Capacity Building Director

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.

Reports to: Director of Programs & Strategy

Supervision: Currently manages 2 full-time staff (Senior Capacity Building Manager and Senior Manager of Convenings)

Location: Fully remote (U.S. based)

Travel: 25%-50% (includes 3-4 all-staff meetings annually, conferences, and state partner visits)

The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC) seeks an experienced ballot measure practitioner with expertise in scaling high impact training and capacity building programs to join the program leadership team. The Capacity Building Director will lead programs and develop tools and resources that build and enhance the skills and capacity of local, state, and national partners in order to strengthen the expertise and leadership in the ballot measure field.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated their ability to create training and leadership programs which take into account varying skill levels (beginner, intermediate, and advanced), coaching needs, and develop training curriculum that equips our partners and campaigns with the skills to create change in their own communities. Given the times, it is also important to equip leaders with tools to protect themselves against rising authoritarianism. This person will also lead BISC’s work with partners and campaigns to develop their measurement and evaluation tools to ensure best practices, indicators, and metrics are applied throughout the ballot measure campaign lifecycle.

As a member of the program leadership team, the Capacity Building Director will co-strategize with other program directors to support campaigns in our primary areas of focus: bodily autonomy, democracy, and economic justice. They will ensure a full integration of skill-building, policy development, research, legal advocacy, and implementation work into the lifecycle of ballot measure campaigns when advising state-based partners that result in long-term wins that build sustainable independent political power in states.

Additionally, they will serve as an advisor and active thought-partner to the Director of Programs & Strategy, particularly in matters related to enhancing the skills and civic education of our partners that empower them to transform the material conditions of their daily lives. Further, this person will help to curate our external convenings and enhance the experience of our partners in those spaces with the Senior Manager of Convenings. This person will also serve as an ambassador for organizational culture and reinforce our values of racial equity, accountability, transparency, integrity, innovation, and collaboration. The successful candidates will do this through their work, their engagement with colleagues, and external stakeholders.

Primary Job Responsibilities

Training & Capacity Building

• Serve as a strategic guide and thought partner to the Senior Capacity Building Manager in the ongoing development and scaling of BISC’s training program, contributing to curriculum innovation and program expansion that meet the evolving needs of the field amid rising authoritarianism;
• Work collaboratively to drive innovation in evaluation tools, techniques, and practices that enhance learning outcomes and assess BISC’s broader impact in the ballot measure field;
• Work in partnership with the Senior Capacity Building Manager and external partners to devise strategies that will increase the number of training offerings we provide both virtually and in-person and;
• Co-develop and sustain processes for ongoing engagement with BISC training alumni, to foster continued learning and community within the ballot measure field.

Strategic Assistance & Culture Shifting

• Guide and support BISC’s strategic coaching, assistance and issue-based cohort work to ensure effective communication and consistent support to the ballot measure field;
• Directly advise organizations and individuals on campaign strategy and provide technical assistance - including but not limited to: go/no go decisions, campaign plans, budgets and fundraising, polling, coalition-building and equitable governance, direct voter communication/contact, and other components of ballot measure campaigns or efforts, whether virtually or in-states;
• Lead and maintain the revamp of the BISC resource library in collaboration with the communications team;
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and racial equity within the capacity building team;
• Maintain a curiosity and awareness of emerging tactics and technologies that both win on Election Day and shift the culture of ballot measure campaigns; and
• Develop and implement strategies that shift ballot measure campaign culture towards equitable, inclusive, and winning practices across various sectors and our priority issue areas.

Convenings & Program Leadership

• Serve in a leadership role in the execution and curation of our annual “Road Ahead” conference and provide guidance and thought leadership for BISC’s portfolio of convenings;
• Collaborate with the Policy & Legal Advocacy Director to develop new training curricula that expressly prepares practitioners to navigate rising authoritarianism and threats to the direct democracy process, including, but not limited to ballot measure implementation challenges that go beyond election day;
• Collaborate with Strategic Partnerships Director to best equip partners with effective ways to leverage research and data in their campaigns and;
• Supervise both Senior Capacity Building Manager and the Senior Manager of Convenings.

Additional responsibilities:

Organizational Leadership

• Serve in a leadership role to aid executive team and other program directors to implement BISC’s strategic plan;
• Represent BISC in national strategy conversations and conferences with funders, political partners, and other relevant stakeholders;
• Work with executive team and program directors to deepen BISC’s racial equity work, both internally and in the field;
• Assist the development team in responding to funder questions and requests;
• Assist the communications team in responding to media requests for information and background and;
• Support other BISC and BISC Foundation projects and activities as needed.

Required Qualifications:

• Ballot Measure Expertise: Comprehensive understanding of ballot measure campaigns; from coalition building to campaign planning. The successful candidate has a proven track record with solid experience working on at least two ballot measure campaigns in a leadership role.
• Curriculum Development: Demonstrated experience developing new training curriculum for adult learners including but not limited to: hands-on exercises, activities, and functional templates and tools. This includes managing external consultants that develop training curriculum on behalf of BISC.
• Expanded program: Proven track record of growing existing training programs and creating new programs to achieve expanded reach and skill set of adult constituents/learners.
• Team Management: Experience supervising staff and managing complex, multi-faceted programs.
• Collaborative Leadership: Exceptional ability to build coalitions and partnerships requiring time, trust, and transparency; sophisticated understanding of race, power, and privilege dynamics in coalition work.
• Cross-Team Excellence: Outstanding skills in working across organizational departments and facilitating integrated approaches to complex challenges.
• Results and Campaign Orientation: Relentless commitment to excellence with proven history of achieving goals despite obstacles; understands the rigor and responsiveness required in campaigns; and receptive to feedback and committed to continuous improvement.
• Adaptive Management: Strong organizational skills with ability to maintain strategic focus while adapting quickly to changing circumstances.
• Communication Skills: Proven ability to communicate effectively with diverse personalities and stakeholder groups to advance projects and build relationships.
• Time Management: Demonstrated capacity to effectively manage their time in a remote setting, as well as, balance multiple high-priority projects while maintaining quality and meeting deadlines.
• Social Justice Values: Demonstrated commitment to social, economic, and racial justice with an understanding of how ballot measures advance progressive goals.
• Racial Equity Practice: Experience integrating racial equity principles into program design, team management, and field support work.
• Strategic Thinking: Understanding of how capacity building fits within broader movement strategy and long-term power building.
• Consultant Management: Adept at managing consultants, deliverables, and contracts.
• Working knowledge of G-Suite of products, Microsoft products and ability to learn other organizational

Education, Knowledge and Experience Requirements

Position requires experience with scaling existing and developing new training programs. The successful candidate will have leadership experience with ballot measure and/or issue-based campaigns and seven years of related professional experience. The successful candidate will have at least two state-based ballot measure campaign work in a state with citizen initiative process; familiarity with citizen initiative process (coordinated campaign or statewide preferred).

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: $115,000-$120,000
• 100% Medical insurance including 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

Priority consideration will be given to applicants that apply by October 31st. Additional candidates will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. To apply please submit a cover letter (that explicitly outlines your experience leading and scaling training programs along with other relevant achievements), resume, and three references.

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 isn’t just defined by getting 50% + 1 of the vote. If we’re serious about building a more equitable world, we also must consider who’s 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 Stance on Racial Equity

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.

EEO Policy

BISC follows an Equal Employment Opportunity Policy and employs personnel without regard to race, ethnic or religious background, descent or nationality, sexual orientation, gender (including pregnancy), gender identification, disability, marital status, age, height, weight, or military service. This policy applies to employment, internships, internal promotions, training, opportunities for advancement, terminations, relationships with vendors, use of contractors and consultants and in dealing with the general public.

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

• Salary: $115,000-$120,000
• 100% Medical insurance including 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