Rapid Response Director
Job Title: Rapid Response Director
Reports to: Communications Director
Salary: $70,000-$80,000
Start date: As soon as possible
Application Deadline: (Applications are considered on a rolling basis. Deadlines may be shortened or extended as necessary. There is no guarantee this posting will remain open until the deadline or be closed on the deadline. This is a suggested timeframe based on organization needs.)
About The Democratic Party of Wisconsin: WisDems is nationally recognized as one of the country’s highest-performing and most pivotal political organizations. In the 2022 election cycle, WisDems will continue to build a massive program to re-elect Governor Tony Evers, defeat Ron Johnson to ensure a Democratic US Senate majority, elect candidates up and down the ballot in spring and fall elections alike, and advocate on policy issues. WisDems’ work is grounded in inclusion, respect, and empowerment across race, gender, other dimensions of identity, and the rural/suburban/urban divide. Our work continues year-round, collaborating with partners to build a movement that delivers meaningful change for all Wisconsinites. We seek outstanding applicants who share our values and vision to join the team, help win elections, and build a future where everyone can thrive
The Opportunity: As the Rapid Response Director, you will be focused on the 2022 attorney general election and lead DPW’s earned media efforts to help re-elect Attorney General Josh Kaul in 2022. You will work to hold Republican candidates accountable, while uplifting Attorney General Kaul. You will be responsible for building productive relationships with members of the Wisconsin media, acting as a spokesperson, leading rapid response, and generating earned media coverage in partnership with surrogates and stakeholders.
Job Responsibilities:
- Build and maintain strong and trusting relationships with national, state, and local press corps to positively promote Attorney General Kaul and draw a contrast with Republican challengers.
- Develop and execute earned media strategy to define Republican challengers and drive positive coverage of Attorney General Kaul.
- Serve as the on-the-record spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin for the attorney general race.
- Regularly produce engaging & useful press materials, including press releases, fact sheets, guest columns, and other items as needed.
- Create talking points in conjunction with allied campaigns and stakeholders to ensure unified, consistent Democratic messaging with other candidates, as well as Democratic elected members up and down the ballot.
- Organize and execute regular press events to generate earned media.
- Identify, brief, and book surrogates on local & state media.
- Other responsibilities as assigned.
Qualifications (Required):
- Growth Mindset – Ability to take and implement feedback.
- Relentlessly Goal-Oriented – Enjoys working toward and achieving ambitious goals. Keeps calm in stressful situations. Has the capacity and willingness to work long hours during peak season, rolling up their sleeves and getting the work done.
- Cultural Competency – Able to build authentic relationships across lines of difference, such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, ability, gender identity, citizenship status, or other identities. Understands how to take an inclusive lens into all aspects of work.
- Press Event Planning – Demonstrated track record to plan, execute and create successful and engaging press events to generate earned media coverage.
- Effective Media Relationship Building – Experience effectively building long and short-term, constructive relationships with members of the media.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills – Ability to write clear, concise arguments and distill complex issues into easy to understand content.
- Track Record Messaging to Diverse Audiences – Demonstrated track record of proficiently messaging to diverse audiences with varying priorities.
Qualifications (Preferred):
- On-The-Record Experience – Demonstrated ability to carefully and successfully manage communications “on-the-record.”
- Wisconsin Press Ties – Existing strong, positive relationships with local & statewide Wisconsin press.
Benefits: Great benefits including; excellent health care ($1/month), dental ($1/month), vision ($1/month), life insurance (free), short term and long-term disability (free), free Better Help virtual therapy, free Calm premium subscription, monthly cell phone stipend, 10 days paid vacation, retirement plan with 3% employer match, 3 floating holidays, 9 paid holidays, plus more!
Equity and Inclusion: The Democratic Party of Wisconsin has a vision for a deeply inclusive and diverse party organization, membership, and electorate. In order to be successful at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin candidates must have the cultural competence to successfully work with a diverse array of constituency groups. We especially strongly encourage applicants with close ties to Black, Indigenous, AAPI, Latinx, Muslim, non-English-speaking, disability, and LGBTQ communities. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Note on COVID-19: Candidates will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 upon commencing employment, except where prohibited by law. Reasonable accommodations due to disability, medical condition, or bona fide religious belief will be considered on a case-by-case basis for exemptions to this requirement in accordance with applicable law.