Campaign Director for Local Union Organizing Programs

SEIU (Service Employees International Union)

JOB TITLE: Campaign Director for Local Union Organizing Programs
GRADE: MGT F1
SALARY: $135,609.02
LOCATION: Washington, DC (HQ) or All USA/Remote

Organizational Overview:

We are the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a union of about 2 million diverse members in healthcare, the public sector, and property services. We believe in and fight for our Vision for a Just Society: where all workers are valued and all people respected, no matter where we come from or what color we are; where all families and communities can thrive; and where we leave a better and more equitable world for generations to come. We are an anti-racist union determined to check corporate power and uproot structural racism through unions, worker power, collective action, and government, legislative, and political action. We fight for Unions for All and a Government that Works for All so that all of us, across race and place, can have power together in unions and participate fully in our democracy.

Purpose:

The Organizing Campaign Director is part of the National Organizing Hub’s Local Union Organizing Program team, which supports local unions in building worker power through deep collaboration in their strategic campaign planning and execution.  The Organizing Campaign Director is a management-level position responsible for representing and assisting the International Union in carrying out its overall organizing programs; for developing, executing, and managing local, statewide, regional and/or national strategic campaigns and organizing initiatives, as assigned and in collaboration with stakeholder local unions. 

Primary Responsibilities: 

• Working within the National Organizing Hub to represent and assist the International Union in carrying out its overall organizing programs; developing campaign strategies, that includes processes for researching and developing winning demands; creating and maintaining multi-component, joint strategy tables to coordinate campaign work and activities.
• Collaborating & support for stakeholder local unions at the state, regional and/or national level, in developing, executing, and strengthening local, statewide, regional and/or national strategic organizing programs and campaigns.
• Managing the execution of comprehensive campaigns and initiatives to achieve overall campaign goals and benchmarks at each phase of the campaign; assessing campaign execution and making recommendations on strategic decisions including overseeing campaign operations; determining data management systems to collect, track and analyze relevant data for strategic campaign decision-making; and overseeing the utilization of digital organizing strategies and platforms.
• Staffing SEIU participation on relevant government agencies, legislative bodies, and coalitions necessary to execute campaign strategy.
• Working with appropriate International Union staff to determine appropriate and strategic allocation of International Union staff and other resources to support the successful execution of campaigns and the overall vision and strategies of the union.
• Overseeing the development and administration of campaign budgets, including authorizing expenditures.
• Overseeing the hiring and management of campaign staff.
• Performing other duties, as assigned, in support of the work of the International Union Organizing Program and/or Hubs.

Direction and Decision Making: This position reports to the Director of Organizing Programs and may collaborate with other staff within the National Organizing Hub, other departments within the Union, Local and State Councils Leadership.  Must work without a high degree of supervision and have the ability to manage their own work and the work of others. Requires a high level of judgment and ability to take initiative and work independently. Must use a high level of judgment and discretion, and maintain the highest level of confidentiality. 

Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum of ten (10) years of external labor organizing experience; or a combination of seven (8) years external labor organizing and two (2) years of internal labor organizing experience.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of campaign planning and management experience, including developing and managing multi-component campaigns; working with interdisciplinary campaign teams.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of direct supervisory or team management experience, including leading campaign teams and staff.
• Graduation from a four-year college or university is not required, but is a plus.
• (Candidates who do not meet the minimum qualifications of experience will not be considered.)

Knowledge and Skills:

• Ability to determine and analyze key factors and conditions of a company, industry, market and/or community to support the development of a campaign strategy.
• Ability to develop and manage comprehensive campaigns that effectively integrate and align relevant multiple components, such as field, digital, communications, research, legislative, political, etc.
• Ability to develop and/or provide direction on development of effective narrative and communications strategies.
• Ability to develop and/or direct staff to build relationships and alliances with coalition partners or allies, and mobilize community support.
• Ability to develop and/or give direction on the development and execution of relevant political, legislative or regulatory strategies and tactics.
• Ability to coordinate and manage all aspects of convening high level leaders from multiple locals into collaborative joint structures to support the implementation of campaign strategies.
• Ability to anticipate and assess campaign strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and make strategic recalibrations.
• Knowledge of digital platforms and tools and their application in organizing campaigns including directing campaign staff on basic digital engagement tools such as Zoom, PurpleText or other P2P platform, Organizing VAN Dialer or other direct dialer system, etc.
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate across teams and disciplines.
• Ability to establish campaign structures, systems, roles and responsibilities to direct and manage staff and campaign teams.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; ability to make formal presentations.
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Ability to utilize planning and time management tools and practices to plan, prioritize, and effectively manage resources and responsibilities.
• Ability to handle multiple “priority” projects and meet established timelines.
• Ability to develop and facilitate training of staff, workers and members.
• Ability to communicate political and policy priorities.

Physical Requirements: 

Work in this position will generally be performed in a remote setting. However, the job may require work in other settings conducive to performing the tasks required to complete assignments. The Campaign Director must be available for regular and/or long-term travel and overnight stays as needed for assignments. The position often requires temporary assignments away from home as well as long and irregular hours, including early mornings, evenings and weekends.

Vaccination Requirement: 

Candidates will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 upon commencing employment. Reasonable accommodations will be considered on a case-by-case basis for either a) a certain medical condition(s); or b) on the basis of sincerely held strong religious beliefs and practices; c) or as otherwise required by law.

Application Requirements:

A resume and cover letter are required for all applications.  Your cover letter should explain why you want to work for the SEIU, an example(s) of how you demonstrated success in a similar position, and a description of how this position fits into your long-term career goals.