Description

Position Title: Operations, Research & Program Manager
Location: Hybrid (Washington, DC area. Regular requirement of 2 days per week in the office; flexibility required for additional days based on assignment needs)
Position Type: Full-time, Hybrid
Reports To: Founder / CEO
Fiscal Sponsor: Issue One
Compensation: $85,000 – $95,000 annually consultant fee

Travel: Minimal. 100% of pre-approved project-related travel expenses are covered.

Who We Are & Our Mission

The Charitable Independence Initiative (CII) is dedicated to safeguarding the indispensable role of America’s charitable sector by restoring the trust and autonomy it needs to flourish. We believe that a vibrant democracy depends on independent nonprofits free to pursue their missions and donors free to support them. That freedom, in turn, rests on the sector’s standing as a trusted steward of the common good.

To preserve this vital legacy, CII supports local nonprofit leaders to serve as the sector’s most compelling ambassadors. We help credible voices build meaningful relationships with public officials and speak with authority about the impact of charitable work. Through local engagement, we strengthen the public trust and policy environment essential to a pluralistic society and ensure that the charitable sector remains a powerful force for the common good.

Position Summary

CII operates as a high-impact, agile core team currently of four people under the 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship of Issue One. This role serves as the central operational, research, and administrative heartbeat of our entire organization.

We are seeking an exceptionally organized, diligent, and proactive professional to manage our day-to-day administrative, logistical, and research functions. This multi-faceted role requires a true self-starter who thrives in a "wear-many-hats" startup environment. The ideal candidate possesses top-tier writing skills, a sharp eye for financial administration, and the ability to conduct independent regional research to support our expansion should funding be available.

Key Responsibilities

1. Program Coordination & Team Organizing

Serve as the central organizational hub for our small team of consultants delivering specialized training programs and leading fundraising efforts.
Develop comprehensive agendas for team meetings, facilitate implementation, and actively manage the tracking of all action items.
Create, streamline, and maintain internal project tracking systems to keep a distributed team aligned as programs expand potentially to other states.
Lead end-to-end participant engagement and operational tracking: manage all program communications—including invitations, workshop updates, and inter-session activities—while tracking attendance data and survey completion rates.

2. Independent Site Research & Briefing

Conduct deep-dive, autonomous research on current and target expansion sites across multiple states.
Compile actionable, detailed briefing profiles detailing targeted public officials, and community media outlets to prepare the team for on-site execution.

3. Grant Management & Writing

Consolidate, edit, and synthesize field notes and data from various consultants into cohesive, high-quality progress reports for grant management.
Write polished, clear narratives to ensure accurate and compelling submissions to foundation funders.

4. Financial & Administrative Operations

Serve as our team’s primary day-to-day operational liaison with our fiscal sponsor, Issue One, ensuring full compliance with institutional standards.
Track and reconcile all team expense reports, collaborating directly with the Director of Finance for Issue One to ensure accurate, timely financial submissions.
Maintain comprehensive digital files, project timelines, and operational documents.
Ensure the organization’s website is updated cleanly as needed.

Please submit a brief (1–2 page) professional writing sample alongside your resume to [email protected] 

Requirements

Qualifications & Skills

Experience: 5+ years of professional experience in project management, non-profit administration, program coordination, or research roles. Experience working within a fiscally sponsored project or a startup environment is a plus.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in public policy, communications, non-profit management, business administration, or a related field. Master's degree preferred.
Location: Must reside in the Washington, DC metropolitan area with the capability to reliably work from the office at least two days a week.
Writing Excellence: Exceptional drafting, editing, and proofreading skills, with a proven ability to turn various high level team inputs into polished, professional funder reports.
Research Capabilities: Strong critical thinking skills with an ability to independently map out political, civic, and media landscapes in unfamiliar states with minimal guidance.
Organizational Mastery: Highly methodical with a proven track record of managing moving parts, calendar logistics, and basic financial expense tracking without oversight.
Mindset: An autonomous self-starter who thrives in a lean startup environment where no task is too small and no project is too complex.