Head of Product | Tech

Director, Fellowships and Products
Full-time Federation of American Scientists staff
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) takes quite seriously our role as a beacon and voice for the science community.
FAS has a rich history: after the devastating bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, a group of atomic researchers deeply concerned about the use of science for malice created an organization committed to using science and technology to benefit humanity.
Today, we are a group of entrepreneurial, intrepid changemakers, forging a better future for all through the nexus of science, technology and talent. We value equity, inclusion, and transparency. As a collective, we are building an organization focused on being impact-driven, customer-focused, and growth-oriented as a force for good in the world.
Provide vision and strategic direction for our signature initiatives that seek to power a policy entrepreneurship revolution - our policy entrepreneurship programming and talent fellowships platform, ensuring alignment with FAS's overall mission and organizational priorities
Represent FAS in external forums, conferences, and meetings with senior government officials, foundation leaders, and other key stakeholders
Fundraising & Partnerships
Work closely with the FAS development team to secure funding from foundations, government grants, and individual donors
Cultivate strategic partnerships with universities, nonprofits, research institutions, professional societies, and industry
Develop collaborative relationships with aligned organizations in the science policy ecosystem, identifying opportunities for joint initiatives, co-funding, and shared resources
Build and oversee deployment of the scalable infrastructure for programming, training, community-building and processes for converting promising ideas into policy action.
Work across FAS domains in partnership with FAS subject matter experts, fellows, contractors and expert reviewers and contributors.
Translate proven FAS models into a movement at scale that activates new communities, secures new partnerships, and builds a deeper ethos of policy entrepreneurship in S&T policymaking, while scaling a sustainable operating model.
Ensure Day One Project deliverables are timely, high-quality, and strategically positioned for maximum impact.
Coordinate dissemination strategies to place recommendations before policymakers, the scientific community, and the public.
Pursue opportunities to integrate our policy entrepreneurship engine with our talent and fellowships platform to drive greater impact.
Oversee and expand the FAS Talent Hub's work to put policy entrepreneurship into practice, by connecting technical experts with high-impact government positions across federal and state governments, and ensure their success, as well as connecting experts at all levels with roles in civil society.
Develop recruitment strategies to build a robust pipeline of science and technology talent interested in public service and civil society and inculcate them in the policy entrepreneurship ethos.
Cultivate relationships with new partners at state and federal agencies and congressional committees seeking technical expertise, and help them curate high-impact opportunities for fellows to drive impact.
Track and evaluate the impact of talent placements on government capacity and policy outcomes.
Pursue opportunities to integrate more deeply our Talent Hubs work with FAS engine for policy entrepreneurship to drive greater impact.
Team Management & Operations
Hire, mentor, and manage a high-performing team of program managers and policy analysts
Establish clear goals, metrics, and accountability structures for both programs
Oversee program budgets, ensuring efficient resource allocation and financial sustainability
Implement systems and processes to enable scalable growth while maintaining program quality
Demonstrated experience in science and technology policy, with knowledge of how technical expertise informs government decision-making.
~ Proven track record of program development and management, including setting strategy, building teams, and delivering measurable outcomes.
~ Strong network within government, policy, and scientific communities, with the ability to open doors and build influential relationships.
~ Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for policy audiences.
~ Experience managing budgets and financial resources for programs or organizations.
~ FAS seeks an exceptional Director to lead two flagship initiatives: the Day One Project and the FAS Talent Hub. This role represents a unique opportunity for a policy entrepreneur to build and scale a new integrated platform for our policy entrepreneurship and talent initiatives to deliver policy impact at scale.
The ideal candidate will be an entrepreneurial leader who knows policy entrepreneurship, can build excellent, sustainable programs that scale, establish influential partnerships, and manage complex stakeholder relationships across government, academia, and the private sector. Relationship Building: Natural connector who builds trust and maintains diverse networks across sectors with an ability to fundraise and drive vision broadly
Entrepreneurial Mindset: Comfortable with ambiguity, willing to take calculated risks, and focused on results
Thrives in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and emerging opportunities
This position will be a hybrid role, meaning that both remote and in-person work can be accommodated, generally two to three days per week on-site, and two to three days per week remote.
Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every listed qualification. At FAS we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and developing new voices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.