Position: Political Director
Salary: Commensurate with experience
Type: Full-Time, Salaried Exempt
Location: San Francisco (preferred), Sacramento or Los Angeles
Reports to: Executive Director and Managing Director of External Affairs
Direct reports: Manager of Electoral Programs & Special projects
Start date: January 2022
Application closing date: Open until filled
About Equality California and Equality California Institute:
Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer+ (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization with over 900,000 members. Equality California brings the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating, and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. For more than 20 years, Equality California has been fighting for full, lived LGBTQ+ equality in a number of ways: electing pro-equality leaders up and down the ballot; passing pro-equality legislation in California, Nevada and Washington, DC; and fighting for LGBTQ+ civil rights and social justice in the courtroom. For the purpose of this job description, “Equality California” is used as an umbrella term for Equality California and its sister organization, Equality California Institute.
Equality California Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization that has a parallel mission to Equality California, its 501(c)(4) counterpart. Equality California Institute works to achieve full, lived LGBTQ+ equality by reducing disparities in LGBTQ+ health and well-being, developing a pipeline of LGBTQ+ leaders and increasing civic participation within the LGBTQ+ community.
Position Overview:
Equality California seeks an experienced Political Director based in San Francisco (preferred), Sacramento or Los Angeles to lead political engagement and electoral programs for the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. Reporting to the Executive Director and the Managing Director of External Affairs, the Political Director will work collaboratively with senior leadership to develop, implement and oversee all aspects of the organization’s political strategy and civic engagement programs.
The Political Director will manage a team that currently includes a Manager of Electoral Programs and Special Projects (additional junior staff positions may be added in the future) and outside media, direct mail and fundraising consultants, as well as a political consultant for Equality California’s affiliate Silver State Equality.
This full-time, salaried exempt position will require a flexible schedule including evening and weekend work time, as well as regular travel across California and Nevada. Applicants will be reimbursed for mileage and must have a reliable vehicle and be able to drive in California.
Responsibilities:
- Strategy:
- Work with Managing Director of External Affairs to develop and execute organization’s overall political strategy, including (but not limited to) candidate and ballot measure endorsements, independent expenditure partnerships and prioritization of resources.
- Work with PAC Chair and Committee to identify, recruit, assess and endorse pro-equality candidates for local, state and federal office throughout California and pro-equality ballot measures.
- Work with Managing Director of External Affairs and outside consultants to develop and execute media, mail and field plans in support of endorsed candidates.
- Provide strategic guidance to endorsed candidates and their campaign teams.
- Work with Communications Director to engage in earned media outreach to support endorsed candidates and defend candidates against anti-LGBTQ+ attacks.
- Represent Equality California in independent expenditure campaign coalitions and partnerships to help elect endorsed candidates and pass endorsed ballot measures.
- Management:
- Serve as a member of Equality California’s senior management team and collaborate with the Managing Director of External Affairs to expand the organization’s political engagement and activities to advance the organization’s mission.
- Develop and manage spending of annual budgets for the organization’s state and federal PACs.
- Ensure direct reports are properly onboarded, oriented and understand Equality California’s policies, procedures and logistics.
- Lead and develop direct reports to ensure professional growth, including supporting a culture of performance management and coaching and provide ongoing timely and direct feedback about performance.
- Build and sustain a staff community that encourages understanding and implementation of organizational values, respect, collaboration teamwork and healthy conflict resolution. Ensure any legal and/or human resources issues are addressed promptly and proactively.
- Assist with the development of fundraising and community events, meetings, town halls, conferences and other public events throughout the state to support endorsed candidates and ballot measures and advance the organization’s mission
- Fundraising:
- Work with Managing Director of External Affairs, Development Director and outside consultants to raise funds for Equality California’s state and federal PACs.
- Work with Managing Director of External Affairs and PAC Committee to raise funds for Equality California’s endorsed candidate and ballot measure campaigns.
- Attend fundraising events for Equality California’s state and federal PACs and for endorsed candidates and ballot measures.
- Help to manage relationships with political funders, including growing Equality California’s donor network (institutional and individual) and providing regular updates on the status of endorsed campaigns.
- Additional duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Applicants for this position should bring the following knowledge, abilities, and attitude:
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
- Fluency in English and Spanish preferred.
- At least 3 election cycles of experience working on candidate campaigns, ballot measure campaigns and/or independent expenditure campaigns (combination preferred).
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with people inside and outside the organization.
- Strong administrative skills, including the ability to engage in many projects simultaneously, set priorities and manage expectations.
- Successful experience managing, motivating, supervising, evaluating, and hiring staff, interns, and consultants.
- PAC and/or candidate fundraising experience strongly preferred.
- Proficiency with PDI, EveryAction, NGP VAN, ActBlue and other political engagement and fundraising platforms strongly preferred.
- Ability and willingness to travel, including longer trips during GOTV season.
Salary commensurate with experience. Compensation package includes competitive benefits (healthcare, dental, vision, long/short term disability, life insurance, and 401K). This full-time, salaried exempt position will require a flexible schedule including evening and weekend work time, as well as regular travel across California and Nevada. Applicants will be reimbursed for mileage and must have a reliable vehicle and be able to drive in California.
Equality California is an equal employment opportunity employer. Equality California does not make employment decisions or discriminate based on protected characteristics including, but not limited to, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sex, gender (including gender identity and/or gender expression), sexual orientation, age, physical or mental handicaps, veteran status, or genetic information as prescribed by applicable local, state, and federal law. We strongly encourage diverse candidates to apply, including, but not limited to, women, people of color, people of diverse gender identities, and non-LGBTQ+ allies.
Qualified Applicants with Criminal Histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with the requirements of the California Consumer Reporting Agencies Act and Los Angeles’s Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.
To apply:
Email resume (including names and contact information of 3 references), cover letter, and two writing samples to jobs@eqca.org. Please be sure to put “Political Director” in the subject line of your email.
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