Chief of International Operations

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Senior Management Arlington, VA, US

Salary Range: $ To $ Annually

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Chief of International Operations will lead Spirit of America's global operations and drive the next phase of the organization's growth, innovation, and impact. The Chief of International Operations will build and lead an entrepreneurial international enterprise that identifies, develops, and executes high-impact opportunities advancing U.S. national security objectives.

• Develop and execute a bold global strategy positioning Spirit of America as a trusted partner and indispensable force multiplier for U.S. national security, stability, and influence abroad.
• Lead and institutionalize Spirit of America’s capability to identify, validate, incubate, and scale high-impact opportunities that advance U.S. national security interests.
• Oversee the Opportunity Development Group, ensuring a disciplined but entrepreneurial approach to opportunity sourcing, partnership development, and concept incubation.
• Drive growth by identifying new opportunities, partnerships, and geographic presences that deliver measurable and asymmetric impact.
• Foster a culture of initiative, experimentation, responsible risk-taking, and execution across international operations.

• Provide strategic oversight of all global operations.
• Ensure international communications strategies connect Spirit of America's fieldwork and mission outcomes to domestic and international audiences through compelling, authentic storytelling.
• Oversee enterprise risk management—operational, legal, safety, reputational, and geopolitical—and ensure organizational readiness to respond rapidly to emerging global events and opportunities.
• Ensure strategic planning, budgeting, talent management, and performance systems support exceptional execution across complex operating environments.

• Deepen and expand Spirit of America’s relationships across the Department of Defense, Department of State, U.S. embassies, combatant commands, and interagency partners.
• Ensure Spirit of America's model and impact are well understood, trusted, and embedded within the U.S. national security ecosystem.
• Represent Spirit of America externally as a senior spokesperson and thought leader on national security philanthropy and public‑private partnership.
• Partner with the CEO and Development leadership to translate field operations into compelling narratives that inspire investment and sustained philanthropic support.
• Represent Spirit of America with credibility and authenticity at donor briefings, events, and high-level external engagements.

Launch new programs, partnerships, and geographic footholds demonstrating SOA’s unique value as an entrepreneurial partner to U.S. national security. Build a robust pipeline of innovative initiatives and demonstrate that SOA identifies opportunities earlier and acts faster than traditional institutions.

Establish a repeatable enterprise capability for identifying, validating, incubating, and scaling high-impact opportunities. Build systems that preserve Spirit of America ’s entrepreneurial advantage while ensuring rigor, accountability, and scalability.

Build strong, trusted relationships across combatant commands, embassies, and senior government stakeholders. Position Spirit…