Chief of Staff

ROLE: Chief of Staff

LOCATION:​ Remote; Hybrid if within 30 miles of Providence, Rhode Island

POSITION TYPE: Exempt, Full-time

TRAVEL REQUIREMENT: 10%

START DATE: ASAP

REPORTS TO: President

ROLE OVERVIEW

Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) seeks a driven and mission-aligned Chief of Staff to serve as the operational right hand to the President of our multi-entity organization, which includes a 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and Political Action Committee (PAC). This is a unique opportunity for a mission-driven, highly organized, and politically savvy leader to work at the core of one of the most influential education advocacy efforts in the center-left ecosystem.

DFER is led by a Chief Executive Officer who serves as the organization's primary external face — setting organizational vision, representing DFER in the broader policy, advocacy and philanthropic landscape, and leading its most senior external relationships. The President operates as a trusted senior leader within that structure, with a distinct and complementary focus: translating organizational vision into operational and systemic success, driving cross-functional execution, managing internal accountability, and stewarding the culture and capacity of the team.

The Chief of Staff reports directly to the President and serves as a force multiplier for that work. Carrying the President's delegated authority on internal matters, the Chief of Staff will lead cross-functional projects, hold departments accountable to shared goals, and ensure the organization executes with the consistency and rigor the mission demands. The COS will escalate to the President on decisions that require presidential judgment, but will otherwise be empowered to act, coordinate, and drive on the President's behalf. Over time, the Chief of Staff may assume direct supervisory responsibility for one or two functions.

THE ORGANIZATION

Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a national political organization that supports elected Democrats and candidates for office who seek to expand policies and practices that work well for America’s students and confront those that do not. We prioritize students and families, especially low-income students and students of color who should be better served by our country’s public education system.

DFER partner Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA) is an advocacy group that advances education reform measures through empowering community leaders to support our legislative and political advocacy work. ERNA keeps constant pressure on legislators to champion high-quality public education.

DFER partner Education Reform Now (ERN) is a nonpartisan think tank that promotes increased resources and innovative reforms in K-12 public education, particularly for students of color and students from low-income families.

WHAT WE DO

Support Forward-Thinking Education Leaders — In an approach that is markedly different from our peers and partners in the field, DFER engages directly with candidates and elected officials to empower them to advocate for education policies that focus foremost on serving students. Our partner organization, Education Reform Now, does work that involves policy research, analysis and education that helps policy makers at all levels understand complex education issues and make informed decisions.

Inform the Education Debate — Our coalition work reflects the breadth of our policy priorities. We work collaboratively with organizations and our community networks to create an education system that serves and is held accountable to all students and families.

Targeted Interventions and Rapid Response — DFER’s reach, from the most local district relationships to state and federal policymakers, enables us to respond quickly to the changing landscape and policy trends. Activities vary significantly from project to project and may include training, policy analysis, public engagement, electoral and issue advocacy, and policy guidance for elected officials and local advocates.

ROLE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF

The Chief of Staff is the President's most trusted operational partner — a cross-functional project leader and internal authority who carries the President's delegated mandate to drive execution, accountability, and organizational health across the full team. Where the CEO leads the organization externally and the President focuses on operational and systemic success internally, the Chief of Staff extends the President's reach and capacity, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks and that the organization moves as one.

The Chief of Staff is empowered to make decisions on the President's behalf in defined areas, coordinate across departments without requiring presidential involvement at every step, and escalate to the President when decisions require presidential judgment — including anything that touches the CEO's purview, external relationships, or major resource and strategy calls. Over time, the COS may take on direct supervisory responsibility for one or two functions as organizational needs evolve.

More specifically, the Chief of Staff will focus on the following priorities:

Lead Cross-Functional Projects and Organizational Priorities

The Chief of Staff will serve as the operational lead on the President's highest-priority cross-functional initiatives — building project structures, convening the right people, tracking progress, and driving workstreams to completion. Rather than owning a single functional area, the COS operates across the organization, cutting through silos and keeping teams moving in alignment. This includes maintaining a clear organizational calendar, managing cross-functional dependencies, and proactively surfacing obstacles before they require presidential intervention.

Exercise Delegated Presidential Authority Internally

The Chief of Staff carries the President's delegated authority on internal operational matters — meaning staff and department heads can expect the COS to speak and act with the weight of the President's office on defined issues. The COS will establish clear escalation norms in partnership with the President: decisions within the COS's mandate are made and communicated; decisions that require presidential judgment are surfaced promptly with a clear recommendation. This empowers the organization to move quickly without over-relying on the President's direct bandwidth.

Build and Maintain a Culture of Accountability

The Chief of Staff will establish and steward clear systems of accountability across teams — ensuring that departments set measurable goals, report progress consistently, and course-correct when needed. By increasing internal communication and cross-functional knowledge sharing, the COS will help drive organizational effectiveness and productivity. This includes leading internal team meetings, staff rhythms, planning cycles, and annual goal-setting processes in partnership with the President.

Navigate Multi-Entity Operations and Compliance

A defining feature of this role is the ability to operate fluently across the organization’s multiple entity structure: 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 527.. The Chief of Staff will work closely with outside legal counsel and finance leadership to ensure that staff activities, communications, and resource allocations respect the legal constraints governing each entity — including, but not limited to, lobbying disclosure requirements, contribution rules.. The Chief of Staff will be a knowledgeable, calm resource for staff navigating these boundaries in their daily work.

Oversee Internal Operations and Organizational Infrastructure

The Chief of Staff will ensure that core operational systems — including financial management, HR, compliance, and technology — support the organization's mission and growth. While the COS may not yet hold formal supervisory authority over all functional areas, they will be the President's primary operational liaison, assessing processes, implementing improvements, and ensuring the organization's infrastructure can scale with its ambitions.

Support Staff Leadership and Organizational Culture

The Chief of Staff will model and reinforce a culture of high performance, inclusion, and purpose across the team. Working in close partnership with department heads, the COS will support staff development, address internal challenges proactively, and help foster an environment where all staff feel valued and equipped to do their best work. The COS will champion the organization's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all internal practices and people systems.

### Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

While no candidate will possess every desired qualification, the ideal Chief of Staff will bring many of the following experiences and characteristics:

• A deep commitment to educational equity and the organization’s mission, with fluency in the political and policy landscape in which the organization operates;
• Demonstrated 5-7 years of success in a chief of staff, senior project management, or cross-functional operational leadership role — ideally within a political, advocacy, or mission-driven nonprofit organization;
• Experience working within or alongside a 501(c)(4), PAC, or multi-entity advocacy structure, with working knowledge of the compliance environment governing C3/C4/PAC activity — including lobbying disclosure, FEC rules, and entity firewalls;
• A track record of exercising independent judgment and acting with delegated authority — able to make decisions confidently within defined scope and escalate clearly when needed;
• Strong cross-functional project leadership skills, with demonstrated ability to convene diverse teams, manage complex workstreams, and drive initiatives to completion without direct line authority over all participants;
• Exceptional organizational and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously across a complex, multi-entity environment;
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with a collaborative style that builds trust quickly across departments, levels, and entity types;
• Experience managing or supervising staff, with a supportive, accountable, and mission-centered leadership style;
• Ability to synthesize complex information quickly and prepare clear, concise briefings, memos, and decision documents for senior leadership;
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion — both as a personal value and in organizational practice;
• Comfort navigating a fast-paced, politically dynamic environment with grace, discretion, and adaptability;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to represent the President's voice and priorities accurately in internal communications;
• A high degree of professionalism, sound judgment, and the ability to handle sensitive information with integrity.

### Benefits

COMPENSATION

The compensation band for this role is $150,000 - $170,000. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. DFER is proud to offer excellent benefits: health, vision, and dental coverage; cell phone and internet reimbursement; flexible spending plan; life insurance; short- and long-term disability insurance; 401K plan with a match; paid family leave; and paid time off (vacation, sick time, floating holidays, and all national holidays).

Democrats for Education Reform welcomes applications from all, and strongly encourages women, people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and LGBTQ people to apply for this position. We are committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization and recruiting a team that reflects the diversity of the students we serve.