Jobs

Director of Political Strategy

About The Organization

WEPOWER is building a team full of dreamers and doers. We partner with Black and Latinx communities to build power to re-design education, economic, public safety, and health systems to be just and equitable for all. We build powerful relationships with community members and amplify their voices to inform critical decisions that impact their lives. We train community members to design new policies, organize, and lead policy and systems change. We provide early-stage companies with access to coaching, capital, connections, and community as they create jobs in the communities with whom we partner.

In just three years, WEPOWER has activated 300 community leaders, won a historic ballot measure that guarantees public funding annually for early childhood, supported 30 businesses with access to capital, coaching, and connections, and launched a one-of-a-kind investment fund for Black and Latinx businesses. We envision a future where systems are accountable to powerful communities that have been historically oppressed, and nurture our freedom, well-being, dreams, and joy. We are building a powerful movement led by everyday people, and we have bold plans for the years ahead to get us there. Join us!

Our team is:

• Fun
• Focused
• Values-driven
• Community-centered
• Collaborative
• Innovative
• Creative: Lots of brainstorming and imagining what’s possible and then chasing each possibility until it is reality!

About The Opportunity

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Director of Political Strategy is an exempt full time employee. The DPS will be responsible for working with WEPOWER’s CEO to cast vision and strategy for developing and supporting aspiring public leaders who identify as Black and Latinx women, launching a membership model, and managing electoral campaigns that advance early childhood and economic policy by:

• Developing multi-year and annual strategic plans and project plans to grow the political power of WEPOWER’s base.
• Collaborating with the CEO and Vice President of Development on generating resources to support strategic priorities.
• Managing staff and contractors to execute plans that ensure the activation of more women interested in public leadership, launch and growth of a membership strategy, and success of ballot initiatives and independent expenditure campaigns.

Responsibilities

1. Ensure all projects and programs are delivered on time within the stipulated scope and budget. This includes: leading the initiation and planning of a project or program and ensuring feasibility, development of detailed plans to monitor and track the progress of the project or program, especially Chisholm’s Chair Fellowship.
2. Coordinate with internal and external parties for effective execution of projects and programs.
3. Partner with the Director of Data Strategy to measure program performance using appropriate project and data management tools.
4. Manage the membership strategy including growth of the base, the endorsement process of policies and candidates, and experiences offered to members.
5. Work with appropriate contractors and staff to write and implement C4 independent expenditure and ballot measure campaign plans and budgets.
6. Track electoral and appointed leadership opportunities for Black and Latinx women to serve in elected and appointed leadership at the local (and when appropriate, state) level(s).
7. Collaborate with staff and contractors to develop and manage candidate recruitment and preparation efforts.
8. Partner with the CEO and Vice President of Development to identify, cultivate, and steward relationships with mission-aligned funders.
9. Grow a team of staff and contractors to support the vision and strategy set.
10. Serve as the point of contact for partnerships that grow our capacity to execute the vision, strategy, and active programs and electoral initiatives.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have…

• At least five years’ experience in local, state, issue and/or electoral campaigns.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Experience developing and administering political education and training programs.
• Outstanding judgment, discretion and decision-making skills.
• Excellent organizational skills with an ability to think independently and collaboratively while prioritizing daily workload,
• Must be able to meet deadlines in a fast-paced, quickly changing environment.
• Familiarity with VAN, and Google Drive.
• Proven self-management and team-management skills.
• Ability to monitor and control project budgets.
• Capability to make decisions under pressure.
• A desire to be part of a collaborative, dynamic team of staff.
• Deep commitment to racial equity, with self awareness around privilege, bias, and oppression.
• Not necessary, but ideal to have a basic understanding of campaign finance laws regulating political activities of 501c3 and 501c4 organizations.

MORE INFORMATION

• Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
• Salary: $70,000 – $90,000 annually. This is a full-time exempt position.
• Location: This position is in-person and based n St. Louis.
• Travel: This role will engage in some travel to access professional development experiences, support networking and growing partnerships, and cultivate relationships with mission aligned national funders.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Health benefits plus dental, vision, and affordable family coverage.
• 403b Plan: To save for retirement.
• Paid Time Off: 10 days of vacation, 8 sick days, 2 weeks off at the end of December, and 8 holidays each year.
• Paid Parental Leave: New parents get this time to spend with their family – 10 weeks if you’ve been here a year or more.
• Life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Cell Phone Reimbursement Benefits: We have two reimbursement options.
• Wellness Stipend: Up to $50/month reimbursement for spending on physical and mental health needs.

Equal Opportunity Employer

At WEPOWER, we don’t just accept differences — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our team, our programs, and our community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, political affiliation or belief, or genetic information.

This position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Learn more here

Job posted: 2023-02-02