President & Chief Executive Officer
Center on Economics & Foreign Affairs · United States
full timehybridExecutive
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Sign in to applyAbout the role
Leads CEFA's institutional strategy, represents the organization publicly, approves major initiatives, develops high-level relationships, and ensures that research and project activities advance CEFA's nonprofit mission.
Responsibilities
- Set and communicate CEFA's mission, strategy, operating priorities, and standards of institutional performance. - Develop trusted relationships with the Board, public officials, funders, industry leaders, financial institutions, and research partners. - Approve the portfolio of research, programs, projects, partnerships, and major public positions within delegated authority. - Build a high-performing leadership team and establish a culture of integrity, accountability, disciplined execution, and public service. - Protect CEFA's nonprofit purpose, reputation, financial sustainability, and compliance posture while expanding institutional impact. Reporting & working relationships Reports to the Board of Directors and works closely with Board committees. Directly leads CEFA's executive team and serves as the principal institutional counterpart for major partners, funders, and public stakeholders. Authority & limits May manage CEFA and make institutional commitments only within Board-approved policies, budgets, reserved matters, and delegated authority. Material contracts, transactions, public positions, and conflicts remain subject to required Board or legal review.
Required qualifications
- Senior leadership record in public policy, economic development, finance, industry, government, or a mission-driven institution. - Demonstrated ability to lead complex organizations, secure resources, manage public visibility, and align diverse stakeholders. - Sound judgment on governance, conflicts, reputational risk, and the boundary between charitable activity and private commercial benefit.
Preferred qualifications
What success looks like: - Board-approved strategy translated into funded priorities and measurable annual objectives. - A credible pipeline of mission-aligned research, partnerships, and development initiatives. - Diversified revenue, strong internal controls, and responsible stewardship of CEFA's resources. - Recognized institutional voice and durable relationships across government, finance, industry, and civil society.
Benefits
Employment classification: Paid executive staff position. Status: Full-time. Term: Board oversight and applicable executive agreement. Compensation: Salary and benefits determined by the Board of Directors. Performance cycle: Annual objectives with regular check-ins and a formal performance review. Work arrangement: Location, travel, schedule, and exempt/nonexempt status determined for the final role and jurisdiction.
Equal opportunity
CEFA is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration without regard to any legally protected characteristic.
About Center on Economics & Foreign Affairs
CEFA is a mission-driven nonprofit institution connecting research, policy, capital, and public- and private-sector partners to advance economic development and foreign-affairs priorities at national scale.