Director of Programs and Communications, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (DC)

[SujTej]

Director of Programs and Communications

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 Director of Programs and Communications for its Washington, DC office.  The Director of Programs and Communications is a new position responsible for the overall day-to-day management of the program and communications work of BISC and the BISC Foundation. 

 

The perfect candidate is a politically savvy, trusted leader and manager with ballot initiative campaign experience who can set and execute a comprehensive vision for ballot measure campaign success.  This candidate will also be an innovative, strategic thinker who knows what a good communications strategy can do for an organization both internally and externally.

 

Overview

The Director of Programs and Communications is primarily responsible for building strategic relationships with state partners, managing the BISC “Labor Table”, providing support to ballot measure campaigns, helping to drive BISC’s research program in the states, including the dissemination of key results and findings to initiative advocates, and guiding BISC’s communications strategy, both internal and external. 

 

The Director of Programs and Communications will direct communications strategy for the organization and coordinate creation of materials for partners, stakeholders, funders and other interested parties..

 

This position manages several program areas and multiple staff and is responsible for overseeing technical support to campaigns, and, with the BISC senior management team, developing short- and long-term organizational goals.

 

Responsibilities

 

Program

• Develop and maintain trusted relationships with progressive national and state leaders and gather real -time campaign and political information from partners in the states

 

• Manage BISC’s Labor Table, acting as day-to-day contact with labor allies

 

• Conduct regular briefings, trainings and collaborative discussions for national state ballot-initiative actors
• Set goals and strategy for all BISC programmatic work in collaboration with the BISC senior management team
• Working with the ED and Proactive Campaign Manager, advise on strategy for BISC’s Proactive Project;

 

• Coordinate the dissemination of BISC-led and other relevant research to ballot measure advocates to help inform infrastructure development and other investments

 

 

• Coordinate, in collaboration with the Executive Director and Proactive Campaign Manager, investment based on research and real-time information gathering from BISC stakeholders, allies, state and national partners

 

• Monitor ballot measure and policy trends for threats and opportunities; raising the flag as issues arise;
• Supervise technical assistance for our state and national stakeholders on both defensive and proactive campaigns
• Provide general organizational leadership as part of the Senior Management Team, requiring collaboration with the ED and other senior staff regarding fundraising, communications, organizational health and program.
• Represent BISC as various events and meetings, including public speaking
• Lead program development for the Road Ahead, BISC's annual convening including responsibility for theme, facilitating agenda creation, identifying speakers and moderators, as well as managing all preparation and staff in the project

 

Communications

• Guide BISC’s communications strategy both internal and external, including management of staff and communications consultants when needed
• Oversee implementation of BISC’s digital library, a comprehensive electronic catalog of ballot measure campaign materials, documents and planning documents
• Develop and execute BISC strategic communications plans, with Communications Manager.
• Provide communications support and messaging guidance to staff and partners.
• Coordinate creation of materials and presentations.
• Oversee and edit as needed all digital/online content, including websites and social media.
• Prepare the Executive Director and other assigned staff for public events and media interviews.

Qualifications

Applicants will ideally have a mixture of electoral, organizing and communications skills with a focus on ballot measure experience.  Applicants must have demonstrated an ability to negotiate, build consensus, and strategically disagree. 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

·      5+ years in a senior political role including significant project management and communications experience

·      Ability to work both independently, and to work as a team leader who will productively engage with others at varying levels of seniority within and outside the organization

·      Strong facilitation and on-the-go critical thinking skills

·      Demonstrated experience in coalition-building and managing stakeholder relationships

·      Able to balance competing priorities, complex situations, and tight deadlines

·      Excellent editing, writing and public speaking skills, and significant experience preparing materials 
for presentation to a variety of audiences

·      Experience developing strategies and creative tactics for communicating with key audiences

·      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

·      Familiarity with social media strategy and best practices

·      Able to manage staff, including those working remotely

·      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).

 

Full-time Regular Position, Overtime Exempt

 

To apply:  Submit cover letter, resume, 2 writing samples and at least three references to Jo...@ballot.org with subject line: Programs and Communications 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, the Right has 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 ballot measures are a permanent part of the political process, and that strategic, well-crafted measures can be powerful tools for progressive change – to advance good policies, turn out key voters, frame the issues in elections and build our movement’s infrastructure in 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 and the BISC Foundation, 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 under law.