Director of Policy

Project On Government Oversight • Washington, DC

18h • Remote

About The Position

The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is seeking a talented Director of Policy to advance its policy agenda with Congress and the executive branch. This leadership and management role supervises POGO’s policy teams across various areas including congressional and judicial oversight, government ethics, whistleblower protection, executive power and national security law, federal spending transparency, defense programs, and surveillance policy. The Director will work closely with the advocacy team and subject-matter experts to translate policy expertise into advocacy solutions that address systemic corruption, abuse of power, and waste. The role involves identifying topics and opportunities to further organizational goals, guiding and prioritizing the work of specialists, and demonstrating experience managing teams of policy professionals. This position reports to the Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Capacity Building.

Requirements

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of proven experience managing subject-matter specialists or technical staff, including setting priorities, protecting focus and bandwidth, and providing substantive feedback.
• A strong working knowledge of Congressional and/or administrative procedures.
• Knowledge of government ethics, judicial matters, federal spending, and/or whistleblower protection issues.
• Experience executing research projects and developing data and information-driven policy recommendations.
• Demonstrated experience building and managing coalitions of external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commitment to working in a collaborative, respectful manner demonstrating a strong commitment to POGO’s justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles.

Nice To Haves

• Congressional experience preferred.
• Experience testifying before Congress or serving as a media spokesperson on government accountability issues.

Responsibilities

• Establish and oversee work on POGO's policy recommendations, including directing and assisting Policy Team members in setting short- and long-term policy goals, promoting POGO recommendations, identifying key civil society allies and opponents, identifying advocacy targets in Executive Branch agencies, distributing POGO’s investigative reporting to relevant officials, and recording the progress of advocacy meetings.
• Supervise the team managers from the Constitution Project (TCP), the Center for Defense Information (CDI), the Effective and Accountable Government Program (EAG), and the policy senior researcher.
• Oversee all aspects of POGO’s original policy research production processes, including reviewing and approving project methodologies, timelines, and logistics for quality control reviews, and collaborating with colleague directors to ensure public-facing policy products meet POGO's standards for evidence and rigor.
• Provide the organization with recommendations on POGO’s public positions for legislation and executive branch programs and initiatives.
• Set priorities across a broad portfolio, balancing staff bandwidth against emerging opportunities and threats, and help identify and resolve coverage gaps so specialist knowledge is retained and institutionalized.
• Advise policy team managers and staff on research sources and methods, including government and non-government data, white papers and reports, FOIA requests, and proper protocols for soliciting, receiving, and sharing whistleblower information.
• Provide the organization with recommendations on POGO’s public positions for legislation and executive branch programs and initiatives.
• Translate policy expertise into legislative or public pressure through Hill relationships, media engagement, and public testimony.

Benefits

• Health, dental and vision insurance
• 403(b) employee investment plan available, with employer contribution once eligible
• Life insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Paid holiday, vacation, and sick leave

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed