The ACLU of Pennsylvania (ACLU-PA) seeks a Campaign Director to lead its statewide multi-year Smart Justice campaign to drastically reduce the commonwealth’s jail and prison populations and to combat racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Candidates should have successful experience managing issue advocacy campaigns and leadership experience in statewide efforts that include coalition partnerships, lobbying, strategic communications, organizing, and electoral work.

The ACLU-PA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest organization, dedicated to defending and enhancing personal freedoms protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights through litigation, legislative advocacy, organizing, and community education. It is a fast-paced environment that addresses headline-making issues with powerful personal stories and dynamic, precedent-setting solutions. The ACLU-PA has ten volunteer chapters, approximately 52,000 members and donors, 24 full-time employees, and a $3.8 million operating budget.The ACLU-PA is expanding its advocacy infrastructure to increase the ACLU’s effectiveness in advancing civil rights and liberties. The ACLU-PA will be receiving significant investment and support over the next several years to execute campaigns that blend our traditional legislative, communications, and legal strategies with the mobilization of our rapidly growing supporter base.

The Campaign Director will lead a groundbreaking campaign to end mass incarceration in Pennsylvania. This person joins the ACLU-PA during a period of growth and at a critical juncture for civil rights and civil liberties in our nation. The Campaign Director will report to the Director of Advocacy and Policy and will lead an interdisciplinary, cross-departmental campaign team. This position will be based in Harrisburg or Philadelphia, although it will require frequent travel around the state. People with personal experience being incarcerated or otherwise impacted by the criminal justice system are encouraged to apply.

BACKGROUND

Pennsylvania has the highest rate of incarceration in the Northeast, with approximately 50,000 individuals held in the state system. State spending on corrections increased 50 percent between FY2006 and FY2015, from $1.6 billion to $2.4 billion. Between 2005 and 2014, Pennsylvania’s incarceration rate increased 16 percent, in contrast to other states in the region such as New York and New Jersey, whose incarceration rates fell 18 percent and 24 percent, respectively. The state’s machine of mass incarceration severely limits the ability of people, disproportionately people of color, to participate in the social, political and economic life of this country.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and lead a campaign aimed at ending mass incarceration that brings together legislative, advocacy, organizing, communications, legal, and voter engagement strategies to meet strategic goals.
• Build strong partnerships with key stakeholders across the state and political spectrum, including formerly incarcerated people, survivors of crime, law enforcement, legislators, business, mental health professionals, reform advocates, religious and political leaders, and others.
• Build and manage a statewide coalition focused on advancing key criminal justice reform goals.
• Working closely with ACLU-PA and ACLU national staff, oversee all aspects of the research, drafting, and implementation of a campaign plan.
• Manage staff and consultants advancing campaign goals through lobbying, communications and media, coalition building, relationships with political and civic leaders, constituent engagement, and policy development and drafting.
• Elevate leadership within impacted communities and the broader public to help shape campaign goals, strategies, and tactics.
• Develop key performance metrics and evaluate the success of individual tactics as well as the campaign’s overall effectiveness.
• Provide regular, comprehensive updates on campaign progress to various stakeholders.
• Manage campaign budget.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Six years of experience managing issue advocacy campaigns, including campaigns that successfully met its objectives.
• Personal experience being incarcerated or in other ways entangled with the criminal justice system preferred.
• Demonstrated understanding of how to use policy analysis, research, lobbying, media, communications, organizing and mobilization, and alliance-building to influence the political agenda, with proven experience of engaging with and influencing decision-makers.
• Knowledge of the opportunities and challenges of building and working in large, diverse coalitions.
• Knowledge of criminal justice reform advocacy and messaging, or an ability to quickly become conversant with the latest decarceration research, messaging, and tactics used to educate the public and move policymakers.
• A successful track record managing project timelines, delegating responsibilities, supervising diverse staff, and managing a budget.
• Previous experience working with local, regional, state and national media outlets, including print, radio, television, new media, blogging community.
• Excellent communication skills (both written and oral).
• Passion for and commitment to ending mass incarceration and advancing racial justice.
• Previous grassroots organizing experience, including experience with data usage and management.
• Ability to travel.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Salary is commensurate with experience and within the parameters of the ACLU-PA compensation scale.  Excellent benefits include generous vacation and sick leave; individual/family employer-provided health insurance; life insurance and long-term disability; defined contribution plan with employer match; and 10 paid holidays. This position is full-time, salaried, and exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

To apply, send a letter of application (cover letter), resume, and a copy of a previous campaign plan you’ve written with metrics, goals, and objectives (it is acceptable to submit plans that have been redacted for confidentiality reasons) to advosearch@aclupa.org.  Please include your last name and “Campaign Director” in the subject line of the email.  In your letter, please indicate where you learned of the posting.

DEADLINE

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, at which time the job announcement will be removed from our website,www.aclupa.org/jobs.

The ACLU-PA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU-PA encourages women, people of color, persons with disabilities, people with records of arrest or conviction, veterans, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals to apply.

The ACLU-PA comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union (the “Union”) of Pennsylvania and the ACLU Foundation (the “Foundation”) of Pennsylvania.  The Union is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, and ACLU membership dues fund its lobbying work. Donations to the Union are not tax-deductible. The ACLU Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Foundation funds support litigation and public education efforts. Donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible. The Campaign Director is an employee of the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

Both the ACLU of Pennsylvania and the ACLU Foundation of Pennsylvania have the same overall mission, and share office space, employees, and the same board of directors. The two entities are jointly known by the term “ACLU of Pennsylvania.”

ACLU-PA’s hiring process will comply with Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Standards (“Ban the Box”) ordinance.