toft's professional career began in the u.s. army where she worked as a russian linguist from 1983 to 1987. after completing her education, toft joined the faculty at harvard university where she was a professor of international politics at the kennedy school of government and assistant director of the john m. olin institute for strategic studies. when the olin institute closed in 2007, toft then established and directed the initiative on religion in international affairs at the kennedy school. in september 2012, toft joined the faculty of the blavatnik school of government at the university of oxford as professor of government and public policy. during this period, she also spent four months as professor of strategy at the naval war college in newport, rhode island. she left oxford in 2017 to join tufts university.