Job Opening: Executive Director

Position: Executive Director
Organization: Checks & Balances
Duration: 18-Month Contract
Location: Washington DC
Salary: $120,000/annum + benefits

Checks & Balances is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington DC and dedicated to protecting the Constitution, the integrity of the courts, and the rule of law against unprecedented threats posed by illiberal forces in our politics. It is made up of distinguished attorneys, judges, and jurists who have served at the highest levels of government, are traditionally conservative, and are alarmed by the trajectory of today’s conservative legal movement. It is seeking a full-time Executive Director for an 18-month contract position. 

The organization is in a growing phase and needs an experienced legal-minded professional capable of stewarding that growth and managing the expansion of Checks & Balances’ offerings. The organization is headed by its board of directors, all of whom serve in voluntary capacities: attorney George Conway, former Judge J. Michael Luttig, former Rep. Barbara Comstock, former Attorney General Stuart Gerson, and former White House official Alan Raul.

The Executive Director will be the only full-time dedicated staff member with Checks & Balances, at least in the beginning phases of our expansion. Preference will be given to candidates who are based in Washington DC and available to come into the office part-time. C&B is funded by its leadership and founding members, and by the Defending Democracy Together Institute, a 501(c)(3) organization headed by Sarah Longwell. The Executive Director will share office space with and be supported by the DDTI team.

For the Executive Director, the metrics we will use to evaluate success include the following: 1) C&B will grow into a membership organization, with dues-paying members and chapters nationwide; 2) We will have our inaugural annual summit in Washington DC, bringing together like-minded attorneys and others; 3) The organization’s public profile and that of its leadership will be raised through paid and earned media engagement; 4) Our programmatic offerings will expand nationwide; and 5) Internal operations will be streamlined and professionalized.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Implementing a dues system for members and rolling out a nationwide network of chapters to engage interested audiences, especially students and young lawyers
• Planning and executing the first annual Checks & Balances conference, slated for November, which convenes like-minded attendees from around the country in Washington DC 
• Planning and executing periodic events (3 – 5 per year), including on college campuses, to recruit members and reach audiences with C&B’s messaging
• Revamping Checks & Balances’ public profile, including its website and leadership’s public profiles
• Running ad campaigns to promote the organization’s brand and mission across multiple channels
• Organizing media and communications outreach nationally and in select localities to raise the profile of Checks & Balances and its leadership
• Convening regular board meetings and liaising generally with high-profile board members to maximize their contributions to the organization
• Identifying opportunities to respond to legal developments touching on rule of law concerns and capitalizing on them to lift the raise the organization’s profile

Required skills and experience include:

• J.D. preferred
• At least five years’ experience leading or helping lead membership campaigns for a major organization, preferably in the legal sector, to grow its audience of dues-paying members and establish a system of chapters nationwide 
• Experience planning and executing large-scale in-person events, to include event promotion, managing attendees, liaising with vendors, staffing, etc.
• Experience planning and hosting multiple smaller-scale in-person and virtual events, some simultaneously, to maintain continuous engagement from members
• Experience leading public communications for an organization, including managing its website, publishing outbound communication for members, media relations, etc.
• Experience working with high-level, high-profile principals, to include convening board meetings and liaising with leadership on a regular basis 
• Familiarity with C&B’s pro-rule of law, traditionally conservative mission, and with the broader conservative legal movement, and willingness to advance these principles
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, and willingness to advance tasks proactively and bring new ideas to the table

To apply, send a resume and cover letter to [email protected]. This position is open on a rolling basis and will remain open until we find a suitable candidate. We offer a competitive salary and benefits commensurate with candidates’ experience.