Program Manager, Political Campaigns

Summary: 

The Program Manager of Political Campaigns plays a leading role in the SPLC Action Fund’s (Action Fund) mission to build Black and Brown political power by managing the organization’s candidate endorsement program. This will involve drafting and revising criteria for endorsing dozens of unique local elected positions in the Action Fund’s five states, drafting candidate questionnaires, inviting candidates to complete questionnaires, leading a consensus-driven process with Action Fund employees to award endorsements, and communicating and discussing endorsements with the Action Fund board of directors.

The Program Manager will also assist in local candidate recruitment activities aimed at encouraging more people to run for office across the five states, participate at 501(c)(4) state tables, and support New Southern Majority (the Action Fund’s Super PAC) electioneering activities.

Primary Job Functions:

• Finalize the Action Fund’s criteria for deciding which candidates to endorse and the internal, consensus-driven process for making endorsements;
• Lead the Action Fund’s candidate endorsement program, which involves: maintaining criteria for approximately fifteen unique elected position each in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi (e.g. school board, district attorney, sheriff, police juror, coroner, etc.); identifying candidates who the Action Fund may want to endorse and inviting candidates to complete a candidate questionnaire; vetting candidates with peer organizations; and leading meetings with members of the Action Fund Political, Policy, Legal, and Communications teams to make endorsement decisions;
• Discuss endorsement decisions with the Action Fund board of directors as needed;
• Draft and edit endorsement materials, including endorsement criteria that will be made publicly available, candidate questionnaires, and public-facing documents and announcements explaining endorsements;
• Attend relevant state table meetings and laisse with partners, both in the five states and beyond;
• Draft nonpartisan, education materials about the duties and powers of local elected officials, and present this information at community meetings and similar gatherings;
• Serve as a subject matter expert on the duties and powers of local elected officials in the five states;
• Draft and edit non-partisan communications to voters intended to help boost turnout in local elections;
• Assist in civic engagement events to help encourage people to run for local office;
• Assist with the creation of New Southern Majority’s independent expenditures; and
• Other duties assigned.

Qualifications –

Education and Related Work Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant public policy experience for analyzing policy positions of candidates for local office;
• A minimum of two (2) years of relevant electoral, civic engagement, or political campaign experience;
• Demonstrated project management experience with hard deadlines and consensus-driven decision making; and
• High school diploma or GED.

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Experience working on political campaigns or ballot initiatives;
• Data management experience;
• Experience gathering hard-to-find policy data from small, rural communities;
• Familiarity with the IRS and campaign finance compliance laws governing 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), PAC, and Super PAC organizations;
• Experience working with local elected officials in a policy capacity;
• Familiarity with the candidate endorsement process;
• Ability to meet deadlines, take initiative, receive constructive feedback;
• Experience working across departments or teams within an organization;
• Experience working in diverse communities and with grassroots organizations;
• Excellent writing communication skills;
• The ability to work independently and/or with a team and prioritize several projects at once;
• Commitment to fostering anti-racist work culture and to anti-racist principles and learning; and
• Commitment to the mission, vision, and values of SPLC.

Compensation:

This is an exempt role, and the minimum starting salary is $60,517.00 annually.  Salary is commensurate with experience.

Work Designation:

This role has the following work designation options: 

• Local Remote:  Will work remotely, but is expected to attend work-related activities that occur at the SPLC offices or in the states in which the SPLC operates.
• Remote Distant: Will work remotely and are not expected to work in the states in which the SPLC has an office or in an SPLC office. They may be required to attend occasional meetings or activities in the states in which the SPLC has an office or elsewhere.
• Telework:  Will work at an SPLC office at least three days per week and may work two days per week from an alternative work location.

Other Special Considerations:

This job is performed under general office conditions, and is not subject to strenuous physical demands or dangerous conditions.

This position is represented by the Washington-Baltimore News Guild.

Disclaimer:

The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position.  These statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position.