Director of Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives

About this role

WHO WE ARE

American Oversight (AO) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit watchdog that advances truth, accountability, and democracy by enforcing the public’s right to government records. We use multiple tools, backed by aggressive litigation, to fight attacks on democratic institutions, threats to civil rights and liberties, abuses of power, and the erosion of government transparency. We expose and disrupt these attacks — and the officials and networks behind them — by forcing the government to turn over records officials would rather keep secret.

Since our founding in 2017, American Oversight has worked on issues that touch nearly every aspect of American life. Our team has:

• Secured a court order to preserve records in the 2025 “Signalgate” scandal, and spurred a related investigation by the Department of Defense inspector general that found Secretary Pete Hegseth had put troops’ lives in danger and violated federal recordkeeping laws.

• Forced DOGE to implement a records preservation policy to ensure long-term accountability for its chaotic actions.

• Revealed the Trump-sanctioned pressure campaign on the Ukrainian government by forcing the Trump administration to turn over records initially withheld from Congress.

• Unmasked sham “audits” of the 2020 election in Wisconsin and Arizona, which used taxpayer money to undermine state elections.

• Exposed the Trump administration’s unprecedented use of personal data to target immigrant communities and remove people from state voter rolls.

We are committed to fighting threats to democracy at the federal, state, and local levels, using time-tested and innovative tools to expose misconduct, defend against attacks on marginalized communities, and demand accountability.

For more information, please visit our website:
JOB OVERVIEW
The Director of Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives is a key member of American Oversight’s leadership team, responsible for shaping and executing the organization’s vision for partnerships and external engagement. The Director identifies, initiates, and cultivates strategic relationships that expand American Oversight’s influence and position it as the nation’s leading public records watchdog.
The Director builds and sustains mission-aligned partnerships that strengthen American Oversight’s sustainability and amplify its long-term impact across the progressive movement. By ensuring that the organization’s investigative findings and records reach partners, coalitions, policymakers, and other stakeholders best positioned to act on them, the Director helps translate American Oversight’s work into broader policy impact and systemic change.
Internally, the Director works closely with executive leadership and the Development team, and collaborates across the legal, communications, editorial, and investigations teams to ensure the organization’s work achieves maximum reach, strategic coordination, and measurable impact.
RESPONSIBILITIES (including but not limited to)
Partnerships and External Engagement

• Direct American Oversight’s partnerships and external engagement strategy to expand the organization’s influence and cement American Oversight as the go-to authority on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and public records work across the progressive movement at the federal, state, and local levels.

• Strengthen American Oversight’s reputation as a trusted leader in government transparency, using strategic partnerships to identify high-impact investigations, litigation, and communications strategies designed to expose misconduct, expand public access to information, drive accountability, and support democratic progress.

• Set and lead American Oversight’s strategic partnership priorities, building relationships with organizations whose complementary strengths, networks, and connections to impacted communities advance shared goals and broaden collective impact.

• Proactively monitor and analyze political and policy dynamics at the federal, state, and local levels, cultivating partner insights to surface emerging threats and opportunities that guide American Oversight’s strategic direction and advance democratic accountability.

• Develop and lead coalition-based strategies that leverage American Oversight’s expertise and records to shape accountability efforts, advance advocacy campaigns, and defend democratic institutions — including by drafting or supporting sign-on letters, joint statements, and other collaborative initiatives that amplify collective advocacy and align with American Oversight’s strategic priorities.

• Facilitate webinars, presentations, and other public-facing engagements that showcase American Oversight’s findings, elevate the organization’s expertise, and strengthen relationships with partners, policymakers, and funders.

• Elevate American Oversight’s visibility and influence across the accountability and democracy ecosystem by identifying, recommending, and securing opportunities for organizational leadership to participate in high-impact conferences, coalitions, and convenings that enhance the organization’s reputation and amplify its impact.

• Advise executive leadership on strategic positioning within the broader progressive and democracy ecosystem, including assessing and managing potential risks in partnerships and coalitions.

• Serve as American Oversight’s senior representative to external partners, coalitions, and public forums, advancing the organization’s mission, amplifying its priorities, and strengthening its credibility and influence across the accountability ecosystem.

Strategic Operations and Leadership

• Translate broad organizational priorities into actionable partnership and strategic initiative plans, establishing milestones, coordinating internal contributions, and taking responsibility for execution and follow-through.

• Define and track key performance metrics to evaluate the reach, influence, and effectiveness of American Oversight’s strategic engagement,…