Atlas Society CEO Search

The Atlas Society is looking to grow. Our founder and intellectual inspiration, David Kelley, has been doing yeoman-like work as both interim CEO/COO and Chief Intellectual Officer, both full-time jobs. Under his leadership, the trustees and staff have clarified our mission and developed a strategy to achieve it. But if we are to grow, we need to spin off many of David’s functions and allow him to focus on our intellectual mission. Thus we are looking for an open Objectivist with the passion, skills, and character to take over the business management side and work arm-in-arm with David, the staff, and trustees. We are searching for someone with considerable energy and entrepreneurial drive who can take on the task of using the fantastic intellectual base we've laid, and substantial progress already made on the practical side, to improve our execution, accelerate our progress, and take us to the next level.

Requirements for the job, with some repetition from above, include, at least:

An open Objectivist with basic business and management skills; small team marketing and sales management, and MBA preferred.

An extreme entrepreneurial zeal, looking to grow TAS through public engagement (op-eds, media, lectures), membership recruitment, development, improved organization of our business, and participation in creating and ultimately co-guidance of our exciting new web efforts.

A willingness to make less than what a talented Objectivist might make in other fields in exchange for a good chance to materially contribute to changing the world. As Objectivists we have no qualms about making money and offer no opprobrium for desiring it, but also recognize that it's far from the only type of satisfaction the world offers. One day this should be a high paying job but it’s not now!

A very strong commitment to Objectivism., extensive knowledge and agreement with, but not dogmatic acceptance of, the works of Ayn Rand is assumed, though not a level of scholarship commensurate with a long‑term, truly dedicated study of Objectivism (remember we will still have David Kelley!)

An understanding of "open" vs. "closed" Objectivism, a commitment to the former (open), but a willingness to help reevaluate how much this difference should be stressed going forward (are we looking to bring other Objectivists into the open fold, or non-Objectivists who make no distinction into the Objectivist fold in general?)

Full disclosure: This is something we want to do but we do not feel pushed to do. So, if we don't find the exactly right candidate we will not pursue a compromise, but simply defer this step to the future. We know this is shocking as Objectivists are world renowned for their skill at compromise :)

But if we do find a perfect fit and it's you, please join us for less money than you can make elsewhere, an initial lack of acceptance by a society decidedly "non-Objectivist," but a good chance to improve or even save the world (for your own reasons not altruism!) Here’s your chance to put your own stamp on the advancement of the only philosophy that is not suicidal, but rather justifies and exalts man's life on the Earth, as opposed to toiling as a slave for his fellow man or preparing for the next life.

If this description excites you more than it scares you (both feelings are rational!) you may be our person.

We promise you blood, toil, tears, and sweat; but when we win, we also promise you will have the best answer to tell your kids when they ask where you were when the American Revolution really came. You can say: helping lead the vanguard.

Please send resumes to the board of trustees, c/o
                Diana O'Marra                                        Diana.OMarra -at- aqr.com
                AQR, Two Greenwich Plaza
                Greenwich, CT 06830

Sincerely,

The Atlas Society Board of Trustees