Arena Careers

THE ROLE:

The Chief Program Officer leads NextGen’s national youth organizing strategy on-the-ground across campuses and via distributed organizing tactics. This role is responsible for translating big-picture organizational mission and goals into on-the-ground organizing programs that actually move young people to participate, vote, and lead.

This is a senior leadership role for someone who understands that youth power is cultural as much as electoral. You will oversee campus-based organizing, manage a distributed team, and work closely with communications and digital leadership to ensure organizing efforts are visible, narratively sharp, and built for the media environment young people actually live in.

The ideal candidate has a passion for politics and a belief that young people will make the difference in America’s future. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage people of diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We value and are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion as an organization--in theory and in practice--and our culture reflects that value and commitment. We are committed to furthering issues like climate change, health care, and economic and racial justice from a progressive perspective, we seek to engage the public in these areas as well as others. We also recognize the urgency of confronting institutional racism and inequity within our political system and strive to make positive changes within our system as a result.

This role will report to the Executive Director.

This is a fully remote position with no location requirement. We encourage candidates from all locations within the United States to apply.

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Remote Position: Yes

Union Position: No

Travel Requirements: 20-30%

End Date: N/A

WHAT YOU’LL ACHIEVE:

• Set and execute NextGen’s national youth organizing strategy across campuses and regions.
• Manage and support both the Campus Engagement, Distributed Organizing teams, and on-campus student volunteer leaders to ensure clarity of goals, accountability, and strong culture.
• Oversee voter registration, turnout, leadership development, and issue-based organizing programs.
• Partner closely with the Comms/Digital teams to ensure organizing work generates compelling content and earned media opportunities.
• Develop organizing metrics, reporting systems, and feedback loops that emphasize learning and iteration.
• Recruit, train, and mentor organizers and fellows, with a focus on leadership development and retention.
• Build relationships with student leaders, campus partners, coalitions, and allied organizations.
• Travel to campuses and field sites as needed to support launches, actions, and key moments.
• Represent NextGen externally with funders, partners, and movement allies as appropriate.
• Manage a budget for your department to ensure accuracy and accountability.

ABOUT YOU:

• 7+ years of organizing or movement leadership experience, with at least 3 years managing teams
• Deep understanding of youth organizing, campus organizing, or large-scale volunteer programs
• Strong strategic instincts paired with operational follow-through
• Comfort working across organizing, communications, and digital teams
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced political environment
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and building leadership among historically marginalized communities

SALARY INFORMATION:

The starting salary range for this position is $140,000-$160,000. The final base salary will be determined by various factors, including individual qualifications and internal parity, which will be objectively assessed during the interview process.

BENEFITS:

Our comprehensive benefits package plays an essential part in how we recognize you for your critical contribution toward our organization’s mission.

Taking Care of Your Future:

• Medical, dental and vision insurance: 100% coverage for you and for your dependents
• Short-term disability, long-term disability and life insurance
• 401(k) plan - we’ll match 100% up to 4% of your salary

Prioritizing Your Work/Life Balance:

• Generous PTO and leave policies
• 19 paid organization-wide holidays

Setting You Up for Success:

• Up to $150 per month to use toward your cell phone and internet costs
• $100 per month to use toward your personal health and wellness goals
• Flexible spending account for dependent care
• Professional development opportunities to help you achieve your best self

ABOUT NEXTGEN AMERICA:

NextGen America is the leading national organization for engaging young people through voter education, registration and mobilization. We invite 18-to-29 year olds — the largest and most diverse generation in American history — into our democracy to ensure our government works for them and to find new solutions to the dire challenges facing our society and the world. Since 2013, NextGen America has registered more than 1.5 million young voters and educated many millions more.