Program Manager, North Carolina

We are looking for a collaborative and highly organized Program Manager to join the Common Cause team in North Carolina. This role is a critical part of our state programmatic work, where you will lead and support policy analysis, engage in and lead qualitative and quantitative research and analysis projects, build relationships with community partners, and manage outreach and advocacy activities to advance our mission to protect democracy and ensure fair and equitable representation of all communities.

This is a full-time role reporting to the Policy Director, NC and is ideally based in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina and/or can commute to the State Capitol in Raliegh. The Program Manager is expected to work in-person at the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh up to 3 days per week during legislative session and to travel around North Carolina 2-3 days per month. We hope our new Program Manager will start in June.

Responsibilities

Lead qualitative and quantitative research and analysis

• Lead policy research, analysis, and the identification of opportunities for policy proposals to advance Common Cause’s statewide goals
• Draft, edit, and disseminate policy briefs, reports, and advocacy materials to inform and engage decision-makers and stakeholders
• Monitor state and local legislative developments, track relevant bills, and provide strategic guidance to ensure timely responses to policy opportunities and threats

Manage state programmatic work and campaigns

• Lead the execution of statewide advocacy campaigns
• Support coalition work, including managing working groups or project groups within coalitions, organizing meetings, coordinating actions, and ensuring effective communication among coalition members
• Oversee election protection activities in North Carolina, ensuring effective communication and coordination of outreach efforts to safeguard voting rights and the electoral process
• Execute lobbying efforts for designated legislation, including drafting and managing testimony, public comment, and other advocacy tools

Outreach and stakeholder engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with County Boards of Elections, community organizations, partners, and members to strengthen Common Cause’s network and extend our outreach
• In collaboration with the State Director, Program Managers, and Organizers, execute outreach campaigns to educate the public on priority issues and encourage active participation in advocacy efforts
• Represent Common Cause as the key point of contact with County Board of Elections, community events and coalition meetings
• Track monthly meetings, monitor early voting plans, and work on election resiliency efforts to strengthen public awareness and mobilize support
• Coordinate digital and social media campaigns to engage members and stakeholders, ensuring messaging aligns with Common Cause’s values and goals
• Assist in media relations efforts, including contributing to press materials and briefings

Supervise temporary staff and interns

• Manage temporary staff
• Recruit, train, coordinate and mentor interns and volunteers

Provide fundraising and advisory board support

• Support fundraising efforts, including writing grants, cultivating donor relationships, and managing reporting requirements
• Assist with administrative tasks related to the state advisory board, including organizing meetings, preparing materials, and facilitating effective board engagement

Perform administrative and other duties

• Complete administrative tasks as needed
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

You will thrive in this role if you have:

• A strong commitment to Common Cause’s nonpartisan mission and to advancing civil rights through our pro-democracy agenda
• A commitment to equity in the goals of your work and in how you work with others 
• Openness to feedback and awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth
• Ability to build rapport, trust, and credibility with multiple stakeholders with diverse interests, and a track record of working collaboratively with others
• Ability to manage and meet deadlines for multiple short- and long-term priorities at once, with high attention to detail; strong organization skills, and the ability to manage your time independently
• Ability to compel action through both written and verbal communication, including distilling complex concepts for a broad audience, and to differentiate communications as needed for various audiences
• Familiarity with office productivity tools including Microsoft Office, Slack, and Zoom

The following is required:

• Demonstrated knowledge of and strong interest in current statewide democracy issues, including voting rights, redistricting, campaign finance reform, disinformation, ethics, government transparency, etc.; as well as a demonstrated interest in the unique aspects of North Carolina’s political environment and dynamics.
• Have worked on public advocacy campaigns related to democracy, elections, voting rights and civil rights
• Have developed research, analysis and communications strategies that drive successful campaigns.
• Have managed coalitions or groups that represent stakeholders with diverse interests to achieve a goal
• Willing to have a social media presence on behalf of Common Cause, including being tagged on posts and creating content on behalf of the organization (as needed, Common Cause may provide accounts for staff members to use).
• Ability to travel overnight 1-2 times per year for team and/or all staff retreats
• Ability to work in-person at the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh up to 3 days per week during legislative session and to travel around North Carolina 2-3 days per month.
• Per our nonpartisan policy, Common Cause staff members may not currently be in elected office (or running for office); on the Steering Committee or Finance Committee for any political candidate; or affiliated with the leadership of a political party

Additional information about this role

• This position is included in a union-represented collective bargaining unit and specific employment terms and conditions are subject to collective bargaining negotiations.

• Common Cause is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time; please note that if hired, you will be asked to produce documentation for authorization to work in the US.

Compensation: $82,400-$97,850

In order to ensure greater equity and transparency as an organization, Common Cause sets salary ranges consistently based on job responsibilities, and we determine salary for each staff member based on relevant years of experience (you can read more about our approach to compensation here, including where we offer geographical adjustments). For these reasons, we do not negotiate on our salary ranges, or our specific salary offers.

In addition to salary, we also offer a generous benefits package, including:

• A robust healthcare plan that covers 97% of employee’s medical care, 100% of employee’s vision and dental benefits, and 75% of family medical care and 100% of family vision and dental benefits
• Generous Paid Time Off including 20 Days of Vacation and 10 observed Holidays per year, and additional days off for Thanksgiving and Winter break
• Flexible spending accounts 
• A 401k retirement savings plan, with Employer Match after 1 year of service
• Dependent Care and Pet Care Support when you travel for work
• Funds for professional development 
• And more! See more details here: https://www.commoncause.org/our-benefits/

Common Cause is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of any race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, income class, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status, as well as applicants who have been previously incarcerated.

Common Cause (501(c)(4)) and Common Cause Education Fund (501(c)(3)) are nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots affiliate organizations dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create an open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.