Senior Campaigns Manager (Temporary)

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.

Apply here.

The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) is seeking an experienced organizer with significant ballot measure experience to join our program team to support state leaders and organizations working on ballot measure campaigns during the 2024 elections. The Senior Campaigns Manager needs 5+ years of organizing and at least 2 cycles of ballot measure campaign experience. This is a temporary full-time position based in the United States with an end date of February 28, 2025, with the possibility for extension depending on organizational needs.

The Senior Campaigns Manager will play a critical role to provide strategic ballot measure campaign analysis and assistance to partners to strengthen their skills and capacities. They will also help support, and execute programmatic and organizational goals that deepen partnerships and alignment in the progressive ecosystems especially through coalition building. Additionally, they will help with landscape analysis and tracking and collecting data and information to help with post-election case studies and reports. This position is an excellent opportunity for an individual committed to building durable power and advocating for equitable policy for Black Indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC), queer, low-income, immigrant, and other marginalized communities. Although not required, experience working on economic justice and revenue ballot measures is a plus.

BISC’s Programmatic work seeks to accomplish the goals outlined in BISC’s Strategic Framework through convening a broad spectrum of partners in the ballot measure ecosystem; building capacity and skills for the field; shifting the culture of the way we work together and run ballot measure campaigns; and centering and supporting the leadership traditionally marginalized communities. The Senior Manager will work to ensure a transformational and holistic approach to advising and supporting ballot measure campaigns and partners with a racial equity lens and that reinforces an expanded definition of winning and long-term sustainable gains that build independent power in states. Additionally, they will work to ensure there is an intentional approach to every aspect of the ballot measure process, from civic engagement through to implementation.

BISC is a mission and values-driven organization that recruits and seeks to retain a staff committed to excellence by fostering a work environment that is flexible, fairly-compensated, respectful, and fun.

Location: BISC HQ is located in Washington, DC, but the location for this position is flexible. This position may require some frequent and/or extended travel. This position reports to the Strategic Partnerships Director.

Primary job responsibilities:

  • Advise organizations and individuals on direct strategic and technical assistance on campaign strategy (including go/no go decisions), policy, campaign plans, budgets and fundraising, polling, coalition-building and equitable governance, and direct voter communication/contact and other components of ballot measure campaigns or efforts whether virtually or in-person in-states;
  • Manage a portfolio of strategic assistance, including doing regular partner follow up and providing BISC resources, tools, and support training for assigned states;
  • Support BISC’s ballot measure tracking program including monitoring statewide ballot measures and status, opposition tracking, and attacks on the ballot measure process;
  • Support the procurement and regular updating of BISC’s comprehensive electronic clearinghouse of ballot measure campaign materials, documents, and planning documents;
  • Help to develop and provide BISC’s leaders and partners with the tools and resources needed to run effective, equitable, and culture changing ballot measure campaigns;
  • Work with BISC’s Capacity Building Team to ensure campaign, partner lessons, and resources are incorporated into evaluation tools, techniques, and practices for the ballot measure field and to measure BISC’s impact;
  • Work with the program team to deepen relationships and respond to the needs of ballot measure practitioners in real time through convenings, trainings, coalitions, and meetings, and supporting ongoing peer learning cohorts;
  • Work with BISC’s Communications and Development teams on effectively communicating our 2024 priority campaigns externally with funders, the media, stakeholders, and on our communications platforms;
  • Support the development and execution of BISC’s program work with a commitment to excellence and appetite to share skills with peers and partners and acquire new skills;
  • Advise on, help design and/or facilitate coalition meetings; and
  • Other duties as assigned

Additional responsibilities:

  • Aid the program team in implementation of BISC’s 5-year strategic plan focused on changing culture, centering directly impacted communities, capacity building, convening, and internal continuity and growth;
  • Represent BISC by attending meetings and convenings of stakeholders and partners;
  • Work to deepen BISC’s racial equity work, both internally and in the field; and
  • Support other BISC and BISC Foundation projects and activities as needed

Education, Knowledge and Experience Requirements:

Position requires familiarity with advocating for an issues-based agenda with a diverse array of partners and organizations in coalition settings, at least five years of related professional experience. Top candidates will have leadership experience with at least 2 cycles of state or municipal level ballot measure campaign work in a state with citizen initiative process and familiarity with citizen initiative process.  The Senior Campaigns Manager must be a team player who can work independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously. Strong writing skills with an understanding of writing for an organizational voice is highly preferred. Grassroots advocacy and organizing experience is required.

Ideal candidate will have the following:

  • Strong analytical skills, detail-oriented, and able to adapt quickly with an understanding of and experience with the ballot measure process preferred
  • Experience with and understanding of the various aspects of ballot measure campaigns
  • Experience in grassroots organizing strategies
  • Experience working with progressive policy issues, coalitions, organizations, state tables or issue campaigns
  • Ability to provide hands-on strategic support to ballot measure leaders and campaigns
  • Familiarity with and interest in opinion research
  • Some experience leading and facilitating meetings and trainings/workshops and giving presentations
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, with demonstrated ability to produce a variety of types of written communications including memos, briefings, presentations, and reports
  • Superior organizational skills and interest and ability to process and synthesize complicated information
  • Commitment to progressive change and movement building required
  • Willingness to travel, sometimes on short notice
  • Good-humored, team player a must

Apply to this position if you are:

  • Collaborative: You know that building a coalition and building true partnerships takes time, trust, and transparency. You understand the complexities of coalition work, including the inherent race, power and privilege dynamics often present, and are able to address them. You also are collaborative with your co-workers: willingly sharing information and tasks to get a job done.
  • Results and evaluation driven: You show relentless commitment to meeting a high bar and a history of getting things done even in the face of obstacles. You are receptive to feedback and know that evaluating and re-adjusting is critical to long term learning.
  • Organized and flexible: You have a plan, but you can quickly adapt when needed. And you understand the plan is better when you collaborate with those around you.
  • Effective interpersonal skills: You have a proven ability to communicate effectively with different personalities to move projects forward.
  • Strong time management skills: You can balance many projects at once and prioritize accordingly.
  • Movement Focused: You have a demonstrated commitment to social, economic, and racial justice.

Notice of Exempt Position:

This is a full-time position and in accordance with the provisions of Federal and DC wage and hour laws, this position is classified as Exempt, which means that you will not be eligible for overtime for hours worked in excess of forty (40) during a work week.

Salary & Benefits:* (see BISC’s Compensation Philosophy below)

  • Salary: 75,000 – 85,000 per year
  • 100% Medical insurance for family paid for by employer
  • Dental insurance
  • Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage
  • Paid vacation
  • Sick leave
  • Generous 401(k) plan with employer contribution

To apply: Submit a cover letter and resume through BambooHR. Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

About BISC:

BISC’s mission is to strengthen democracy by implementing a national progressive strategy for ballot measures rooted in building state-based power.

The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC), a 501(c)(4) organization, is the only progressive organization that works across many policy, organizing, and political organizations, with local, state, and national leaders to analyze and support the ballot measure landscape.

We believe direct democracy can be a tool for liberation. We leverage ballot measures across the United States as part of a larger movement to strengthen democracy, center people of color, queer, low-income, immigrant, indigenous and other marginalized communities, move towards racial equity, build and transform power, and galvanize a new progressive base. In February 2020, we launched our strategic framework to help move towards our vision of building a world where all people are fully liberated, live with dignity and thrive so that equity and justice prevail.

We lead by supporting the use of ballot measures as a tool for transformational impact, not just in a measure’s outcomes, but at every stage of the ballot measure process—from policy development, signature gathering, civic engagement, the campaign itself, implementation and beyond. We believe in movement building and empowerment, bringing communities into the work and leaving lasting infrastructure for continued social change.

We know that success is not just defined by getting 50% + 1 of the vote. If we are serious about building a more equitable world, we also must consider who is driving the change and whether it will have a transformational impact on the people and communities who have been pushed to the margins for too long.

We achieve impact through training the field and developing leaders, convening state and national leaders and funders in a co-created strategy that results in transformative wins, leading innovative research and providing assistance to support ballot measures as a tool to build long term power.

BISC’s Racial Equity Stance:

At the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, we work to transform our country into one that is equitable and just. In our work, we strive to challenge structural racism, and center the people most impacted. BISC works with commitment to racial equity inside our organization in our operations and management processes, and externally through our research, training and organizing work with ballot-measure campaigns, partners and funders.

BISC’s Compensation Philosophy:

The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center seeks to recruit, retain, and develop high-talent individuals in order to achieve our mission. In 2022, BISC created a compensation philosophy that provides a framework for compensation decisions and shows how those decisions are a reflection of our organizational values.

Salaries are benchmarked to the most expensive geographic markets in the U.S. Incoming staff have the opportunity to negotiate within the published salary range but final offers will preserve relative salary parity with similarly experienced staff who have similar roles at BISC. Annual raises (budget permitting and after one year of tenure) are flat rate rather than percentages of salary and are not connected to annual performance reviews. We have chosen to structure salary bands so salaries can continue to grow even without a promotion (BISC is a small organization and upward mobility may be more limited than in larger entities). We offer above-market benefits to support employee medical, retirement, and other needs and strive to create opportunities for continued learning and investment in staff professional development.

EEO Policy:

BISC follows an Equal Employment Opportunity Policy and employs personnel without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age (40 or older), marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities (including pregnancy), matriculation, genetic information, disability status, military service, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to employment, internships, internal promotions, training, opportunities for advancement, dismissals, relationships with vendors, use of contractors and consultants, and in dealing with the general public.