American Progress is seeking to fill the positions listed below. We do anticipate other openings in the future and encourage you to check our site often. Please note that only those individuals whose qualifications match the current needs of the organization will be considered applicants and will receive responses from American Progress. Thank you for your interest in American Progress.
Current Job Openings
Assistant Editor/Researcher
The Enough Project, a project of the Center for American Progress, has an immediate opening for an Assistant Editor/Researcher to assist with the publication of policy papers on issues related to the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities in Enough’s priority areas: Sudan, South Sudan, eastern Congo, and the Lord’s Resistance Army.
Associate Director of Email Marketing and Audience Relations
American Progress is seeking an Associate Director of Email Marketing and Audience Relations to manage our email marketing and audience relations portfolios. Specifically, the Associate Director runs the email marketing portfolio that currently sends an average of 300 email blasts per month. The program is focused on reaching those individuals who are best positioned to advance our policy ideas and experts, namely among elected and appointed officials and their staff, policy professionals, and donors, and includes a variety of email products including targeted policy announcements, online newsletters, event invitations, and fundraising and advocacy appeals. The Associate Director also runs the audience relations program that supervises American Progress’s Salesforce-based database of top-priority contacts and develops strategies to build deeper relationships with our core stakeholders through list-building and lead-nurturing efforts. The Associate Director works with a cross-department team to implement low-dollar fundraising and grassroots advocacy campaigns. In the next year the Associate Director will also manage the Email Team’s transition from its current email software to a new system, including training staff and creating and implementing new strategies for contact segmentation.
The Associate Director position is at American Progress’ interactive outreach program. American Progress’ strategy—summed up in the phrase “influencing the influencers”—is aimed at deepening and strengthening American Progress’ relationships with those individuals best positioned to advance our policy ideas. We focus our efforts primarily at elected and appointed officials and their staff, policy professionals, and donors.
The Associate Director supervises the Email Marketing Manager, Email Marketing Associate, and the Audience Relations Associate. The Email Team works closely with the Government Affairs and Development teams as well as the ThinkProgress, Social Media, CRM and Web Technology teams.
Associate Director of Major Gifts
The Associate Director of Major Gifts executes the major donor fundraising efforts as a senior fundraiser in the Development department. He or she engages the institution’s largest individual donors in the work and impact of American Progress while expanding the major donor file to include new supports. This position is ideal for a fundraiser who focuses on the bottom line and is creative. The Associate Director of Major Gifts works closely with the Director of Development on the departmentwide strategy for meeting the organization’s annual fundraising goal.
Associate Director/Director for Postsecondary Education
The Postsecondary Education Policy Program at American Progress believes a quality and affordable postsecondary education is a key to rebuilding the middle class and advancing national competitiveness. To provide every American with access to a quality, affordable postsecondary education, American Progress advocates for a postsecondary education policy agenda that would strengthen public investment with accountability for results, use consumer information to promote sound decision making by students and families and safeguard public and private investment, and apply innovative approaches to teaching and learning, including the use of technology, to create cost-effective ways to expand access to and the quality of postsecondary education.
American Progress has an immediate opening for an Associate Director/Director for Postsecondary Education. The right candidate will be a dynamic leader capable of driving an agenda to transform postsecondary education through the development of evidence-based policy, creative communications, and effective stakeholder engagement. The Associate Director/Director will lead a strong team of experts to develop high-impact policy solutions within the agenda described above.
Climate Reporter, ThinkProgress
American Progress has an immediate opening for a Climate Reporter at ThinkProgress.
Director of Infrastructure Policy
The Center for American Progress is a progressive think tank dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through ideas and action. We are creating a long-term, progressive vision for America—a vision that policymakers, thought leaders, and activists can use to shape the national debate and pass laws that make a difference. The Center seeks a Director of Infrastructure Policy who will direct the Center’s work on infrastructure investments.
Director, LGBT Research and Communications Project
The Center for American Progress has an immediate opening for the Director of the LGBT Research and Communications Project. This project combines substantive policy research on issues of importance to the LGBT community with rapid-response communications and messaging efforts. The Director will direct this project and is responsible for managing a comprehensive research program, developing new policy and communications ideas, coordinating efforts with other policy departments at CAP, and working with allied LGBT and non-LGBT organizations.
Director/Associate Director of Fiscal Policy
American Progress is a progressive think tank dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through ideas and action. We are creating a long-term, progressive vision for America—a vision that policymakers, thought leaders, and activists can use to shape the national debate and pass laws that make a difference. American Progress is seeking a Director/Associate Director of Fiscal Policy who will direct the organization’s work on fiscal policy.
Economic Policy Analyst
American Progress has an immediate opening for an economic policy analyst. The ideal candidate will have a background in labor economics and employment and social policy in the United States, including U.S. policies around employment, hours of work, leave policies such as family and medical leave and paid sick days, as well as discrimination. The job will entail conducting and assisting with research on labor and workplace policy issues in the United States, including data analysis, conducting literature reviews, writing reports, columns, and blogs, and engaging with other researchers and advocates.
Economist/Senior Economist
American Progress has an immediate opening for an Economist or Senior Economist. We are open to applicants who are widely experienced in a range of fields, and who have in-depth expertise in at least one the following fields: macroeconomics, labor economics, inequality and economic mobility, public finance, and/or innovation and growth. This person would conduct their own research, help in conducting the necessary quality control for work of colleagues at American Progress, consult on commissioned work, and serve as a spokesperson on broader economic issues.
We are interested in both experienced Ph.D. economists as well as recent advanced degree graduates.
Enough Policy Associate
Enough, a project of the Center for American Progress, has an immediate opening for a policy associate. The policy associate will be responsible for researching the political and conflict dynamics primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and secondarily in areas affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), analyzing U.S. government, international, and corporate policy related to these conflicts, and contributing to Enough’s strategy papers, reports, and other publications. This is a position requiring research and report-writing experience, strong analytical skills, good interpersonal skills, and a strong understanding of conflicts in central Africa.
Executive Director
The Equitable Growth Research Council, housed at the Center for American Progress, is a new, independent, and nonpartisan research and education project that seeks to better understand and address the effects of economic inequality in the United States and around the world. An important part of the Council’s mission includes providing grants to academic economists and social scientists to support new research on inequality, mobility, growth, and related issues. An Executive Director is needed immediately to help build the organization, supervise and manage day-to-day activities, and guide long-term strategic planning. Since the Council is a new organization, we are seeking candidates that are entrepreneurial, good problem solvers, highly professional, and interested in helping address the range of challenges associated with building a new organization.
Information Security and Systems Engineer
American Progress has an immediate opening for a Microsoft system administrator/network operations specialist capable of operating in a demanding environment, learning on the fly. Applicants must be individuals following the latest developments in technology in areas such as information security, virtualization, cloud base services, and web hosting.
Investigative Reporter, ThinkProgress
American Progress has an immediate opening for an Investigative Reporter to work at ThinkProgress and assist with data collection, research, reporting, and writing.
Online Organizing Associate, Campus Progress
American Progress has an immediate opening for an Online Organizing Associate for Campus Progress to assist with Campus Progress’s online organizing efforts and social media outreach. This position requires managing a large workflow of projects efficiently. Applicants should enjoy detail-oriented work and troubleshooting. The position will have a core set of responsibilities with the opportunity to pursue projects tailored to the individual’s interests and areas of expertise.
Campus Progress is American Progress’s dynamic effort to help young people make their voices heard on key issues and to empower new generations of progressive leaders. Campus Progress engages in policy, advocacy, and communications on issues including affordable education, LGBT rights, immigration reform, climate change, and voting rights.
Policy Advocate
American Progress has an immediate opening for a Policy Advocate within the Campus Progress team. This person would assist in developing policy recommendations while both tracking and aiding their progression from concept to reality. The work will be focused within the broad domestic areas of economic justice, human rights, and democracy.
Policy Analyst, Postsecondary Education
American Progress has an immediate opening for a Policy Analyst for Postsecondary Education.
The Policy Analyst will monitor policy proposals pending before Congress and will conduct policy-relevant long-term analysis as well as rapid response. The Policy Analyst will work with the Associate Director/Director of Postsecondary Education to formulate progressive policy alternatives. The Policy Analyst will support the research and policy development of the Associate Director/Director of Postsecondary Education in areas including higher education and workforce development policy.
The Policy Analyst will also work on issues pertaining to the Higher Education and Workforce Investment Acts as well as related legislation. The position will require strong analytical, communication, and management skills.
Progress 2050 Policy Analyst
American Progress has an immediate opening for a Policy Analyst with expertise on equity/diversity/inclusion issues. This person will be Progress 2050’s primary Policy Analyst and will do substantial research and writing for the team, as well as for other policy departments within American Progress. He or she will also collaborate with allied organizations
Senior Field Researcher—Juba
Enough, a project of American Progress, has an immediate opening for a full-time Senior Field Researcher to track and analyze developments related to the ongoing conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan. The Senior Field Researcher will be based in South Sudan and will provide research and analysis on the political and security situation there and on conditions relating to the situation in Sudan and South Sudan. He/she will provide analysis to corroborate and contextualize information obtained through the Satellite Sentinel Project and other sources of information. The Senior Field Researcher will provide input on policy recommendations and advocacy as led by the team at Enough’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Note: This position was initially advertised as a short-term consultancy. Enough is now seeking a full-time staff member, with benefits, to fill this role permanently. Salary is negotiable, commensurate to experience.
Senior Graphic Designer
American Progress is looking for a versatile and creative Designer for a senior position with the Art Team. The Designer will work as part of a team that creates reports, infographics, web graphics, advertisements, marketing materials, websites, email designs, interactive media, and video storytelling. He or she will help American Progress communicate progressive ideas and arguments through clear, visually compelling design. The Designer’s primary responsibilities are the layout and production of print publications, as well as visuals and design for the web. He or she will serve as the point person for the Art department and will also be responsible for managing project workflow and meeting requests, as the Art Director is offsite.
Senior Major Gifts Officer
The Senior Major Gifts Officer is a key member of the American Progress Major Gifts team. She or he will contribute to the overall strategy and operations of fundraising from individuals with a capacity to give $25,000 and above. She or he will also engage the institution’s individual donors in the work and impact of American Progress while expanding the donor base to include new major donors.
We are seeking an accomplished, donor-focused professional with 5–10 years of experience fundraising from individual donors—ideally for progressive causes—and with superior verbal and written communications skills. The ideal candidate will be able to build successful working relationships with high-net-worth individuals and their representatives.
The Senior Major Gifts Officer at American Progress reports directly to the Associate Director of Major Gifts, and indirectly to the Senior Vice President for Development. She or he will meet with both of these colleagues together in a weekly meeting to assess strategy and progress toward goals.
Social Media Reporter, ThinkProgress
American Progress has an immediate opening for a Social Media Reporter for ThinkProgress to help us drive the progressive policy discussion online. The Social Media Reporter will play an important role in an expanding team focused on building the organization’s presence and impact in social media.
South Asia/Greater Middle East Research Assistant
American Progress has an immediate opening for a Research Assistant to provide research and administrative assistance on U.S. policy toward South Asia and the greater Middle East. Research topics may include analysis of the political, security, and economic effects of the U.S. transition in Afghanistan; the prospects for democratic consolidation in Pakistan; the U.S.-Indian bilateral relationship; or the post-Arab Spring balance of power in Egypt, among other issues.
Special Assistant to the Senior Vice President, Operations
American Progress is seeking candidates for the position of Special Assistant to the Senior Vice President, Operations. This position calls for a highly organized individual with unusual attention to detail. The job involves providing both administrative and research support to senior executives who rely heavily on a Special Assistant for setting priorities, exercising judgment, managing important relationships, providing timely and concise information, and ensuring that they are well prepared for meetings and events.
The Special Assistant will assist the Senior Vice President, Operations with administrative procedures and coordination with other teams at American Progress; organize meetings and manage schedules; research, draft, and edit materials; help organize events and meetings; and perform other tasks as required.
Vice President, Economic Policy
The Vice President for Economic Policy has principal responsibility for day-to-day management and must possess the substantive expertise to set the strategic direction for American Progress’s 25-member Economic Policy team that is committed to strengthening the middle class and restoring broadly shared economic growth. It is a broad and diverse team that covers fiscal policy, labor policy, infrastructure policy, macroeconomic research, and higher education, among other areas. The VP represents the Economic Policy team to other CAP and CAP Action Fund teams and to the organization’s senior leadership. The VP also serves as American Progress’s principal point of contact and manages the team’s relationships with other organizations, especially those in the economic policy arena.
Web Developer
American Progress is looking to hire a talented Web Developer to help build websites and tools that advance progressive causes. We are looking for someone who can work in a team environment with multiple stakeholders and can also take responsibility for the work assigned.
The ideal candidate will understand server-side code using PHP and WordPress, client-side code using jQuery and JavaScript, and other layers of the technology stack such as MySQL. You need to know how to write code that will work across browsers, integrate with social networks, be resilient and scalable, and be clear and supportable among your fellow team members. You should have the curiosity to understand what is happening in the technology industry, with the ability to help us figure out what technologies we should pursue. You should be familiar with good coding practices such as use of version control (Git, SVN).
You must be able to handle multiple responsibilities simultaneously and be a self-starter who can work independently but also work well within a team. You’ll need to be able to work with the Editorial staff to help them translate their vision into a working system and to teach them how to use the solution once it is built.