Executive Correspondence and Research Associate

Position Summary:

Democracy Forward Foundation (“Democracy Forward”) is seeking a strategic, mission-aligned associate with excellent judgment and discretion to support executive leadership with high-level correspondence, research, and stakeholder engagement. This role requires excellent organizational and communication skills, along with discretion, research abilities, and professionalism. The ideal candidate is a proactive, detail-oriented professional with experience handling sensitive matters, research tasks, and correspondence support.

This position is full-time. Democracy Forward’s office is located in Washington, DC. While this position offers flexibility to work remotely, it requires regular in-office presence eight (8) times per month (averaging 2 times per week) to effectively support the nature of the role.

The Executive Correspondence and Research Associate will report to the Deputy Chief of Staff and work closely with the entire Executive Office.

The application deadline for this role is August 9, 2026 at 11:59pm ET

Key Responsibilities:

Below are the key areas of responsibility for this role. The specifics of each responsibility may vary based on the needs of the organization and department.

Executive Correspondence Management:

• Assist with executive correspondence management, ensuring that information is tracked, categorized and responded to in an efficient manner; prioritize and escalate as needed. 
• Oversee a system for the efficient management of executive email communications to ensure that priority items are noted and responded to in a timely manner; adapt and innovate on the system as needed.
• Work with the Deputy Chief of Staff to design, draft, and implement response strategies.
• Proactively organize post-event executive correspondence; prepare lists of potential communication recipients and work with internal attendees to draft responses. 
• Research issues that appear in correspondence and/or that are necessary to support a response.

Executive Research:

• Provide preliminary research on event, speaker, and/or meeting invites that come in for the members of the Executive Office.
• Research and compile background information in advance of Executive Office members attending a meeting or event, contributing to memos provided in advance of attendance.
• Conduct research to support additional preparation materials as needed for executive support, including gathering and organizing relevant background documents or supporting materials.

Briefing Book & Memo Process:

• Provide Support for the executive briefing book and memo processes, helping ensure materials are organized, current, and ready ahead of key meetings and engagements.
• Coordinate with the Deputy Chief of Staff to track memo requests and deadlines, ensuring the process runs smoothly and stays on schedule.

Inbox Management of Democracy Forward inboxes:

• Review and assess content coming into multiple public-facing Democracy Forward inboxes and ensure that information is tracked, categorized, and responded to in a timely, efficient, and appropriate manner; prioritize and escalate as needed. 
• Work with the teams that also monitor and respond to those inboxes to ensure that the Executive Office priorities are represented.

Qualifications:

We recognize that strong candidates may not meet 100% of the qualifications listed. If you believe you can contribute meaningfully to our team, we encourage you to apply.

• 1-3+ years of experience in government, non-profit, or corporate communications, or executive support—ideally in a fast-paced, high-profile environment.
• High level of discretion, integrity, and professionalism in handling confidential information.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong research skills and the ability to synthesize information quickly and accurately.
• Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills.
• Experience with communication tools and platforms (e.g., Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Slack, SharePoint, etc.)
• Ability to thrive under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

Work Environment & Physical Demands:

• This role may require occasional travel for team retreats, conferences, or organizational meetings.
• This role may involve sitting for extended periods and working on a computer. Reasonable accommodations will be provided as needed.

This is an exempt full time position with a salary range of $72,100 - $90,000. This role is overtime eligible.

Democracy Forward Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We strongly encourage people of color; LGBTQIA+ people; women; people with disabilities; and veterans to apply. Please note that all lawyer positions require a law degree and active membership in the bar of a state or the District of Columbia. 

Not sure you meet all of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement.  If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you are new to mission-based legal and policy work, returning to work after a gap in employment, or simply looking to transition or take the next step in your career path, we welcome the opportunity to have you on our radar.  Please include in your cover letter the nature of your interest in legal and policy work promoting democracy and progress and what you hope to bring to our team and the role for which you are applying. 

Democracy Forward is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the hiring process, please direct your inquiries to recruiting@democracyforward.org or 833-391-4732.