Wisconsin WFP Political Director
Working Families PartyAbout the Working Families Party
The Working Families Party (WFP) is the progressive party for the multiracial working class, fighting for a nation that works for the many, not the few. We recruit, train, and support transformational candidates up and down the ballot — and run them to win.
We believe that no matter where we come from or what our color, most of us want the same things. We want to earn enough to thrive, not just survive, and leave a better future for our kids. We want healthy food and clean water, safe neighborhoods and a safe world. We want to be free.
The Working Families Party is regular people coming together across our differences to make a better future for us all. We’re a multiracial party that fights for workers over bosses and people over the powerful. We want an America which realizes the promise – unrealized in our history – of freedom and equality for all.
ABOUT THIS ROLE
The WI WFP Political Director is responsible for building out a year-round strategy for candidate recruitment, development, endorsement, campaign support, and post-campaign support of electeds that supports our state power plan. During the peak of the election season, the Political Director will provide strategic support to top tier WI WFP endorsed candidates (coordinated with candidates or independent expenditures depending on the race). The role is responsible for building relationships with leaders statewide who have potential to be candidates, endorsed candidates, electeds, campaign staffers, key volunteers, WI WFP organizing committee and leaders of aligned grassroots organizations. The role will collaborate with the State Director, other WI state staff, and the National Organizing Director most frequently, but also WFP political strategists and the National Campaigns Director on national priority races.
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Collaborate with other senior leadership to developing the state power building plan with the WFP organizing committee, elected leaders, and aligned partners
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Build and maintain relationships with endorsed and aligned candidates and campaigns, to implement the political and electoral strategy in the state power building plan
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Manage our Know Your Neighbor Canvassing Program
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Identify key strategic opportunities and priority electoral races aligned with the state power building plan
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Candidate recruitment and vetting, including providing key leadership with state director and organizing committee of electoral endorsement process
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Run events such as candidate trainings with and without partner organizations
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Build a statewide container for WFP and aligned elected officials to connect across Wisconsin
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Work with WFP-endorsed campaigns to assess campaign needs so that WI WFP can build digital and organizing plans that take advantage of our tools (e.g., dialer, peer-to-peer text, etc.) and offer services to best support their campaigns
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Coordinate with WFP national staff to support endorsed candidates as necessary
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Support fundraising for coordinated campaigns and independent expenditures so that these initiatives can be successful
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Electoral program development and management, including both independent expenditure and coordinated campaigns and maintaining a long term strategy to engage and build WFP membership
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Support the development of electoral tactics that rest on and build the strength of WFP’s membership, volunteers and leaders, working in consultation with staff across the organization
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Align our political strategy with major organizational partners and organizing around shared priorities
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Help ensure compliance with campaign finance rules and reporting to all relevant entities
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Relationship management and in-person events and meetings up and down the state
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Help the State Director maintain national relationships with organizations including Vera Action, Seed the Vote, and others as appropriate; support on the ground membership and party building in Madison, WI in absence of organizing staff
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Supervise paid canvass manager/vendor, organizers, etc. as needed
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Other duties as assigned.
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At least 4 years of electoral experience, including in-state specific experience, and at least 5 years in the workforce
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2+ cycles as a campaign manager
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Existing relationships with WI electoral organizations, candidates, and elected officials
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Demonstrated ability to cultivate powerful relationships and build alliances
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Experience managing “hard” side campaigns coordinated with candidates, and “soft” side independent expenditure campaigns
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Experience with WI compliance laws for c3, c4, state PACs, and federal compliance laws of national PACs
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Working knowledge of all aspects of electoral campaigning, including field, paid media, earned communications, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and digital organizing
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Experience with coalition-building - especially aligning plans across allies into one coherent whole
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High competency with numbers, and comfort using NGP-VAN, Catalyst, databases, spreadsheets, and learning new campaign software
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Strong communications skills, including writing, public speaking, and listening;
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Commitment to values of diversity, equity, and inclusion
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Ability to mobilize quickly and inspire others to do so
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Valid Driver’s License and ability to travel to in person events and meetings in other parts of the state
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Flexibility and willingness to be resourceful and communicative is a top priority
Applicants must be currently authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor, or take over sponsorship of, employment visas at this time.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Working Families Party is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to economic and social justice. Women, people of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, and members of other historically disenfranchised populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Any applicant who requires an accommodation in order to apply for or perform the essential functions of the job should contact us at jobs@workingfamilies.org with the subject line "Application Accommodation" to request such an accommodation.