Manager of Electoral Engagement and Power Building Campaigns
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida (ACLU of Florida) is freedom’s watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislatures, and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The ACLU of Florida is an affiliate of the national ACLU, a national public interest organization devoted to the defense of civil rights and civil liberties. For over 100 years, the ACLU has served as the nation’s primary protector of the liberties that define our democracy. The organization implements its vital civil liberties mission in all 50 states in large part through affiliate entities such as the ACLU of Florida.
The ACLU of Florida, the state’s largest civil rights and civil liberties organization, employs litigation, public-policy advocacy, communications strategies, and public education to protect and promote a broad range of constitutional values and individual rights, such as freedom of speech, voting rights, racial justice, reproductive freedom, immigrants’ rights, LGBTQ+ rights, criminal-justice reform, privacy, religious liberty, and disability rights.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The ACLU of Florida is seeking a Manager of Electoral Engagement and Power Building Campaigns to build a more expansive campaign advocacy infrastructure to increase the organization’s effectiveness in achieving its public policy objectives.
The Manager of Electoral Engagement and Power Building Campaigns will report to the Political Director and be tasked with developing an impactful non-partisan electoral and civic engagement campaign infrastructure to defend and strengthen civil liberties and civil rights and achieve our policy goals. The role will lead and manage the organization’s electoral and research efforts that mobilize ACLU activists and supporters to achieve the ACLU’s goals.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Manager of Electoral Engagement and Power Building Campaigns will play a key role within the organization, working in strong partnership with the communications, field, legal, and development staff. This position manages the electoral engagement campaign program, influencing local and statewide policy via electoral campaigns aimed at ensuring candidates champion our policy goals and holding elected officials accountable, and passing strategic charter amendments and ballot initiatives. The position will also oversee our research program, which includes a Senior Research and Data Strategist to ensure that campaign goals are data and research driven and that research and publications support our campaign goals.
Further, the manager will hold the administrative and operational responsibilities listed below to assist the Director in the day-to-day management of the department so that the manager develops the knowledge, skills, and experience to lead the department in the Director’s absence.
The ideal candidate is a goal-driven, strategic thinker, who is detail-oriented, and has significant campaign management experience, including designing and executing statewide and local electoral campaigns, and navigating 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) compliance issues. They are also committed to racial, gender, and economic justice, a team-player, and able to manage their time effectively.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Direct electoral campaign program to achieve our public policy goals, including:
- Developing and executing electoral campaign plans aimed at building long-term power to advance our policy objectives, ensuring candidates champion our policy goals, and passing strategic charter amendments and ballot initiatives.
- Significant knowledge of 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) compliance and campaign reporting.
- Leading day-to-day electoral campaign management with a focus on movement building and sustainable civic engagement infrastructure.
- Managing departmental consultants, vendors, contracts, and procurement.
- Recruiting, participating in, and leading charter/ballot steering committees, and coalition management to expand organizational power and influence across power.
- Overseeing research, including modeling, polling, opposition research, and messaging in coordination with our communications team to inform campaign decisions and advance long-term power building strategies.
- Maintaining deep substantive knowledge of the operation of the political, public policy, and advocacy arenas in Florida.
- Constituent targeting –building universes and audiences for the Field Department.
- Overseeing GOTV, candidate campaigns, and charter initiatives in key geographies.
- Assisting with the development and execution of state and local issue-advocacy campaign goals, plans, strategies, tactics and budgets to affect local policy change, including coalition-building, community engagement, decision-maker targeting, and volunteer leadership pipelines.
- Serve as spokesperson, as necessary.
- Oversee research program, including:
- Ensuring that research is built into a larger, strategic program that includes material development, polling, modeling, issue reports and fact sheets, electoral data, candidate surveys, and other research development as needed.
- Manage a clear portfolio of departmental operational and administrative responsibilities assigned by the Director, potentially including but not limited to:
- Managing departmental processes, tools, files, systems, and workflows, including by proactively implementing systems changes and improvements to facilitate effectiveness and efficiency.
- Assisting the Director in the development and implementation of the departmental budget, including reviewing/analyzing monthly financial reporting and addressing budgetary issues.
- Assisting in strategic planning, monitoring and tracking progression of advocacy, and ensuring sufficient materials are created to support community organizing involving volunteers and supporters.
- Serving as a strategic thought partner for the Director regarding overall campaign strategy and acting in the Director’s absence as needed.
- Assisting with coordination of hiring, assigning and overseeing management of policy team interns.
- Engaging in special projects and other duties as assigned.
- Minimum 7+ years of experience managing successful issue campaigns in an electoral or ballot-measure/charter amendment environment.
- Significant demonstrated experience designing electoral campaign strategy and executing campaign plans, tactics, and resource management.
- Superb organizational skills; detail-oriented with the ability to meet tight deadlines and track progress toward goals.
- Strong project management and task and time management skills.
- Experience working closely and effectively with all media platforms and familiarity with social media as a communications and organizing tactic.
- Experience working with the Florida voter file.
- Experience managing consultants and vendors, and building, leading, and working within coalitions.
- Ability to work collaboratively and successfully with all key external constituencies and policy makers from diverse backgrounds and ideological positions.
- Deep knowledge of Florida’s political landscape and public policy expertise, including knowledge of electoral, legislative and administrative processes at the state and local levels.
- A commitment to the mission and goals of the ACLU, and a demonstrated commitment to racial justice and civil rights issues.
- Excellent research, writing, analytical, and communications skills.
- Willingness to travel and participate in occasional evening and weekend meetings.
Compensation and Benefits: Compensation will be commensurate with experience, within the range of $82,000-$110,000. The ACLU of Florida provides excellent benefits, including health and dental insurance with generous vacation, holiday, and sick leave policies, as well as a Defined Contribution 401K Retirement Plan. Base vacation leave is five weeks per year (and six weeks per year after five years).
The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals including women, men, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.
To apply, please complete the form at https://airtable.com/apppmINGcwYbPLe7v/shr2P6BJxEtYS3p4r
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please indicate where you learned of this job posting. No phone calls, please.
This job description provides a general, but not comprehensive, list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU of Florida reserves the right to change the job description and/or posting at any time without advance notice.
The ACLU of Florida is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU of Florida encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.