Wisconsin Program Director

Organization Overview

America Votes is the coordination hub of the progressive community, leading collaborative efforts among a diverse coalition of more than 400 state and national partner organizations to advance progressive policies, win elections, and protect every American's right to vote. America Votes works nationally and in more than 20 states to provide a range of services to partners, including strategic planning, advocacy and electoral campaign coordination, data tools and targeting services, and on-the-ground leadership in key states. For more information about America Votes, visit www.americavotes.org.

Racial Equity Statement

As a leader of collaborative efforts to mobilize voters, protect voting rights, and win elections, America Votes is committed to advancing racial equity within our organization and across our coalition. We acknowledge the systematic racism that permeates all facets of our society, beginning with the foundational right to vote. America Votes is also engaging with an understanding of the ways gender, sexuality and other forms of oppression intersect with race and how those relationships impact inequities faced by our staff, our partners, and the communities that we engage in our work. America Votes strives to model our commitment to racial equity through our internal and external operations, programs, and partnerships. We acknowledge the inequitable structures that continue to exist and are moving forward with a sustained commitment in time, resources and people to challenge structural racism and work towards creating a reflective organization and democracy.

Position Description

America Votes is seeking a well-organized self-starter for a full-time position as the Program Director in Wisconsin.. The Program Director plays a key role in the advancement of the progressive movement and winning elections in the state. This person will be the coordinator of some of the most exciting progressive electoral and issue work taking place in the state. The position works directly with the America Votes team, as well as dozens of progressive partners across the state, in the planning and execution of electoral and advocacy campaigns, the coordination of field programs, and the utilization of best practices to ensure quality plans and maximize our collective efforts. This position is ideal for someone who is ready for a mid-level role in a campaign environment, has a passion for helping others do their best work, loves canvassing programs, and is excited about the details and tools that power direct voter contact programs.

Location

The Program and Data Director positions are based in the state where they are assigned and will require travel around the state. The cities below are the preferred but not the required location. Other localities in the state are negotiable.

Madison, Wisconsin

Responsibilities

• Project Management: Support the state director in implementing America Votes' organizational goals, including REI goals. Participate in team creation of work plans and team benchmarks for success. Manage special projects to deliver on team goals.
• Partner Support: Support coalition partners through the development of campaign plans (electoral, ballot initiative, voting rights, campus organizing, and issue campaigns). This may include providing technical and organizing assistance for individual partner organizations or groups of partners , responding to programmatic requests, and supporting the implementation of winning strategies. Develop or co-develop capacity-building opportunities for partners and work with the state team to assess program gaps and overlaps to maximize program impact for both issue and electoral efforts. Work with the state data director to support data needs of partner programs. Portfolio may include some grant management.
• Support Coalition Management: Work with the state team by tracking electoral and advocacy programs aligned with the coalition plan, monitoring benchmarks, providing technical assistance including scaling up tactics and basic use of tools like VAN, and identifying gaps in collective strategy. This work may include providing logistical support to coalition meetings, leading core areas of the coalition coordination, leading strategic conversations around winning strategies, and/or managing work groups. Maintaining external communications with partners (i.e. may include weekly emails) and workgroup listservs, meeting follow-up, regular phone calls, etc. Lead and support the creation and development of written reports and products. Support and create content for reports and deliver presentations to diverse sets of stakeholders, sometimes on short timelines.
• Direct Voter Contact Leadership: Lead coalition campaign work on field tactics implementation (like canvassing), including supporting the integration of best practices as well as managing universe coverage and geographic prioritization. Facilitate creative solutions to challenges related to electoral and issue campaigns. Support electoral and advocacy program implementation across partner organizations including script development and program timing and support some partners in using VAN (Voter Activation Network). This work includes planning, implementation and post-program assessment and may include developing systems or updating existing systems to manage the information.
• Program Implementation Management: Lead meetings of coalition partners, which may include work groups on election-related topics such as specific tactics (canvassing, relational organizing) ballot initiatives, young voter engagement, and down ballot (legislative, school board, etc) races. Support events of America Votes partners and allies including coalition meetings and trainings. Support program implementation through the voter file and other tools including basic VAN administration and support in using tools like Scale to Win.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

Required

• Ideal candidates will have at least 2-5 years of experience in progressive political campaigns, progressive non-profits or similar organizations (with a campaign focus), or similar transferable experience and a minimum two years of project management experience. Standout candidates will have experience working on electoral campaigns.
• Cultural competency, including the ability to communicate respectfully across lines of difference and a demonstrated understanding of how bias impacts the ability of different communities to vote and how racial disparity presents in data
• Strong sense of ownership and resilience with respect to planning ahead, finding alternative paths when needed, and moving forward after setbacks. Demonstrated ability to move people to action and hold them accountable with and without formal authority.
• At least one cycle (1 election cycle) of experience with campaign field operations including canvass operations and script writing. Familiarity with VAN (Voter Activation Network) or similar systems. Understanding of canvass operations and how to scale programs required. Stand out candidates will have experience with data and targeting, including using data to inform strategic decisions in campaigns.

• Demonstrated ability to build consensus, negotiate, and strategically disagree within a highly collaborative work environment; ability to be respected by progressive stakeholders, to be trusted to lead and to be able to practice confidentiality, discretion and legal compliance in the work.
• Ability to build strong relationships with partners and allies and to cultivate those relationships over the long term.
• Ability to work independently and to drive and manage own workload; ability to manage several tasks/projects concurrently and prioritize work effectively by making and meeting team goals.
• Demonstrated ability to manage work in a high stress, fast paced environment. This includes demonstrating calm & clarity, balancing and re-balancing priorities, advancing program with required urgency, working collaboratively on a team, and building and maintaining trust with a diverse set of stakeholders

• Proficient in Microsoft Office / Google Drive with emphasis on using Excel, Powerpoint, Google Slides and Google Sheets. Must have the ability to manage a high volume of campaign data as well as create informational decks/slideshows.

• Ability to travel within the state (as needed); ability to work irregular campaign style hours, especially during the peak months of the electoral cycle. Meeting in person one-on-one, in small groups, and in large coalition meeting settings is required.
• Candidates should have a spirit of service and curiosity, along with a diplomatic approach to problem-solving in work with outside partners and while working independently or on a team.

Preferred

• Knowledge of and experience with the state political landscape and/or independent expenditure political campaigns. Standout candidates will be familiar with VBm and early vote campaign strategy.
• Experience using voter contact tools like Get Thru or Scale to Win. Familiarity with digital tools. High level of competency with google sheets and manipulating a large volume of data.
• Experience administering programs using VAN or willingness to learn.
• Experience or training in race equity/anti-racist frameworks; a general understanding of how power intersects with gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and class in organizing and electoral settings.

Compensation

The minimum starting salary for this position is $65,000 with a potential signing and election year bonus, based on performance and the state's election landscape.

America Votes offers a competitive benefits package covering 100% of employee medical, dental, & vision insurance premiums, life insurance, long term disability coverage, a monthly cell phone stipend, personal professional development funds, parental leave, and 401 (K) after four months of continuous service with the organization.

America Votes provides a generous paid time off policy including paid vacation; paid sick leave and personal days; at least 10 Federal paid holidays including Juneteenth; and paid organizational time off from at least December 25 to January 1. The position is represented by the America Votes Workers Union.

To Apply

Please submit a copy of your resume, a cover letter and three references to the application form.

If you experience any technical difficulties with our application form, please email recruiting@americavotes.org. Please note that only applications received through the application form will be considered; please do not email us your application materials.

America Votes is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. America Votes does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected category under local, state or federal law. People of color, LGBTQ candidates, individuals with disabilities, and neurodivergent individuals are strongly encouraged to apply.