Megaphone Director

About ProgressNow

We are the communications & digital nerve center for the progressive movement. Our state hubs deliver electoral & policy victories. As core infrastructure, we move millions of voters across our state network through data-driven best practices, organic & paid digital content, and decades of expertise.

Our 26 affiliates serve as a marketing shop for the progressive community. Behind the scenes, we facilitate communications and digital tables that align and coordinate the community behind a shared message and strategy. From staffing issue coalitions, developing message and communications calendars, and training and pitching spokespeople to developing digital content for partners and coordinating digital ad buys to maximize impact, we organize the progressive community’s communications for maximum impact.

What You’ll Do

The Megaphone Director is responsible for assisting state-based organizers in executing recruitment and engagement plans, taking their own knowledge of field organizing and relational management and putting it to use in a new and first-of-its-kind program to ensure that trusted local community validators are sharing progressive messages across social media channels. They will work with in-state communications organizers and affiliate executive directors to oversee the identification, recruitment and engagement of volunteers interested in personal storytelling and political engagement on social media channels.

Through the creation of these volunteer teams, the director will help create a compelling progressive narrative as well as combat misinformation and disinformation being spread on social media channels. The organizing director should be well versed in field organizing strategies, recruitment, relational organizing, field organizing metrics and strategies to keep volunteers engaged and moving up a ladder of engagement.

This position is cycle based with an end date of January 31, 2025.

Primary Areas of Responsibility:

Development and implementation of a national volunteer recruitment plan in consultation and coordination with paid organizers (40%)

• Define and build a successful volunteer ladder of engagement program, including creating quarterly goals and metrics, identifying training needs for organizers, and collaborating with a wide variety of staff and volunteers.

• Work directly with in-state organizers to teach them how to apply field and relational organizing tactics to compel volunteers to share content and their own stories across social media platforms

• Assist national executive team in the scaling of the program across all affiliate states with an eye toward ensuring realistic volunteer management goals per organizer

Assist in the implementation of state-based recruitment and engagement plans and serve as a resource for paid organizers (20%)

• Work directly with state-based organizers on creating their specific in-state organizing and recruitment plans; ensure that they are implementing their organizing plans and meeting their organizing goals

• Develop regularized programming and materials that help communicators adopt field organizing strategies and tactics toward the goals of greater visibility of progressive messages

Set overall goals and metrics of success for identification, recruitment and engagement of recruited volunteers with state organizers (20%)

• Co-create data informed state specific metrics of success for volunteer recruitment and engagement

• Meet regularly with in-state organizers to ensure that they are meeting their goals and troubleshoot ways to meet them if they are not being met

• Monitor efforts to recruit and retain volunteers; work with the National Data Manager to create a reporting mechanism

Work with the Leadership Team to design training materials for organizers and volunteers (20%)

• Help to create new and innovative training materials that translate the best practices of field organizing into communications

• Ensure that training materials include both theoretical and practical guidance for organizers who are taking communications and putting them directly into the hands of volunteers

• Assist in ensuring that training materials give organizers a realistic understanding of the tactics and tools that are at their disposal

Who You Are

• Communication skills: You’re a skilled verbal and written communicator. You have the ability to explain technical terms, needs, and or deliverables to non-technical individuals. You’re open and empathetic with ProgressNow affiliate staff, meeting them where they’re at, valuing their skills and learning, and never shaming their starting point.

• Coach and learning mentality: You help others grow and use empathetic coaching, training, and feedback to develop others and support problem-solving. You see mistakes as learning opportunities and engage well with feedback. You’re open to the ideas and collaboration of all staff.

• Relationship builder: You connect with colleagues and affiliates across levels of power to build authentic relationships in order to support them in their work. Supporting, investing in, and leveling up our affiliates and staff while recognizing their achievements and expertise is a core component to this role.

• Proactively advances equity outcomes: Internally and externally, you identify decisions, policies, or practices that have disparate impacts based on identity. You hold racial and social equity as a priority to ensure ProgressNow’s programs and policies reflect our goals and values. You bring an equity lens to your evaluation and recommendations of affiliate programs to ensure they’re authentically reaching and engaging a diverse audience.

• Inclusive leadership: You exercise authority without asserting dominance and bring a clear vision while recognizing the value of divergent perspectives. You approach leadership with a mindset of “power with” rather than “power over” and regularly include others in planning and decision-making.

Required experience, skills, and competencies:

• 7 plus years of field and organizing planning experience on political or advocacy campaigns with a focus on legislative and/or policy efforts at the state or federal level; Extensive experience setting, meeting, and reporting field organizing goals

• Broad understanding of field and relational strategies and tactics, with a deep understanding of the nexus point of digital, field and politics

• Collaborative worker and skilled communicator who can translate organizing concepts and help mentor and assist organizers in their work

• Strong competency in volunteer and leader development; training and ladder of engagement knowledge

• Experience working with diverse coalition partners, volunteers and staff from across the country

• Deep understanding and belief that personal stories and emotional connection affect public opinion

• Knowledge of  volunteer management tools: Votebuilder/VAN, Mobilize, and OnlineActions

• Knowledge of online community tools: Slack, Facebook Groups, Google Meet, and Zoom

• Knowledge of digital organizing tools: dialers (ThruTalk or HubDialer), P2P texting (ThruText, Spoke, or Hustle), relational organizing (Reach, Team, or OutVote), and SMS texting
  
  

What Else You Should Know

ProgressNow is an equal opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by our issues. We especially encourage people of color, LGBQ people, transgender and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities to apply.

The position is full-time and fully remote. The role requires 15% travel. Expected travel includes one annual staff retreat and two ProgressNow conferences.

Compensation
Because negotiating is inherently inequitable, we want to be transparent about what benefits we can offer up front. The starting salary for this position is $98,000.

Our benefits package includes:

• Unlimited vacation with a requirement that each staff member take at least 2 weeks each year.

• Eight paid holidays as well as an office closure annually between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

• Employer-paid health, vision, and dental insurance

• A 401K plan with 3% employer match

• Annual professional development stipend

*Proof of COVID-19 vaccination (including eligible boosters) is required for employment unless a medical or religious accommodation is granted.

How to Apply
In lieu of a cover letter, we’re asking applicants to answer these three questions on their application here:

1. Why are you interested in working at ProgressNow? (300 words max)

2. What was the largest field team that you’ve directly managed and how was it structured? What would you do differently or the same? (300 words max)

3. How do you view the intersection of field and communications? (300 words max)

4. How do you incorporate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in your management philosophy? (300 words max)

To apply, click here.

ProgressNow is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified

persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or gender identity, national origin, involvement with the criminal justice system, or age.