Chief Executive Officer Jobs in Washington, DC

Founded in 1998, The Forum for Youth Investment is a trusted national nonprofit committed to improving outcomes for youth (ages 5–24) in education, work, and life. The Forum is a national leader in youth development policy and practice, known for turning research into action. We help leaders build systems that center youth voice, advance equity, and support continuous quality improvement. The people at the Forum are our heartbeat and our greatest resource. We are passionately rallied around our mission to ensure all young people have what they need to thrive through stronger programs, informed processes, and systems that work better for everyone. Join our stellar team, leading the charge to deepen our impact and expand our service.

The Forum champions programs and federal and state policies that treat young people as experts in their own lives, amplifying their voices and honoring their experiences. At the same time, the Forum supports adults and organizations who work with youth by offering practical tools, training, coaching, and research to help them improve how they show up for young people. Also, because real change takes collaboration, we bring leaders together — from schools to nonprofits to government — to share ideas, solve problems, inform policy, and build better systems that truly support youth and the people who care about them.

For more information, visit www.forumfyi.org.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Forum for Youth Investment is advancing Vision 2040—a bold effort to ensure that all young people have access to high-quality learning and development experiences that prepare them for long-term success. At the center of this work is the Office of the CEO, which drives organizational strategy, shapes external partnerships, supports board governance, raises resources to fund the work, and ensures alignment across the Forum’s diverse portfolio. As the organization continues to evolve and expand its national influence, strong executive leadership infrastructure is essential to ensuring that the CEO can focus on strategy, growth, external engagement, and organizational alignment and culture.

The Executive Assistant to the CEO plays a pivotal and highly trusted role in enabling the CEO to operate at the highest level. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, this position serves as the operational backbone of the Office of the CEO. This individual functions as a strategic executive partner—not simply a calendar manager. The Executive Assistant manages priorities, coordinates workflows, supports the Board of Directors and Executive Team, prepares the CEO for critical meetings and decisions, and ensures disciplined follow-through on commitments. By bringing structure, judgment, clarity, and precision to a dynamic environment, this role directly contributes to the Forum’s ability to lead, grow, and achieve the goals of Vision 2040.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is a highly organized, proactive, resourceful, and strategic executive support professional who thrives in fast-paced, high-visibility environments. They bring exceptional judgment, discretion, emotional intelligence, and executive presence, with the ability to anticipate needs, distinguish between what is urgent and what is important, and manage competing demands with precision and composure. Equally comfortable handling detailed logistics, high-stakes communications, Board engagement, executive workflows, and strategic coordination, this individual is a trusted partner to the CEO and an ambassador for the Office of the CEO. They are a systems thinker and problem solver who identifies inefficiencies, strengthens processes, builds strong relationships, and ensures nothing falls through the cracks. Deeply aligned with the Forum’s mission, they understand that exceptional executive support is both strategic and operational—and that enabling strong leadership at the top is critical to advancing the Forum’s impact.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Executive Support and Priority Management

· Manage the CEO’s calendar, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities, effective use of time, and proactive planning.

· Anticipate needs, identify priorities, and ensure the CEO is prepared and informed about all meetings, engagements, presentations, and decisions.

· Serve as a gatekeeper and facilitator—prioritizing requests, redirecting inquiries, protecting executive time, and ensuring timely follow-up.

· Maintain awareness of key organizational strategic priorities, deadlines, emerging issues, and commitments.

· Coordinate the CEO’s travel and logistics, including itineraries, transportation, lodging, meeting details, expense documentation, and contingency planning.

· Maintain executive records, contact information, confidential materials, and other Office of the CEO resources with accuracy and discretion.

· Responsible for internal communications for the Office of the CEO, including staff, organizing all staff meetings and/or preparing agendas, etc.

Meeting and Workflow Coordination

· Coordinate Executive Team meetings, retreats, Business Plan Reviews, and key organizational convenings, including scheduling, agendas, materials, logistics, and follow-up.

· Prepare agendas, briefing materials, dashboards, presentations, and background documents to support effective decision-making.

· Capture key takeaways and track follow-up actions to ensure accountability and excellent execution.

· Lead daily and weekly preparation processes that align CEO priorities, workflow, meetings, correspondence, and follow-up.

Communications and Strategic Support

· Draft, edit, proofread, and manage communications on behalf of the CEO, including emails, presentations, and external messaging.

· Support development of internal and external communications in partnership with the Executive Team.

· Triage and manage incoming communications, ensuring timely and appropriate responses by the CEO.

· Support preparation for the CEO’s speaking engagements, meetings, and public-facing opportunities.

· Prepare concise meeting briefs that include relevant context, participant information, objectives, key messages, questions, risks, and desired outcomes.

· Partner with communications lead to ensure executive messaging is accurate, consistent, polished, and appropriate for the audience.

Governance and Board Engagement

· Serve as a key liaison between the Office of the CEO and the Board of Directors.

· Coordinate board and committee meetings, including scheduling, materials development, and logistics.

· Lead preparation and dissemination of board books and governance materials.

· Support documentation, record-keeping, minutes, and knowledge management for board activities.

Strategy Execution and Cross-Functional Coordination

· Support coordination of CEO-led strategic initiatives and organizational priorities, including workstreams tied to Vision 2040.

· Provide project management support for special initiatives by coordinating timelines, deliverables, stakeholders, communications, and next steps.

· Facilitate communication and coordination across teams to support the alignment and execution of key initiatives.

· Prepare trackers, dashboards, status summaries, and other tools that give the CEO visibility into progress against key priorities.

Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement

· Identify opportunities to improve workflows, systems, and processes within the Office of the CEO.

· Develop and maintain systems for tracking priorities, communications, and follow-up actions.

· Ensure high standards of organization, accuracy, and consistency across all work

· Contribute to building a high-functioning, responsive, and well-coordinated executive office.

Relationship and Stakeholder Management

· Serve as a professional, welcoming, and responsive first point of contact for individuals engaging with the CEO and the Office of the CEO.

· Build and maintain strong working relationships with staff, Board members, funders, partners, and other key stakeholders.

· Coordinate introductions, meetings, correspondence, stewardship activities, and follow-up to support important organizational relationships.

· Represent the CEO and the Forum with warmth, diplomacy, responsiveness, sound judgment, and professionalism.

LEADERSHIP PROFILE

We are seeking a leader who demonstrates:

• Mission-Driven Orientation: Commitment to advancing the Forum’s mission by enabling strong, effective leadership
• Executive Presence and Judgment: Exercises discretion, professionalism, and sound decision-making in high-stakes situations
• Operational Excellence: Ability to manage complex logistics and workflows with precision and reliability
• Systems Thinking: Understands how priorities, people, and processes connect—and strengthens alignment
• Proactive Problem Solving: Anticipates challenges and implements solutions before issues arise
• Communication and Influence: Communicates clearly, effectively, and with appropriate tone across diverse audiences
• Collaboration and Relationship Building: Builds trust and productive relationships across staff, the Board of Directors, and external stakeholders
• Adaptability and Resilience: Thrives in dynamic environments and manages shifting priorities with ease.

QUALIFICATIONS

· 5+ years of progressively responsible experience supporting a chief executive, senior executive, Board of Directors, and/or complex executive operations

· Experience supporting internal operations in nonprofit, education, research, or mission-driven organizations

· Demonstrated experience managing complex calendars, executive communications, travel, meetings, and various competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

· Strong organizational, project management, and administrative skills

· Experience managing systems, tools, and process documentation

· Ability to work across teams and manage multiple priorities simultaneously

· Strong communication and problem-solving skills

· High proficiency with Microsoft 365, including Outlook, Teams, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and SharePoint; experience with Salesforce, Board-management platforms, and project-management tools is a plus.

· Demonstrated ability to prepare polished executive correspondence, presentations, briefing materials, meeting notes, and action summaries.

· Bonus points if you have: bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience or a master’s degree in social services, education, or a related field

TEAM CULTURE

Similar to the organization as a whole, the Office of the CEO is deeply committed to our mission and works across every part of the Forum. We seek a colleague who brings purpose, strong personal accountability, curiosity, humility, responsiveness, and a collaborative approach to achieving ambitious goals. This individual will be energized by the opportunity to strengthen executive systems, build new ways of working, and help create a more aligned, sustainable, and high-performing organization.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $75,000-$85,000. Salary is commensurate with experience and competitive within the nonprofit sector. This role is a full-time hybrid position, with the individual living in the Washington, D.C. area. This person will work 2-3 days a week in the Forum’s Washington, DC office. Occasional travel will be required for meetings, conferences, and events.

The Forum offers a robust and comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and all federal holidays observed
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

The Forum for Youth Investment is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as defined by applicable law.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a resume and cover letter to hrjob@forumfyi.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. If your application is selected for an interview, you will be contacted directly.

Pay: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Washington, DC 20006