Dir. of Elections, Courage Campaign (Remote in CA) -- $72-88k [Revised Listing]

September 23, 2019

Dir. of Elections, Courage Campaign (Remote in CA) -- $72-88k [Revised Listing]

Hi, I'm helping Courage Campaign find a Director of Elections to lead their endorsement and voter mobilization work in 2020 (and beyond).  

This would be a good fit for a veteran political strategist with a deep understanding of candidate campaigns, the skill and patience to navigate complex coalition dynamics, a nuanced grasp of earned media and digital organizing in an electoral setting, and the courage to challenge corporate Democrats.

The salary range for this role is $72-88k, and the job is remote from anywhere in California.  

The priority application deadline has passed, but anyone who is interested can still apply. There's no formal application deadline but my recommendation would be to apply ASAP and try to get something in by 9/30 at the latest.

Applicants for this role will be considered on a rolling basis, with priority given to those who apply before September 18, 2019. So if you're interested, it's best to get in your application ASAP. 

If you have questions or are interested in applying, please let me know. And if you know someone who might be a good fit, feel free to forward this email to them or to connect them to me directly at this email address. 

You can find the full job listing and application instructions (both of which were revised on 09-04-19) below my signature line. 

Thanks!

Matt Lockshin
(he, his)

Sent from Victoria, BC --  the ancestral, traditional and unceded territory of the Lekwungen speaking peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations.


DIRECTOR OF ELECTIONS (REVISED 09-04-19)


ABOUT COURAGE CAMPAIGN: 


Courage Campaign fights for a more progressive California because we think California -- the largest and most diverse state -- is uniquely positioned to serve as a beacon of progressive, equitable, and truly representative democracy.


To get there, we believe that we must use an intersectional lens to call out corruption and oppression, improve coordination and collaboration between progressive organizations, and demand that our representatives be both accountable to and reflective of the people they seek to serve. 


With more than 1.4 million members, our proven strategy combines cutting-edge digital tools and tactics, grassroots community organizing, and powerful messaging. We also prioritize deep, equitable collaboration with partners.


Our political analysis emphasizes the fact that the conventional wisdom about modern elections is often wrong. Instead of pandering to those on the right, we must engage and excite underrepresented base voters -- particularly people of color, young adults and self-identified progressives. By expanding the base, we know that we can win elections without sacrificing our values or our vision for transforming California.


Though we do election work, we are not bound by election cycles. We are a permanent, independent, multi-issue campaign -- winning progressive change today, and building power for the future.



THE POSITION 


Are you deeply frustrated by the failure of many Democrats to demonstrate the political courage necessary to defeat the right-wing assault on our democracy? 


Do you believe that political organizing must center people of color, young adults, and self-identified progressives, and cease pandering to white "swing" voters?


Are you a veteran political strategist with a deep understanding of candidate campaigns, the skill and patience to navigate complex coalition dynamics, a nuanced grasp of earned media and digital organizing in an electoral setting, and the courage to challenge corporate Democrats? If so, please read on!


Duties:


Courage Campaign is looking for a Director of Elections to lead our endorsement and voter mobilization work in the 2020 election (and beyond).  


This will involve developing and executing a strategy for recruiting, advising, and endorsing candidates who are running for open seats or challenging incumbents (particularly Democrats) who are failing to accurately represent their constituents, especially in the California Legislature. 


As the Director of Elections you will also oversee our voter mobilization strategy for our endorsed candidates and ballot measures (including overseeing large paid phone and volunteer SMS programs). 


At its most general level, this work will all be aimed at identifying the best opportunities for us to leverage our resources for the biggest electoral impact, and then overseeing the work to make sure we do this. 


Additionally, we work in deep collaboration with our allies, so a critical piece of the work will also be coordinating our programs and analysis with those of partner organizations. This will be especially true when it comes to endorsements.


Courage Campaign has roughly 15 staff members, and the Director of Elections will be responsible for supervising 1-2 members of the team.

You could be a great for this job if you have: 


  • Extensive experience* (ideally more than five years) working in electoral politics, including direct experience with candidate campaigns

  • A bird's-eye view (or the ability to quickly develop one) of the different organizations, coalitions, ideological blocs and political actors that make up California's political landscape

  • A commitment to social justice, and a political and social-justice analysis that dovetails with ours

  • A strong equity lens that you bring to all aspects of the work, including how you approach electoral organizing

  • Experience with earned media tactics and strategies

  • Experience with modern voter mobilization methods (especially peer-to-peer text messaging, calling programs, and social media tools) 

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills

  • Sharp strategic instincts, analysis, and judgment

  • The ability to navigate complex partner relationships and agendas while collaborating toward shared goals

  • Experience managing complex projects from start to finish, independently and as part of a team 

  • The ability to both give and receive feedback well, and the ability to work cooperatively with co-workers, allied organizations and the public

  • The ability to work well with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds, and a sensitivity to and appreciation for cultural differences


*Work, volunteer, academic, and life experience are all acceptable

 

Although not a requirement, it's a big plus if you have:


  • A track-record of challenging powerful Democratic office-holders in principled ways

  • Senior-level campaign experience and/or a few cycles of experience in races for the California legislature or Congress  

  • Deep experience managing or navigating endorsement processes for organizations (particularly competitive pre-primary endorsements for partisan races) and/or experience navigating California Democratic Party endorsements for races with multiple competitive Democratic candidates  

  • Significant relationships at the staff or leadership level with the major progressive organizations that are significantly involved in California's partisan elections and/or significantly involved in the California Democratic Party   

  • A track record of generating media hits at influential outlets using earned media tactics

  • Experience consulting for or adding technical expertise to candidate campaigns

  • Experience navigating complex coalition settings

  • Experience mobilizing underrepresented or low-to-mid-propensity voters 

  • Experience using a voter file for voter data and demographic analysis (ideally PDI) and/or a activism e-CRM (especially ActionKit)

  • A background that includes active involvement in progressive social movements, particularly those that work to support racial justice, economic justice, gender equity, and/or immigrant rights


LOCATION: California or willing to relocate to California. Courage is a "virtual office," so most employees work from home. Access to a shared co-working space can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

 

START DATE: ASAP (Likely no earlier than mid-October.)

 

PAYMENT AND SCHEDULE: Pay for the Director of Elections will be between $72,000-88,000. This is a permanent position that is full-time and exempt. Courage's primary office hours are Monday through Friday, 9am-6pm PT. Hours are ideally worked within that time frame, but the schedule is flexible and changes can often be accommodated.


TRAVEL: Approximately 4-6 days per month, typically to the Bay Area, Sacramento or Los Angeles. 


BENEFITS:  

  • 100% employer-paid health insurance for you and one dependent

  • Two weeks of vacation per year. Additionally, we observe the week between Christmas and New Year's Day as a holiday.

  • One floating holiday

  • Phone reimbursement of up to $100/month ($1200/year)

  • Home internet reimbursement of up to $75/month ($900/year)

  • Home office allowance of up to $200/year

  • Flexible savings account for health care and dependent care, with $500 employer contribution

  • Access to 401K 


HOW TO APPLY:


Please submit your application ASAP to jobs@couragecampaign.org. Please put "Director of Elections" in the subject line and attach: 1) your resumé, and 2) responses to the application questions below. Please use the following format to name the file(s) you attach: "First_Last_Resume" and "First_Last_Questions". No cover letters, please.

  

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis,  with priority given to those submitted by Wednesday, September 18, 2019.  


APPLICATION QUESTIONS:


  1. Pick a Democratic state legislator in California that you believe is failing their constituents. (Feel free to consult our legislative report card CourageScore.org.) Provide 1-3 reasons why they should be primaried and 1-3 issues the challenger should emphasize during their campaign (bullet points are fine). (Suggest word limit: 200)


  1. Why are you applying for this job? (Suggested word limit: 200)


  1. List which of the bullet points under "Although not a requirement, it's a big plus if you have" (above) you believe you bring to the table, with a few words of explanation if that's useful. 


  1. We're looking for applicants that are connected to the many diverse communities of California -- including communities of color, immigrant and migrant communities, and queer and trans communities to name a few. What are the networks and communities that you are a part of? (Suggested word limit: 150)


  1. We want to learn how applicants find out about our job openings. How did you learn about it? One word answers are fine. (i.e. Idealist, a specific person)


Courage Campaign is committed to the principles of social justice, and we actively try to bring an intersectional anti-oppression analysis to our work (including a focus on our interactions with one another). Our internal equity work includes regular, professionally facilitated  identity caucuses and an ongoing equity program with explicit equity goals.


Additionally, given the diversity of California and the communities we work with, we recognize that we do our work best when we have a team that draws on the strengths of people with a variety of identities, backgrounds, and perspectives. We encourage women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community to apply. 


Courage Campaign is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and all applicants for employment. All employment decisions at Courage Campaign are made without regard to race, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, AIDS/HIV status, genetic testing info, pregnancy, childbirth, medical condition, political activities, or affiliations.


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