Political Director - Democratic Party of Orange County, Calif.

[Rachel Potucek]

Overview: The Democratic Party of Orange County seeks the services of an interim Political Director for the upcoming 2018 election cycle. This position will be an employee of DPOC and will be directly responsible to the Chair of the Democratic Party. The responsibilities for this position include but are not limited to, candidate recruitment, community engagement, candidate/campaign assistance and communication coordination with other staff, officers, community members and grassroots organization. The requirements for this position include, but are not limited to, organizational skills, fundraising ability, strong writing and communication skills. 

Responsibilities:

Candidate Recruitment

• Develop a recruitment plan and work in conjunction with the Central Committee and DPOC partners and allies to recruit Democrats for local races.  
• Create and implement a strategic plan to recruit and develop Democrats to run for future elections.
• Develop materials to support candidate recruitment.
• Maintain contact list of all candidates and potential candidates to facilitate communication and distribution of important information such as website listings and the DPOC endorsement process.

Endorsement Process

• Researches potential candidates’ party registration and collects contact information during the filing process for each election
• Corresponds with Democrats by USPS, email, and/or phone to provide an endorsement questionnaire and information about the process and upcoming meetings.
• Compiles questionnaire responses and provides them to Vice Chairs for each region’s review.
• Responsible for scheduling candidate interviews with officers and endorsement committees.  
• Creates objective, efficient assessment matrix to summarize candidate evaluations for reporting to Executive Committee and Central Committee.

Candidate Assistance

• May provide logistical, informational, and technical support to endorsed campaigns, including field organizing, volunteer coordination, communications, and data.   
• Manage the Member to Member communications program, including bundling of income/resources, campaign materials development and production, and vendor payments.  
• Maintain resources for candidates to include lists of campaign treasurers and consultants, training opportunities, etc.

Communications

• Coordinate with the Communications Director to ensure cohesiveness in external messaging.  
• Provide technical and design guidance and support for campaign mailers and other election focused communications for endorsed candidates and DPOC.
• Assist with communication projects as needed.

Fundraising

• Assist with fundraisers for DPOC including the annual Truman Dinner.

Administrative

• Provide monthly reports to Executive Committee and Central Committee.  
• Works with and provides regular updates to DPOC Administrative Assistant and DPOC Treasurer for necessary record retention.
• Supervise and direct interns on routine and special projects during campaign season.

External Relationships

• Establish and maintain relationships with local elected officials to efficiently and effectively communicate and engage as needed with an emphasis on candidate recruitment, campaign support and community engagement

Other

• Collaborate with the Director of GrassRoots Organizing on field activities, voter registration, voter engagement and GOTV.  
• Assist with special projects as needed.

Qualifications/Requirements

• Minimum of one year of experience on a campaign or in political communications
• Strong writing and communication skills including public speaking
• Relevant writing samples required
• Experience in fast paced environment with multiple projects and deadlines.
• Demonstrated problem-solving ability
• Proven track record of excellent follow-through and accountability for work
• Outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail
• Working knowledge and experience with database tools, NGPVAN, ActBlue, social media, excel
• Able to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends
• Familiarity with State and Federal compliance regulations especially financial reporting rules
• An understanding of the Orange County Democratic political community highly desirable
• Proven ability to communicate in Spanish or Vietnamese desirable especially written language
• May not be simultaneously employed by an active political campaign
• References from sources familiar with campaign experiences

Compensation and End Date

• Compensation commensurate with experience and includes benefits allowance.
• Position may terminate before 12/31/18.
• Contract renewal contingent upon performance, funding availability, and Executive Committee approval.

How to Apply

Email resume, cover letter, writing sample, and references to DPOC at: in...@ocdemocrats.org. Deadline to apply: April 2, 2018.