People and Culture Associate

Protect Democracy • Full-time • Washington, District of Columbia, United States • $72.30k - $81k / year • 1m ago

Protect Democracy is seeking a People and Culture Associate to join our small, collaborative People and Culture Team, focusing primarily on supporting onboarding of new contractors and staff and working closely with staff across the organization to deliver in-person events and programming. This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career candidate based in the Washington, DC area (DMV) with strong project management instincts and an enthusiasm for cross-organizational collaboration to deliver experiences aligned with our culture that drive impact forward.

Protect Democracy was formed in late 2016 with an urgent and explicit mission: to prevent our democracy from declining into a more authoritarian form of government. Our mission is non-partisan and it is our north star. Since 2016, we have assembled a team of130+ expertswho have served under Democrats and Republicans, and in the senior ranks of other nonprofit, political, or media organizations. Our hiring practices don’t just value expertise — we are uncompromising about building a culture rooted in growth, feedback, and team care and kindness.

This role helps create the experiences, systems, and connections that allow Protect Democracy staff to thrive. You will partner with the People and Culture team to support high impact programs and initiatives across the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, staff gatherings, internal operations, and other projects that strengthen our culture, community, and organizational effectiveness. You will coordinate logistics, manage details, solve problems, and help ensure that staff have a seamless experience as they engage with the organization.

While Protect Democracy is a distributed organization, several critical functions are centered in Washington, DC, making a regular in-person presence important for this role. You will support the ongoing care and operation of our Washington, DC office, helping ensure the space is welcoming, well-maintained, and equipped to support staff through responsibilities such as supply management, vendor coordination, mail handling, and general office support. You are expected to be in our Dupont Circle office at least four days per week.

Success in this role requires flexibility, sound judgment, and a willingness to jump in wherever needed. The ideal candidate is energized by supporting people, comfortable managing a wide range of responsibilities, and excited to contribute to the people operations work that helps our organization achieve its mission.

The priority application deadline for the People & Culture Associate role is June 17, 2026; we will review applications received after that date on a rolling basis. This is a hybrid position based in the Washington, DC area that will require in-person commitments and periodic travel.

At Protect Democracy, we believe that diversity isn’t just a strength—it’s a necessity for tackling the complex challenges facing our country today. A broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences strengthen our ability to analyze problems, craft solutions, and drive meaningful change. We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and from across the political and ideological spectrum to apply.

The People and Culture Associate will:

Help coordinate onboarding, including:
Supporting the development of materials, such as session slides, travel guidance, and session evaluations,
Identifying obstacles and proposing pivots,
Looking for areas of improvement and further alignment with culture;
Support the planning, logistics, communication, and evaluation of various in-person and remote gatherings, including our annual all-team gathering and team-based retreats;
Administer onboarding- and community-related systems and processes, identifying opportunities to enhance employee experience and foster connection, collaboration, and community across Protect Democracy;
Work in coordination with hiring teams to seamlessly integrate new hires into our organizational culture;
Contribute to other workstreams that strengthen how we develop, engage, and support talent;
Act as dedicated DC office coordinator, including by:
Coordinating with team members to host in-person events (including work retreats, happy hours or other special convenings),
Welcoming external guests as needed with exceptional kindness and professionalism,
Working with our Finance team to ensure the physical office supports a productive working environment, including through logistics and procurement.

To be successful in this role, you should have:

Enthusiasm for human-centered work in a remote-first organization;
Relevant experience (or professional interest) in any of the following:
Implementing onboarding processes and programs,
Designing and running virtual and/or in-person community-building events and retreats,
Supporting community building and development initiatives;
Interest in and track record of improving or building processes and systems;
Ability to track, prioritize, and balance a diverse set of responsibilities;
Ability to foster strong collaborative relationships with people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives;
Rigorous attention to detail and the highest standards for excellence in execution;
Growth mindset and enthusiasm for giving and receiving feedback up, down and sideways;
Flexibility and willingness to pitch in where needed to support our mission;

A passionate commitment to the preservation of democratic norms and institutions, and an understanding that our democracy has never fully represented communities of color.