits.

CULTURE AND CONNECTION
Future Caucus aspires to an organizational culture based on our values, where our team is connected and collaborative.  We take time to share in the wins and impact of our work, chat over regular employer-paid lunches, learn together, and participate in local social and service activities.  We are eager to add team members who share our values and will continue building our positive culture.

HIRING PROCESS

The priority deadline for this role is Oct. 26, 2026 and we anticipate communicating to all candidates following our priority deadline.  Applications received after this date will be evaluated on a rolling basis.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
As an equal opportunity employer, Future Caucus is committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. We welcome members of historically underrepresented groups to apply, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and multilingual individuals. Reference checks are conducted on all prospective new hires.