Proactive Campaign Manager, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (Telework)
SujTej
Proactive Campaign Manager
Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) and BISC Foundation
This job description is intended to convey information essential to understand the scope of the position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, or responsibilities associated with the position.
The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) has an immediate full-time opening for the position of Proactive Campaign Manager. The Proactive Campaign Manager is a new position responsible for the overall day-to-day management and implementation of BISC’s Proactive Project and related outreach and programs. This job is a telework position with travel to Washington, DC and elsewhere.
The Proactive Campaign Manager is primarily responsible for implementing and managing
BISC’s Proactive Project in close collaboration with BISC’s senior management team, including but not limited to identifying, cultivating and supporting state and national efforts to move the progressive agenda forward through the citizens’ initiative process. This position is a key player in BISC’s efforts to catalyze a national ballot-measure strategy.
The vision of BISC’s Proactive Project is ambitious, but simple: By 2016, we will have cross-movement measures on the ballot in more than five states, and by 2020, we will have taken back the ballot-initiative process from conservative extremists with successful measures in multiple states on economic fairness, voting rights, criminal justice reform, women’s equality, and reproductive health.
Overview
The Proactive Campaign Manager builds and maintains strategic relationships with state
and national partners, helps develop research plans – including the dissemination of key
results to ballot measure advocates to inform movement building and campaign efforts,
delivers technical assistance to campaigns, and supports the strengthening of in-state ballot measure capacity.
The Proactive Campaign Manager will work directly with BISC’s senior management team
as well as with the BISC Proactive Project Working Group (25-30 national and state leaders and stakeholders) who advise and guide the work.
Responsibilities
· Work with BISC Senior Management Team and the Working Group to advise and mobilize stakeholders around a national ballot-measure strategy, and, specifically, how and when to use ballot initiatives as a part of political/organizing strategies
· Develop and maintain trusted relationships with progressive national and state leaders and gather real-time campaign and political information from partners
· Collaborate with senior management team and the BISC Research team to develop and conduct quantitative and qualitative research on proactive research ideas and create an action plan based on findings
- Manage BISC’s year-round research team and team of research consultants
· Advise senior management team, the Working Group on resource deployment in the states
· Conduct regular briefings, trainings and collaborative discussions for national and state ballot-initiative actors including the Working Group, BISC Board and other allies
· Strategize collectively about proactive opportunities that can drive turnout among the New American Majority AND make real progressive policy change
· Conduct outreach to organizations (local, state, and national affiliates) to build the reach and depth of the Proactive Project’s membership;
· Plan and facilitate regular meetings of the Working Group to create, negotiate, and share plans; make progress towards goals; and identify problems and new opportunities
· Regularly and thoughtfully communicate with the BISC senior management team on the activity, goals, and vision for the Proactive Project
· During campaigns, support coordination around research, ballot-measure voter guides and get-out-the-vote efforts
· Write and implement the campaign plans and budget for the Proactive Project
· Develop and maintain budgets related to state ballot measure campaign incubation and the internal BISC Proactive Project budget
· Other duties as assigned
Requirements
Applicants will ideally have a mixture of electoral, advocacy campaign and organizing experience – with a focus on ballot measure experience. Applicants must have demonstrated an ability to negotiate, build consensus, and strategically disagree. The Proactive Campaign Manager must be respected by stakeholders and be trusted to lead, and must be able to create shared space between all partners regardless of budget size or political power.
The applicant must also be a self-starter, willing to work long and irregular hours and travel as needed, and must possess the following:
· 2+ cycles of significant statewide ballot-measure experience in a senior staff or consulting role
· 4+ years in a senior political role
· Ability to work both independently in a telework position, and to work as a team leader who will productively engage with others at varying levels of seniority within and outside the organization;
· Candidates with field program management experience, project management experience, and an understanding of ballot initiative campaigns preferred
· Demonstrated experience in coalition-building and managing stakeholder relationships
· Able to balance competing priorities, complex situations, and tight deadlines
· Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communications skills.
· Excellent public speaking skills
· Comfort working with, and representing the organization to, key partners, funders and stakeholders
· Knowledge of communications tactics and how to use ballot measures to create a unique message environment or narrative
· Experience creating and tracking campaign budgets
· Demonstrated emotional intelligence and a sense of humor
· Long-term commitment to the progressive movement and demonstrated commitment to social, economic and racial justice
Compensation: Salary negotiable based on background and experience. Benefits include health, dental, vision, and 401(k).
Status: Full-time Regular Position, Overtime Exempt. This is a non-cycle position with committed multi-year funding.
To apply: Submit cover letter, resume, and at least three references to Jo...@ballot.org, with subject line: Proactive Campaign Manager by February 15, 2015. Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis until position is filled.
About BISC
Ballot-measure campaigns affect everything progressives fight for. But for the past forty years, conservatives have dominated the ballot-measure process, harming our communities and forcing us to fight costly and diversionary defensive campaigns.
The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC, a 501(c)(4) organization) is changing this dynamic. BISC strengthens democracy by building a national progressive strategy for ballot measures.
We recognize that the best defense is a good offense, and moreover that strategic, well-crafted measures can be powerful tools for progressive change – to advance forward-looking policies, turn out key voters, frame the issues in elections, and build progressive infrastructure in important states.
As the only national progressive organization focused exclusively on ballot measures, BISC is ideally positioned to act as a neutral and trusted third party, providing expert guidance, facilitating collaboration, and promoting strategic investment – for the benefit of the entire progressive movement.
Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at BISC, where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established und