Chief Marketing Officer

ABOUT THE CLEAN SLATE INITIATIVE

Established as its own nonprofit organization in 2024, The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI) exists to help the roughly 70–100 million American adults with an arrest or conviction record — nearly one in three adults nationally, and a disproportionate share of Black adults (nearly 50%, compared to 27% of white adults) — move past their records and access employment, housing, education, and economic assistance. CSI's mission is to pass and implement "Clean Slate" laws that automate record sealing for people who have completed their sentence and remained crime-free, and to expand who is eligible for that relief. Clean Slate legislation remains a rare bipartisan-appeal issue even in a polarized political environment, with wins in both red and blue states.

Operating nationally with a talented 48-person staff, CSI expects continued growth as it seeks to build out its leadership and program capacity. The organization works across a national footprint, with active legislative campaigns and implementation support in states nationwide and a growing regional focus in the South. CSI operates as a multi-entity structure, including a 501(c)(3) and an affiliated 501(c)(4) (Clean Slate Now), each with its own distinct Board of Directors. At this inflection point for the organization, CSI is expanding its programmatic focus from passing legislation to a more expansive, multi-front strategy that includes implementation and notification, narrative change, and regional groundwork with a focus on Southern states.

The organization’s growth trajectory is being guided by a new five-year strategic plan (July 2026-December 2031), which sets ambitious goals including the passage of full Clean Slate legislation in 24 states plus DC and ensuring eligibility for automated sealing for 24 million people. To support these goals, an organizational restructuring, made effective in August of 2026, has consolidated departments, redefined the role of the CEO, created a new President position, and added new senior leadership positions to the team.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The projected growth and sizeable ambitions outlined in CSI’s new strategic plan call for a senior leader who can set up a strong, high-performing Marketing and Communications Department for the organization’s next chapter. As leadership shifts to a more distributed executive team, the new Chief Marketing Officer role will set the department’s strategic direction, and ensure the team has the structure, resources, and clarity to deliver on them.

Reporting to the newly created President role, the CMO will serve on an executive leadership team alongside the CEO, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, Chief Program Officer, and Chief Development Officer, and supervise four direct reports. Internally, the CMO will deliver on seven verticals – executive communications, digital communications, state-based campaigns, advocacy communications, brand/marketing events, narrative change and internal communications. Externally, this new leader will be responsible for shaping public perceptions of CSI in service of policy change, engaging audiences across the political spectrum, and strategically building high-visibility partnerships to advance the work of the organization. A major priority for this new hire will be to leverage and strategically deploy the voice and brand of CEO Sheena Meade, whose influence in the field will be critical to CSI’s continued growth and success.

This new hire will ideally be a large-scale marketing strategist, an executive communications partner, a branding expert and innovator, and a clear-eyed priority setter.

This is a remote role with in-office opportunities for candidates based in Orlando, FL.Some national travel in support of the CEO and organization can be expected, roughly 15-20%.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Vision setting for CSI’s enterprise marketing, communications, and brand strategy

• Develop and lead CSI's long-term marketing and communications strategy, translating our strategic pillars into integrated campaigns that advance the goals of CSI and its coalition partners, from planning and execution through measurement and ongoing refinement.
• Monitor and assess developments within the Clean Slate movement and public discourse more generally to identify opportunities for CSI to engage, inform, and influence critical audiences through innovative communications strategies; identify opportunities for Dr. Meade and other leaders throughout CSI to represent the organization and speak to its impact.
• Maintain productive and collaborative relationships throughout the enterprise to identify, assess, and support strategic communication needs and opportunities to supplement and enhance local, regional, and state efforts in the ecosystem.
• Collaboratively craft a vision that brings together the various streams of work within the Marketing & Communications team – executive communications, internal communications, events, campaigns, digital, and brand/marketing – into a highly aligned and cohesive strategy.
• Partner with and advise the Programs team to align campaign communications with campaign strategies on the ground in key states.
• Within the context of the organization’s broader goals, lead the ongoing refinement of narrative work that helps shift beliefs and public discourse around Clean Slate policies nationally.

Lead and position a high-performing Marketing and Communications team for success

• Serve as the department’s strategic lens, stepping back from day-to-day execution to spot emerging opportunities, anticipate challenges, and make clear decisions about where the team should and should not focus its work. Advocate at the executive level for the resources and support that the team needs to deliver.
• Lead, support, and continue to develop a diverse, high-performing marketing and communications team, identifying the team’s strengths and ensuring team members are positioned to leverage their skills in support of CSI’s highest priorities.
• Vet, hire, and oversee the work of external communications consultants to provide technical assistance and communications support to staff and partners, as needed.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning and feedback within the team while investing in the growth of individual team members along their own trajectories.

Organizational executive leadership and culture setting

• Serve on the organization’s Executive Leadership Team, reporting to the President. Collaboratively lead effective change management efforts at this key inflection point for CSI and cultivate a positive, collaborative, and forward-looking organizational culture.
• Manage and steward the Marketing & Communications Department’s annual budget, allocating resources across priorities and ensuring spending aligns with CSI’s strategic goals.

External leadership and representation

• Cultivate and sustain relationships with media, thought leaders, coalition leaders, grantees, and other key stakeholders to ensure CSI’s marketing and communications strategies are informed by diverse perspectives and grounded in the realities of the field and the people we serve.
• Strategically engage and manage relationships with amplifiers and ecosystem partners – including funders, policymakers, narrative strategists, and coalition members – to expand CSI’s reach, influence public discourse, and strengthen alignment across the communications landscape.
• Advise and collaborate with the Chief Development Officer to execute on fundraising strategies for CSI.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, and EXPERIENCES

Strong candidates will be passionate about CSI’s mission and bring many of the following skills and experiences:

• Proven executive leader - A proven executive leader with at least 10+ years of senior leadership experience. Demonstrated ability to independently set departmental priorities in alignment with broader organizational goals and manage competing pressures and demands with sound judgment.
• Executive decision-making ability - A track record of operating autonomously at senior levels, understanding which priorities are mission-critical versus those with greater flexibility, and allocating resources accordingly.
• Change management - Ability to effectively guide individuals and teams through transitions, optimizing authentic engagement in and adoption of new processes, systems, and structures. Track record of guiding teams through periods of organizational growth and evolution, maintaining momentum and mission alignment while adapting to new structures and priorities.
• Commitment to cross-functional collaboration - Proven ability to collaborate across departments and functions, ensuring alignment and operational effectiveness.
• Innovative and adaptable brand builder - Successful track record of building recognizable, unique, effective brands in support of a mission.
• Large-scale communications experience: Proven experience designing, implementing, and leading comprehensive marketing and communications strategies for national campaigns, brands, or initiatives, whether in corporate, nonprofit, or public-sector settings. Brings a deep understanding of how to adapt national strategies to local and regional contexts.
• Narrative change - Experience designing and executing narrative change strategies that balance the need for short- and medium-term wins with longer-term goals and strategies would be a bonus.
• Commitment to CSI’s mission – Must be passionate and dedicated to the bipartisan work of CSI and providing relief to millions of justice system impacted individuals.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

CSI offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes some plans that are 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, a 6% employer match towards 401k retirement, pre-tax transportation benefits, and paid holidays, vacation, sick, and casual time off.

The Clean Slate Initiative is committed to transparent and fair compensation. The hiring range for this position is an annual salary range of $225,000 – $260,000. The final salary within this range will be determined based on qualifications and relevant experience.Once an offer is made, we do not negotiate the compensation package.

This is a full-time position and is considered exempt for overtime purposes. This is a remote position and we are location agnostic regarding where in the US you are based.However, we will discuss a hybrid or in-office work location for candidates in proximity to our Orlando office.

You will need to:

• Currently reside in the United States and be authorized to work in the United States
• Work collaboratively with a team in various time zones
• Be close to a major airport with the ability to travel approximately 15%-20% of the time
• Attend required quarterly onsite planning meetings at least 2 times a year in various locations
• Attend 1 all staff learning trip and our annual convening each year

The Clean Slate Initiative is a 501(c)(3) public entity that passes and implements laws that automatically clear eligible records for people who have completed their sentence and remained crime-free and expand who is eligible for clearance.CSI is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. CSI’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.