Managing Director - biosecurity non-profit

Managing Director, Blueprint Biosecurity Location: Remote (US), Washington DC preferred | Type: Full-Time, executive leadership | Reports to: Executive Director & Founder EQL Tech is partnering with Blueprint Biosecurity, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening society's ability to prevent and respond to pandemics. Blueprint advances practical, pathogen-agnostic solutions — spanning PPE, far-UVC, and other airborne pathogen mitigation technologies — through targeted research, strategic grantmaking, and evidence-based policy guidance, working with partners across government, academia, industry, and philanthropy to turn its strategic frameworks ("Blueprints") into real-world action. Role Overview Blueprint is at an inflection point: multiple landmark far-UVC studies report this year, its year-old government affairs function has already shaped how Congress thinks about respiratory protection, and the organization raised $17.5M in 2025 while scaling significantly across staffing, grantmaking, and policy engagement. The Managing Director is Blueprint's senior delivery leader — reporting to Jake Swett and partnering closely with the COO — taking ownership of programmatic work, communications, and government affairs as Blueprint scales toward roughly 40 people. You'll lead and develop 6–8 senior direct reports as a hands-on manager-of-managers, acting as the buffer that frees the Executive Director to focus on strategy and the outside world. Above all, this calls for a galvanizing leader who brings energy, momentum, and genuine warmth — complementing the analytical, evidence-first style already in place. Key Responsibilities Manage and grow 6–8 senior leaders as a true manager-of-managers — coaching them, raising their leadership capability, and holding a high performance bar with empathy. Build a high-trust, high-energy culture that pairs rigor and urgency with the morale and momentum demanding work requires. Own execution across Blueprint's programs , including flagship initiatives like Project AIR, translating the North Star into ambitious, measurable goals. Make and own hard calls — weighing trade-offs, flagging risks early, and driving work across the finish line. Lead communications strategy , ensuring Blueprint's work reaches funders, partners, policymakers, and the public with clarity and impact. Steward the government affairs function , sustaining the policy momentum influencing pandemic-preparedness funding and deployment. Extend the Executive Director's capacity , representing Blueprint externally with funding partners, research institutions, and government stakeholders. Who You Are High-integrity, sharp, and hard-working — non-negotiables. A galvanizing, hands-on leader — a builder and doer who brings energy to the people around you. Self-aware and genuinely open to feedback , comfortable being challenged and quick to update. A collaborative, evidence-based decision-maker with the judgment to make strong individual calls when it matters. Aligned with Blueprint's values — Maximizing Impact, Agency, Extreme Ownership, Truth Seeking, Excellence, and Strategic Thinking. Driven by the mission, bringing real urgency to pandemic prevention. Qualifications 10+ years of leadership experience , with a track record of building and leading high-performing teams to ambitious outcomes. Proven people management — you have managed managers and intentionally built healthy, high-trust team culture. A history of translating strategy into execution and complex initiatives into scalable results. Strong stakeholder fluency across scientific, policy, and implementation audiences, with excellent written and spoken communication. Nice to have: familiarity with biosecurity, public health, or pandemic preparedness (or a clear ability to ramp quickly in a technical domain); experience in nonprofits, startups, or other high-growth, high-ambiguity environments. Unlimited PTO plus paid holidays. Generous health and wellness benefits through an ICHRA, for you and your family. Fully paid family leave. Annual 401(k) contributions equal to 10% of base salary. $5,000 annually toward professional development and productive remote work. Access to multiple state-of-the-art LLMs; institutional access to major news outlets and publications. Application / accommodations contact field: Apply via EQL Tech. Reviewed on a rolling basis.