Political Director

The Opportunity:

Rural People’s Voice (RPV) is building a multi-racial majority of rural working people, ready to come together to rewrite the future of North Central Washington. We are seeking a Political Director to play a leading role in our base-building and electoral program in communities across North Central Washington (NCW). Now in our third full year of programming, we are purposefully growing our base and engaging voters through deep organizing, narrative leadership development, winning elections, and seizing policy opportunities. We are committed to building a sustaining, multi-racial base of working- and middle-class power, one that can advance the leaders, actions, and policies our rural communities need. 

The Political Director sits on the leadership team and works to cultivate leadership and skills across the organization while leading key initiatives or programs. The Director will lead our electoral organizing work, including developing a recruitment pipeline for future candidates, providing concrete and strategic campaign support for allied campaigns, partnering to build our electoral organizing strategy, connecting with elected leaders in office, and, in time, supporting local and state leaders in forwarding policies that support working families. This position will also support organizational priorities, such as strategic planning, fundraising, and organizational health, and serve as a key strategic partner across the program's team.

The RPV Political Director will bring immense passion and focus to our shared vision for a better future for rural Washington. The ideal candidate is an experienced political or government leader who is fueled by community connection. They have a developed political analysis, are excited about learning, have strong interpersonal skills, thrive as part of a team and can work independently, and are deeply aligned with the mission of RPV. 

This position reports to RPV’s Executive Director.

Political Director Responsibilities

Electoral Programming (60%)

• Content Expertise: Develop and contribute content expertise to RPV’s rural electoral strategy
• Program Development & Oversight: Develop our existing programs that build electoral power in North Central Washington, including…
• Candidate Pipeline: Distribute information about elections and targeted seats; lead recruitment through our team’s existing networks and open nominations; and coordinate the RPV team to invest in future leaders through mentorship, amplification of their public profile, and local training
• Concrete Support for Campaigns: Connect candidates with concrete and strategic campaign support either directly 1:1 or through contractors and a robust set of partners, including candidate and team coaching, campaign and field planning, messaging development, data analysis, and engaging donors
• Electoral Organizing: Contribute to planning and data mapping for door-to-door candidate canvasses (in collaboration with the organizing team), run independent expenditure campaigns on behalf of candidates or initiatives, ensure campaign staff and volunteers have training to utilize data tools
• Data Management: Develop skill in using the VAN (Voter Activation Network) and other electoral data resources to guide electoral strategy and voter outreach and engagement; track, analyze, and distribute data (in partnership with partners, volunteers, and other staff) to make sense of electoral outcomes, opportunities, and risks.
• Events: In partnership with organizing, narrative, and leadership staff, help lead annual Ballot + Block Parties in Wenatchee and Omak, bringing hundreds of people together to learn about elections, the issues, and build their political analysis.
• Compliance and Reporting: Become familiar with basic electoral, 501(c)4, and PAC reporting requirements, and with leadership from the Operations Manager, contribute to mandatory political reporting and monitoring organizational compliance. 
• Policy Monitoring & Research: Stay up to date on relevant ballot measures, federal, state, and local policies; monitor political activities and highly aligned opportunities for RPV to engage in advocacy and organizing

Steering Committee Leadership (20%)

• Steering Committee Stewardship: Manage the RPV Steering Committee by developing and implementing annual communications plan, positioning staff to steward Steering Committee, monitoring and managing roster, and contributing to decisions around role and orientation of Steering Committee annually 
• Candidate Endorsements: Lead the steering committee through designated process to assess and endorse candidates

Organizational Leadership (20%)

• Strategic Planning: Participate centrally in efforts to build the annual strategic plan, create work plans, develop program-specific goals and tactics, etc. Develop reports and other written materials that shape our story, successes, and potential.
• Strategic and Program Oversight: In partnership with the Leadership Team, share accountability for the overall success of RPVs programs through strategic partnership with Directors, mentorship and coaching of staff, content expertise, training opportunities, etc.
• Fundraising: Participate in fundraising efforts for the organization, contributing to grant writing, reporting and partnership development as appropriate and joining 1:1 donor meetings as assigned
• Represent the Organization: Represent RPV at community meetings, in coalitions, and at events as assigned to understand the needs of the community and forward our collective work
• Build a Thriving Organization: Be a driving part of the broader work and mission of RPV,  contributing insight and skills to the organization’s forward movement and overall strategy and goals
• Constant Learning: Connect to movement organizations across the country to tie in with and learn from best practices, awesome ideas, and developing strategy in electoral organizing
• Embody RPV Values: Model and help root the inclusive values, hope, deep joy, and accountable culture of RPV across our staff and network, and in community

Additional Details:

• Location: While this can be a remote position, travel to NCW for in-person work in or near Wenatchee and Omak, and across North Central Washington will be frequent and required (averaging 1-4 times monthly in-person across Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan Counties, more during key election seasons, less in winter/spring); there will be additional travel for conferences, training, etc. Candidates who live in the region will be prioritized.
• Schedule: This is a full-time (1 FTE), salaried, exempt position supervised by the Executive Director. This position requires some weeknight and weekend hours. The exact start-date is negotiable, but we seek to start this position as soon as possible.
• Travel: This position will require occasional driving for meetings, training, conferences, advocacy, etc. This position must own or have full-time access to a car as a licensed, insured driver. We cover mileage reimbursements equal to travel within NCW (up to 120 miles per direction traveled). We also provide per diem and lodging for all required overnight travel. Where possible, we carpool and encourage use of public transit.
• Employer: This position is split between Rural People’s Voice, a 501(c)(4) and Rural People’s Platform, a 501(c)(3).
• Culture and Leadership: RPV values a healthy workplace, worker rights and worker respect, including family and kid-friendly work options. RPV aspires to an expanded shared leadership model and depending on strategy, funding, and team makeup.

Required Qualifications

• At least 5 years of relevant experience, preferably in the context of grassroots organizing, labor organizing, and/or electoral politics
• Acute political savviness and excellent analytical skills, sophisticated read on the current political/economic landscape, and a desire to do work with a clear short and long-term strategy to build political power
• Exceptional ability to quickly build rapport and trusting relationships with community, stakeholders and staff
• Demonstrated ability to plan, manage, and execute projects with skillful leadership
• Love for learning and constant research around the rural political landscape and narrative orientation of communities
• Strong commitment to racial, social, economic, and gender justice and to building working-class power guided by strategy
• Strong self-awareness, can recognize when you need support, and can receive feedback as part of growth
• Ability to work independently, set and meet personal goals, and work collaboratively as part of a team – both in a leadership team and as an accountable, respectful collaborator
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• High confidence with Google Drive software (Sheets, Docs, and Slides)
• A personal and shared stake: you know why you want to win and why we need to build power together to win!

Desired Qualifications

• Bilingual, Spanish and English
• Experience working with power-building grassroots organizations, including organizations doing 501(c)(4) electoral work
• Experience with electoral strategy development, analysis, and deployment
• Familiarity with worker, housing, immigrant rights, climate and environmental issues
• Experience with running or leading political campaigns or candidates

Benefits: We offer benefits and generous paid time off, including a $500 ICHRA (a tax-free health insurance stipend that allows you to purchase insurance through the Washington State Health Exchange), 20 days paid vacation, and a 3% employer-contribution to retirement.