VP of Campaigns

The posting

Position: VP of Campaigns

Department: Advocacy, Strategic Programs

Reports to: Executive Chief of Staff

Supervises: Director of Organizing

FLSA Status: Exempt, Full-Time

Union Status: Not eligible for the bargaining unit

Location: Remote, near a major airport; See below for more

Salary: $146,000 - $163,000

About Us

Advocates for Trans Equality fights for the legal and political rights of transgender people in America. Leveraging decades of experience on the frontlines of power, we shift government and society towards a future where we are no less than equal. Founded in 2024, Advocates for Trans Equality was formed through an alliance by two national trans advocacy organizations and is of, for, and by the trans community. Advocates for Trans Equality (501c4) and Advocates for Trans Equality Education Fund (501c3) focuses its efforts on political and legal advocacy, public education, and community engagement. The Advocates for Trans Equality team catalyzes progress from the inside out and will settle for nothing less than equality for trans people in America. Advocates for Trans Equality and Advocates for Trans Equality Education Fund are incorporated in Washington, DC with offices in DC and New York and employ approximately 40 dedicated staff who share office space and work across the country.

Position Summary

The Vice President of Campaigns is responsible for developing, managing and executing state and federal ballot measure, public education, and advocacy campaigns in partnership with the Policy, Legal, Organizing, and Communications departments.

The Vice President of Campaigns creates campaign engagement criteria, conducts campaign assessments, and makes recommendations about A4TE’s priorities and investments. They also coordinate A4TE’s cross-team engagement in campaigns, monitor and keep the full team regularly appraised on developments, and serve as the lead on priority campaigns as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide vision for, coordinate, and execute A4TE’s advocacy strategy across four departments representing four advocacy tactics of policy, lobbying, organizing, and elections to positively move the Overton Window on issues impacting transgender people.
• Serve as A4TE’s key external contact and thought partner to LGBTQ+ movement partner organizations for coordination around advocacy strategy tactics influencing state legislative work, federal legislative work, ballot issue work, and electoral engagement, among other areas of advocacy.
• Develop a thoughtful, strategic, coordinated ballot strategy on behalf of A4TE to address urgent, emerging ballot measures at the state level that have the potential to significantly impact transgender people in the 2026-2028 electoral cycles and beyond.
• Manage, cultivate, and inspire the leadership of the Organizing Director, who oversees A4TE’s organizing team. Support the transition of such organizing from predominantly mobilization techniques to deeper field organizing work in service of state needs, particularly around ballot issues.
• Manage, cultivate, and inspire the leadership of staff who oversee A4TE’s engagement and training of transgender candidates, GOTV educational work, and other electoral engagement.
• Represent A4TE in our state-focused ballot measure coalition work, including serving in leadership roles such as Coordinating Committees.
• Oversee federal and state public education and advocacy campaigns, including creating and maintaining assessment criteria to determine priority campaigns and engagement in rapid response contexts, making recommendations about A4TE’s priorities and investments, developing and implementing successful strategies, advising and supporting organizational partners, and coordinating A4TE’s cross-team engagement in campaigns.
• Keep A4TE team regularly apprised of developments on federal public education and advocacy efforts.
• Work with consultants, lobbyists, organizational partners, and state and local leaders to help defeat discriminatory anti-trans ballot measures.
• Manage, support, and ensure accountability of campaign consultants, including both existing teams and the cultivation of new consultant teams in states where work is not currently underway.
• Work with the Organizing team, State Policy team, and the Communications team to drive public education and advocacy victories.
• Travel to campaign sites as needed.
• Work with Communications staff to ensure the effective delivery of latest messaging and research to legislative leaders, organizational partners, key constituencies, and allies.

Required Qualifications

A4TE Education Fund acknowledges that applicants from communities that have been historically marginalized are less likely to apply for positions unless they feel that they completely meet all qualifications listed in a job description. We understand that an ideal candidate might not completely meet the criteria listed above or be equally proficient in each area; we especially encourage applicants who are impacted by A4TE’s work to submit their application anyway.

• Leadership Experience: A minimum of 6 years of experience in a leadership role. Demonstrated management experience, including the ability to coach team members using tested management techniques, emotional intelligence, and good judgement.
• Lobbying Experience: A strong working knowledge of and demonstrated success at lobbying governmental and agency entities at the state or federal level. Working knowledge of ethics and legal compliance within government affairs. Demonstrated ability to think strategically and exhibit good judgement for advancing complex government affairs strategies.
• Compliance Experience: A working knowledge of 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), PAC, and ballot legal compliance. Demonstrated ability to work alongside and support experts, partners, and/or legal counsel when necessary to support organizational compliance efforts. Ability to exhibit excellent judgement for implementing complex and legally compliant activities and tasks to successfully engage in ballot campaign work.
• Political Experience: A strong working knowledge of the role politics plays within an overarching advocacy framework, including familiarity with campaign cycles, partisanship, and the role of politics in moving the Overton Window on a given issue.
• Organizational Experience: Direct experience in social justice, government, organizing, and/or movement building organizations.
• Understanding of Transgender Justice: A deep and nuanced understanding of issues affecting transgender people as well as an understanding of how racism, classism, sexism, and other systems of inter-connected oppressions affect trans people. Strong belief in A4TE’s mission and the people who are driving the work forward. A strong commitment and desire to moving the Overton Window on trans issues over the next 5-10 years.
• Communication Skills: Effective verbal and written skills to communicate complex policies and procedures to ensure staff have the information needed for their position responsibilities and overall organizational workflow; ability to listen to staff concerns and feedback to assist in working together for solutions that comply with organizational policies. Ability to understand organizational needs to communicate with those outside of the organization.
• Technological Knowledge: Experience in all areas of MS Office 365 and collaborative tools, such as Slack, Asana, and Zoom. Experience with policy software, such as PolicyNote, BillTracker50, or similar product. Experience with organizing and campaign tools, such as NGP VAN, EveryAction, or similar products.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• Leadership Experience: 6-8 years’ experience in a management role, such as a Field Director, Campaign Director or Political Director
• Campaign Experience: 8-10 years’ experience in traditional field organizing, preferably in ballot measures, advocacy campaigns, or political campaigns.
• Geographic Location: Remote but located near a major airport. Based in the Midwest, South, Southwest, or Central United States, which are areas most impacted and forecasted to be impacted by anti-trans state policies and ballot campaigns. Ability and willingness to travel to states where field and campaign organizing support is necessary.
• Language Proficiency: Fluency or proficiency in a language other than English, especially Spanish.
• Technological Knowledge: Experience in using FileVine, FiscalNote, or other legal and policy database tools.

Traits of Successful Candidates

• Trustworthy & Collaborative: Excellent relationship and trust building capabilities and a demonstrated track record building, leading, and managing teams; serving as a coach and mentor to staff across a range of areas. An earned reputation for being trustworthy, with excellent judgment and discretion. Kindness and strengths-based leadership: someone who sees value in every person and communicates respect and encouragement to people at all levels; a passionate investment in the well-being and success of staff. A willingness to accept input and feedback from colleagues at all levels of the organization.
• Responsive Problem-Solving Skills: Agile project management skills, ability to develop and implement new strategies and procedures, and meet multiple competing deadlines.
• Self-Direction: Initiative and ambition to ensure that all projects are moving forward. Ability to adapt as needed, self-manage, and prioritize between and manage multiple demands.
• Optimism: A positive and productive attitude to problem-solving within the context of intense social justice work. Optimistic and resourceful, with strong self-awareness, cultural competence, emotional intelligence, and humility; grounded and flexible with a high degree of integrity and transparency.
• Strength and Persistence: The ability to be exposed to transphobia and other kinds of discrimination or stress on a daily basis and keep fighting hard for transgender equality.

Salary & Benefits

Salary for this role is between $146,000 - $163,000.

Advocates for Trans Equality offers a robust benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid medical, vision, dental, and life insurance; 80% employer contributions to spousal and dependent healthcare; employer contributions to retirement plan; monthly remote work stipends; access to gender-affirming healthcare pool; name and identity document change support; generous time off, including paid holidays, 20 paid vacation days annually, sick time, and office-wide closures; medical and parental leaves; weekly wellness hours; volunteer hours; 3-month paid sabbatical after 5 years; healthcare flex spending account; and professional development stipend.