"Executive Director of Democratic Innovations Program"

Overview

The Democratic Innovations Program at Yale’s Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS) seeks an Executive Director (ED) to lead Democratic Innovations’ operational management and to partner with the faculty Director, Professor Alan Gerber, in developing and implementing strategic initiatives.

Democratic Innovations was established in 2021 to identify and test innovative ideas for improving representation and government effectiveness. The Program advances this mission through sponsorship of faculty research, conferences, events, visitors, post-doctoral fellows in residence, teaching, and student projects and working groups. Democratic Innovations is launching a major new project, Political Design for Effective Government. This new project aims to understand, empirically and theoretically, the institutions, rules, and norms that promote honest, competent, and effective government. The project’s mission is to advance knowledge about political design and government problem-solving by sponsoring and conducting research, sharing key findings, supporting teaching and student engagement, and building datasets and research networks. The Political Design project aims to foster the development of a community of researchers and promote political design as a significant field of study. To further the mission of Democratic Innovations during this expansion, the Democratic Innovations Program seeks an Executive Director with a track-record of exceptional initiative and a strong desire to build an outstanding Program.

In addition to working with the Faculty Director on the Program’s strategic direction, the Executive Director would play a key role in setting and refining procedures and guidelines for Democratic Innovation’s operations and governance.

Under the direction of the Faculty Director, the ED would oversee the Program’s finances and budgets. The individual would play a central role in strategic financial planning, including long-term financial planning and resource allocation, for the program as a whole and specific initiatives.

The ED would, under the direction of the Faculty Director, lead efforts to develop the Program’s public profile, including developing the focus and funding of new initiatives, and including through the program’s communications strategy, faculty engagement, partnership development, grant proposal leadership, alumni engagement, and strategic outreach.

As the day-to-day supervisor of Democratic Innovations initiatives and activities, the Executive Director’s responsibilities will also include, but not be limited to:

1. Administer Democratic Innovations’ initiatives and research programs
2. Build and maintain the Program’s community of resident fellows, visitors, affiliated external fellows, and student fellows, including recruitment of new post-docs and other fellows.
3. Oversee the Program’s scholarly publication strategy.
4. Organize and supervise events, including developing and managing academic events, including speaker series, workshops, and conferences.
5. Build relations with program alumni and work with ISPS staff on publishing a newsletter and managing the Program’s website content.
6. Oversee institutional growth and finances, including developing budgets, preparing review monthly financials for the Director.
7. Fundraise for the Program, including identifying grant opportunities.

This is a three-year fixed-term position with renewal contingent on performance and funding. The Executive Director must begin the appointment in the summer of 2026 or earlier and will receive a competitive salary plus Yale University benefits.

Required Skills and Abilities

1. Demonstrated understanding of the subject matter, needs and constraints of social science research or university-based research, including data-intensive research and data management. This should include relevant knowledge of political science, economics, or other areas related to government, politics, and organizational design.
2. Demonstrated operational management skills, including organizing complicated events, oversight and management of projects and programs, budget management, allocation of resources, supervision of organizational operations and development. Demonstrated ability to manage financial resources and balance budgets for projects, programs and larger entities, including budget planning experience and expertise.
3. Demonstrated ability and understanding of social science research and its implications; ability to translate research findings for a general audience and into the policy sphere. Demonstrated written and oral communication skills; proven ability to articulate ideas in verbal and written communications.
4. Demonstrated ability to engage constituents comfortably at all levels, such as students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, government and business leaders, advisory boards, and non-profit institutions. Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to represent the Democratic Innovations Program in interactions with internal and external constituents.
5. Demonstrated proficiency in working through organizational channels to manage fundraising efforts including but not limited to grant writing, donor relations, stewardship, partnering with development function, and external communications.

Preferred Skills and Abilities

Advanced degree, such as a Ph.D. in political science or economics, or another discipline related to the Program’s mission, is preferred but not required.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Directs one or more functional areas within an administrative department of the University and ensure compliance with University policies and procedures.
2. Directs analytic and research support for educational policies and planning and develops and approves administrative policies affecting assigned functional areas of the University.
3. Directs and establishes parameters for major projects for the department and University.
4. Interprets federal policies and regulations and educates staff and administration about regulations, restrictions, and the legal responsibilities of the University.
5. Directs and implements policy and program modifications and develops standards to ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations.
6. Develops and administers an operating budget for the assigned department consistent with University policies and procedures.
7. Develops cost savings objectives and goals; authorizes major purchases and negotiates contracts that range from routine to complex in nature.
8. Establishes and implements long- and short-range goals for the functional area consistent with University goals and objectives.
9. Directs the development of related automated systems to support the function; determines office policies and procedures for use of automated systems.
10. Directs the evaluation and selection of vendors and negotiates contract details including work steps and pricing with the vendors on behalf of the assigned functional area.
11. Works with internal and external contacts to solve problems that range from routine to complex in nature.
12. Represents the University in discussions and negotiations with various governmental agencies.
13. Directs a staff of exempt and nonexempt employees.
14. May perform other duties as assigned.