Executive Director

The McCain Institute seeks a dynamic and effective leader to scale and build the organization. The Institute was founded 10 years ago to advance the legacy of leadership of Senator McCain and his work on democracy, freedom and fighting exploitation and extremism in the US and abroad. Today, the Institute is one of the leading non-partisan organizations with more than a dozen world-class programs and a budget of $13 million. The Institute is a unit of Arizona State University, recognized for more than 5 years as the world’s most innovative university. The Institute, located in Washington, D.C. and Tempe, Arizona has built a world-class team and bipartisan Board of Trustees.

The mission of the McCain Institute is: “Inspired by legacy of Senator John McCain and his family, the McCain Institute fights to advance freedom, prosperity, security and human dignity for the benefit of all Americans and the world.”  

The Executive Director of the McCain Institute will have the passion, knowledge and skills to enact the strategic vision and provide the leadership to McCain Institute’s staff and operations in the fulfillment of its mission.  The Executive Director will work closely with the ASU leadership and the Board on matters of strategic planning, governance, program development and execution and resource mobilization.  The Executive Director will lead to ensure that the organization enjoys a strong culture, executes its plan effectively, builds and scales impactful programs, mobilizes resources and remains fiscally responsible.

The Executive Director of the McCain Institute must be an innovative, energetic leader who has experience working in these pillar areas and is passionate about advancing change around them.  The Institute is committed to impactful non-partisan initiatives and the Executive Director must also share that commitment.  S/he should ideally have significant executive management experience in public outreach, fundraising, communications, organizational management, and action-oriented programming at a non-profit institution or similar organization.

Candidates should have a demonstrated capability to operate, think and act strategically.  Additionally, they must have experience executing a strategic plan and turning it into coordinated tactics and programming. The Executive Director must assess current programming with regards to its strategic alignment and identify future programming opportunities and challenges for the Institute.  Additionally, s/he must identify existing and necessary resources and to visualize how those resources can meet the future challenges (of the McCain Institute) and where opportunities exist to develop new funding and partnerships. This strategic thinking and execution capability is an important priority for the position.

A core responsibility of the Executive Director is the growth and fiscal health of the Institute.  A candidate’s ability to mobilize resources is an essential requirement for the position. Ideally, the candidate has practical experience (five years) of mobilizing resources for a foundation, charitable organization or research institution. It is also ideal that the candidates have at their disposal a wide range of donor relationships and contacts that they will bring to the Institute that are unique.  

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