Chief Executive Officer Jobs in District of Columbia
Chief Executive Officer jobs in District of Columbia are concentrated in Washington, D.C., with additional activity in the surrounding metro across Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland, where federal agencies, trade associations, and major institutions drive sustained executive demand. Well-known employers with a lasting presence in the region include Booz Allen Hamilton, the American Red Cross, and National Geographic, all of which fill senior leadership roles on a recurring basis. Policy leadership, nonprofit governance, and government contracting strategy are among the most in-demand specialties for chief executives operating in this market. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Title: Executive Assistant to the Chief Strategy Officer
Reports to: Chief Strategy Officer
Job Summary: The Executive Assistant oversees the day-to-day operations of the Office of the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and provides executive-level administrative and coordination support across the CSO’s portfolio. Working with diplomacy, discretion, and sound judgment, the Executive Assistant helps translate senior-level direction into organized workflows, timely decisions, and clear follow-through. The Executive Assistant is comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-level environment; anticipates needs; manages multiple time-sensitive priorities; and brings a methodical, action-oriented approach to executive support.
Job Duties:
Executive Office and Calendar Management- Manage and optimize the CSO’s daily and long-term calendars, prioritize meetings, and protect time for key priorities.
- Serve as the primary scheduling point of contact for internal colleagues and external stakeholders.
- Coordinate scheduling and operating rhythms with the CSO’s direct reports, Vice Presidents, Directors, and other senior leaders.
- Evaluate meeting and event requests for purpose, readiness, participants, and desired outcomes; prepare briefing materials and track decisions and action items.
- Plan and support key CSO meetings, including agendas, materials, logistics, decision tracking, and follow-up.
- Maintain project trackers, timelines, and accountability systems to ensure progress and visibility.
- Support Command Center processes and executive follow-up to help ensure clarity of ownership, speed, and quality.
- Coordinate all domestic and international travel for the CSO.
- Manage review, submission, and approval processes for CSO expense reports.
- Monitor department budgets, expense reports, and vendor invoices.
- Handle confidential, sensitive, and time-critical matters with discretion and sound judgment.
- Manage intake, review, routing, and approval of executive and Board communications reports, proposals, partnership materials, and other priority collateral.
- Ensure materials are complete, accurate, and ready for executive review.
- Conduct final quality checks and coordinate necessary revisions before materials are submitted for approval.
- Maintain organized records of decisions, approved materials, and required follow-up.
Strategic Portfolio and Stakeholder Communications
- Support coordination and follow-through across the CSO’s portfolio and priority initiatives.
- Help manage information flow, requests, and communications involving senior leaders and key internal and external stakeholders.
- Coordinate executive participation in priority meetings, engagements, and events, including schedules, background materials, briefings, and desired outcomes.
- Maintain organized tracking of priority requests, commitments, decisions, and follow-up requiring CSO involvement.
- Help ensure timely communication and follow-through among the CSO’s office, senior leaders, and relevant stakeholders.
Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor's Degree preferred
Experience: 3+ years of experience directly supporting and advising an executive-level manager; experience working for a policy organization and/or Capitol Hill office preferred
Communication: Excellent verbal, writing, and proofreading skills
Technology: Expert proficiency in Microsoft Suite and database software required
Other Requirements:
- Understand and support Heritage’s mission and vision for America, and the department’s goals and objectives.
- Discretion and ability to maintain confidentiality.
- Strong bias for action.
- Excellent strategic, organizational, planning, and interpersonal skills.
- Basic knowledge of policy issues.
Benefits and Salary:
The Heritage Foundation offers a highly competitive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, best-in-class health care, vision, and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement funding, “take what you need” PTO and sick leave, 14 weeks of paid leave for new moms and 6 weeks of paid leave for new dads, among other programs.
The salary range for this role is $67,000 - $80,000 annually. This range is a good-faith estimate, and the final salary offered to a selected candidate depends on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, and other qualifications; internal and external market pay for comparable jobs; and level of hire based on aforementioned qualifications.
Title: Executive Assistant to the Chief Strategy Officer
Reports to: Chief Strategy Officer
Job Summary: The Executive Assistant oversees the day-to-day operations of the Office of the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and provides executive-level administrative and coordination support across the CSO’s portfolio. Working with diplomacy, discretion, and sound judgment, the Executive Assistant helps translate senior-level direction into organized workflows, timely decisions, and clear follow-through. The Executive Assistant is comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-level environment; anticipates needs; manages multiple time-sensitive priorities; and brings a methodical, action-oriented approach to executive support.
Job Duties:
Executive Office and Calendar Management- Manage and optimize the CSO’s daily and long-term calendars, prioritize meetings, and protect time for key priorities.
- Serve as the primary scheduling point of contact for internal colleagues and external stakeholders.
- Coordinate scheduling and operating rhythms with the CSO’s direct reports, Vice Presidents, Directors, and other senior leaders.
- Evaluate meeting and event requests for purpose, readiness, participants, and desired outcomes; prepare briefing materials and track decisions and action items.
- Plan and support key CSO meetings, including agendas, materials, logistics, decision tracking, and follow-up.
- Maintain project trackers, timelines, and accountability systems to ensure progress and visibility.
- Support Command Center processes and executive follow-up to help ensure clarity of ownership, speed, and quality.
- Coordinate all domestic and international travel for the CSO.
- Manage review, submission, and approval processes for CSO expense reports.
- Monitor department budgets, expense reports, and vendor invoices.
- Handle confidential, sensitive, and time-critical matters with discretion and sound judgment.
- Manage intake, review, routing, and approval of executive and Board communications reports, proposals, partnership materials, and other priority collateral.
- Ensure materials are complete, accurate, and ready for executive review.
- Conduct final quality checks and coordinate necessary revisions before materials are submitted for approval.
- Maintain organized records of decisions, approved materials, and required follow-up.
Strategic Portfolio and Stakeholder Communications
- Support coordination and follow-through across the CSO’s portfolio and priority initiatives.
- Help manage information flow, requests, and communications involving senior leaders and key internal and external stakeholders.
- Coordinate executive participation in priority meetings, engagements, and events, including schedules, background materials, briefings, and desired outcomes.
- Maintain organized tracking of priority requests, commitments, decisions, and follow-up requiring CSO involvement.
- Help ensure timely communication and follow-through among the CSO’s office, senior leaders, and relevant stakeholders.
Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor's Degree preferred
Experience: 3+ years of experience directly supporting and advising an executive-level manager; experience working for a policy organization and/or Capitol Hill office preferred
Communication: Excellent verbal, writing, and proofreading skills
Technology: Expert proficiency in Microsoft Suite and database software required
Other Requirements:
- Understand and support Heritage’s mission and vision for America, and the department’s goals and objectives.
- Discretion and ability to maintain confidentiality.
- Strong bias for action.
- Excellent strategic, organizational, planning, and interpersonal skills.
- Basic knowledge of policy issues.
Benefits and Salary:
The Heritage Foundation offers a highly competitive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, best-in-class health care, vision, and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement funding, “take what you need” PTO and sick leave, 14 weeks of paid leave for new moms and 6 weeks of paid leave for new dads, among other programs.
The salary range for this role is $67,000 - $80,000 annually. This range is a good-faith estimate, and the final salary offered to a selected candidate depends on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, and other qualifications; internal and external market pay for comparable jobs; and level of hire based on aforementioned qualifications.
See All 9 Chief Executive Officer Jobs in District of Columbia
Find roles in District of Columbia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Chief Executive Officer JobsChief Executive Officer Jobs by City in District of Columbia
Where District of Columbia roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Chief Executive Officer Job Market in District of Columbia
A snapshot from current District of Columbia openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
What District of Columbia Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in chief executive officer jobs across District of Columbia.
- Bachelor's or advanced degree in business administration, public policy, or a related field
- Demonstrated executive leadership experience managing large teams and multi-million dollar budgets
- Deep familiarity with federal government contracting, regulatory, or policy environments
- Proven record of board governance, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communications
- Experience leading organizations within nonprofit, association, or mission-driven sectors
- Strong network within District of Columbia's government affairs and policy communities
Chief Executive Officer Jobs in District of Columbia: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a chief executive officer in District of Columbia?
Reaching a chief executive officer role in District of Columbia typically requires an advanced degree, often an MBA or a master's in public policy, combined with a decade or more of progressively senior leadership. Because the D.C. market is heavily shaped by federal policy and nonprofit governance, executive candidates who have held deputy director, vice president, or senior director roles inside government agencies, associations, or federal contractors are consistently the most competitive applicants.
Which companies hire chief executive officers in District of Columbia?
Companies currently hiring chief executive officers in District of Columbia include Shatterproof, Stimson Center, and Evidence Action, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. The District's dense concentration of trade associations, think tanks, and government contractors means executive openings appear across a wider range of organization types here than in most other markets.
Which District of Columbia cities have the most chief executive officer jobs?
The cities with the most chief executive officer openings in District of Columbia are Washington. Washington, D.C. itself dominates because it is home to the headquarters of federal agencies, hundreds of national associations, and major defense and consulting firms, while nearby Bethesda and Arlington draw openings from health policy organizations, international institutions, and large government contractors anchored in those corridors.
Are there remote chief executive officer jobs in District of Columbia?
Yes, but they are relatively uncommon at the chief executive level given the expectation of board presence, stakeholder relationship management, and in-person leadership. About 100% of chief executive officer openings tied to District of Columbia are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with hybrid arrangements more common than fully remote. The functions most likely to accommodate flexibility are strategic planning, policy development, and external affairs responsibilities that do not require daily on-site oversight.
How can I get hired as a chief executive officer in District of Columbia with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is to build executive exposure through director-level or chief of staff roles inside D.C.-area nonprofits, federal agencies, or association management organizations, which regularly promote from within. Large institutions such as the American Hospital Association, Brookings Institution, and George Washington University offer senior leadership development programs and fellowship tracks that prepare candidates for executive transitions. Earning a credential such as a Certified Association Executive designation also signals readiness to D.C. boards conducting CEO searches.
Where can I find and apply to chief executive officer jobs in District of Columbia?
You can find and apply to chief executive officer jobs in District of Columbia on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the D.C. metro. Search the available roles, identify the ones that match your background and target sector, and apply directly to each listing without needing to create a profile or sign up.
See All 9 Chief Executive Officer Jobs in District of Columbia
Find roles in District of Columbia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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