Senior Director, National Campaigns and Organizing

ABOUT THE JOB

The Senior Director of National Campaigns and Organizing (Senior Director) is responsible for charting the course for all issue advocacy campaigns at the national/federal level. The Senior Director is a critical member of leadership within the National Political Advocacy Department (NPAD) and reports directly to the Chief Political & Advocacy Officer, Deirdre Schifeling. It is one of two senior directors roles within the Department.

NPAD builds power to achieve an accountable, representative democracy. The Department has ambitious goals across Reproductive Freedom, Democracy and Voting Rights, Systemic Equality, Immigration, Trans Justice, Criminal Justice and other core issues in order to protect and expand civil rights and civil liberties, and advance the freedom, equality, ability to prosper, and humanity of all People. 

NPAD conducts analysis, develops policy, crafts world class campaigns, and situates the ACLU to have impact across legislative, administrative, and electoral levers. They are policy experts, lawyers, community organizers, lobbyists, campaign strategists, electoral specialists, program managers, and more. They partner across the ACLU to drive national efforts, and support and amplify the priorities of our affiliates and work to center principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in their approach.

The Senior Director will lead the National Campaigns & Organizing team, which is charged with setting a vision and leading divisions responsible for developing and implementing campaign goals, strategies, and budgets to reach political/policy outcomes. This role will manage six direct reports and a total team of 20 professionals, including Director-level staff. The team is responsible for achieving legislative and administrative victories across priority issue areas that advance civil liberties and civil rights at the national/federal level while building the ACLU’s power. In consultation with the Chief Political & Advocacy Officer, the Senior Director will operate as a central decision maker on all national campaign engagements, shaping budgeting decisions, campaign priorities, policy development agendas, and political messaging frames. Flexible in nature and in partnership with ACLU Senior Leadership, this role will be responsible for identifying areas of work that should be prioritized by the National Campaigns team, as well as campaigns and initiatives in response to unexpected, significant developments.

The Senior Director will maintain a strong awareness and understanding of the intersectionality of priority issues at the ACLU. The Senior Director will spot trends and think strategically across issues and campaigns, driving interventions that highlight the political power wielded by the Department and the ACLU. They will consult with the State Campaigns Division, the Electoral Team, and ACLU affiliates on identifying and executing state-based campaigns, to the extent they overlap with federal campaign priorities. This role will also maintain a big-picture awareness of emerging opportunities and challenges across all issue areas as well as the flexibility and nimbleness to respond. Equally important, this role will develop and maintain relationships with allies and other organizations to further political advocacy goals. The Senior Director will partner closely with colleagues across NPAD, including those in the Affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiatives Department, Communications, Analytics, and Legal departments, to develop comprehensive strategies to enhance goals.

Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Maintain big-picture awareness of emerging opportunities, challenges, and trends across all issue areas.
• Drive efforts to fundraise on behalf of the Department and the broader ACLU.
• Develop staff capacity to work together collaboratively and grow issue expertise and campaign skills; lead efforts to recruit and grow staff, and further strengthen the Department.
• May provide subject matter expertise, advice, and support to fellow colleagues as they develop and execute campaigns in new and unfamiliar issue areas
• Demonstrate an ability to be flexible and adjust priorities as necessary in order to adapt to changing external environment.
• Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the mission and values of ACLU and NPAD.
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regards to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, se