The Policy Circle

The Policy Circle is the premier pipeline for women leaders at the state and local level whose values are grounded in limited government principles and committed to civil discourse. The women in our community don’t just follow policy conversations; they create real civic impact in their states and communities. We are stepping into a defining season of growth and seeking a proven leader ready to help shape the next chapter of women’s leadership in public policy.

Role Summary

The Policy Circle seeks a Director of Programs to lead the strategy and delivery of consistent programs and measurable results. This proven leader owns the pathway that moves women from initial engagement to deeper participation, community leadership, policy influence, and meaningful civic action, while producing visible outcomes and Stories of Impact that demonstrate results. They are responsible for translating The Policy Circle’s civic impact goals into a practical, integrated operating plan and for leading the execution required to move women along that continuum with excellence and consistency.

As a member of the Leadership Team, this role carries organization-level responsibility and accountability for the success of The Policy Circle. In addition to leading the Programs team, this leader contributes to cross-functional planning, strategic decision-making, and organizational alignment. This role oversees and strengthens a high-quality program portfolio (including civic leadership programs, the Civic Coaching fellowship, Circles, and related pathways), operationalizes relationship-based engagement in a way that can scale without losing the human heart of the work, and leads a team that streamlines work, strengthens execution, and consistently delivers measurable civic impact.

The successful candidate will be deeply aligned with and committed to The Policy Circle’s mission and core values, and will thrive in a mission-driven environment that values problem-solving and solutions rooted in personal and economic freedom.

Role & Responsibilities

The Director of Programs’ responsibilities span strategy, team leadership, program delivery, and activation across The Policy Circle’s civic impact portfolio. General responsibilities to include:

  • Translate The Policy Circle’s civic impact vision into a clear annual operating plan with priorities, timelines, and measurable goals.
  • Design and manage the engagement-to-impact pathway (consumer → participant → activated leader → measurable civic impact), including segmentation and next-step strategies.
  • Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the civic impact program portfolio (CLER, Civic Coaching, and related pathways), ensuring quality delivery and ongoing evolution.
  • Ensure every program drives concrete outcomes beyond completion (activation steps, leadership moves, civic actions), and that results are tracked and learned from.
  • Oversee Circles strategy and support as a core channel for community-building and civic activation, aligned with broader impact priorities.
  • Build systems and team rhythms for consistent program planning, execution, evaluation, and improvement.
  • Operationalize relationship-based engagement by defining the right touchpoints, experiences, and follow-up to deepen connection with high-potential women.
  • Steward a repeatable system for capturing Stories of Impact and outcomes data, ensuring it’s accurate and usable for Communications and Development.

Professional Requirements

  • Experience and Leadership:
    • Bachelor’s degree
    • 10+ years experience leading and delivering multi-part program portfolios with strong execution and measurable outcomes
    • Experience with civic engagement, advocacy, activation, or adjacent work – and an understanding of how to move people from participation into leadership/action
    • Proven people manager who can build, coach, and lead a high-performing team responsible for program delivery
    • Ability to translate organizational goals into program strategy, engagement pathways, and clear success measures
    • Experience building engagement pathways that drive measurable outcomes (civic action, leadership growth, behavior change)
    • Ability to operationalize relationship-based engagement strategies through a team (high-touch, repeatable, and scalable)
    • Execution-oriented with excellent prioritization; keeps teams aligned to what matters most without over-engineering
  • Skills and Competencies:
    • Strong strategic planning and execution skills, with the ability to convert vision into actionable plans and team priorities
    • Excellent leadership and management skills, including coaching, delegation, accountability, and performance development
    • Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively across departments
    • Strong written and verbal communication skills
    • Highly organized with strong project management skills and attention to detail
    • Ability to use data and qualitative insights to evaluate progress and inform decision-making
    • Sound judgment, problem-solving ability, and comfort making decisions in a fast-moving environment
    • Ability to balance structure and consistency with adaptability and continuous improvement
  • Technical Skills/Tools:
    • Proficiency in Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
    • Experience using CRM systems (Salesforce strongly preferred)
    • Experience with project management and collaboration tools (e.g., Basecamp or similar)
    • Comfort working with dashboards, reports, and program/outcomes tracking tools
    • Ability to learn and adopt new technologies, including AI-enabled tools, to improve team effectiveness and execution

Working at The Policy Circle

Compensation will be commensurate with experience. Generous benefits package including but not limited to: Medical, vision, and dental coverage starting on the first day of employment; Matching 401k – after 90 days of employment; Life insurance; Paid parental leave; 10 company holidays and 26 PTO days; Half-day Fridays; and cell phone reimbursement. This role will likely require 25% travel.

To Apply

To apply, qualified individuals should submit the following application materials in one PDF document:

  • Cover letter (1 page max) including:
    • An introductory paragraph sharing why The Policy Circle’s mission resonates with you and how you think about the importance of personal and economic freedom, personal agency, and civic leadership in strengthening communities;
    • And a paragraph describing your relevant experience and the strengths you would bring to this role, including examples of leading programs, teams, or engagement strategies that produced measurable results
  • Salary requirements.
  • Resume

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/

Questions can be directed to Savannah Murphy, Project Manager at Talent Market, who is managing the search: [email protected].

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Talent Market is a nonprofit entity dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation.