Illinois Working Together

Campaign Director

The Illinois Working Together (IWT) Table is a diverse coalition of Labor Organizations seeking to advance an agenda that supports the growth and stability of working families in Illinois.

Job Summary

IWT is seeking a highly motivated, creative professional with a strong political campaign and public communications to serve as a Campaign Director.  The Campaign Director should be a leader committed to economic and social justice and worker rights. The director will work with a diverse set of labor organizations across the state of Illinois to create and implement an aggressive strategy to achieve coalition goals, including:

• Working with coalition partners to develop and coordinate strategies to increase labor friendly supermajorities in the Illinois House and Illinois Senate.
• Developing and implementing strategies to confront the anti-worker agendas of elected officials and right-wing policy groups.
• Involving rank-and-file union members in disseminating the coalition’s pro-working families messaging
• Engaging progressive partners and managing the public narrative around working family issues.
• Keeping pro-worker values of the coalition at the forefront

Job Duties

The Director is responsible for the daily operations of IWT.  She or he is ultimately accountable to all coalition partners. The Director is responsible for:  creating a coordinated strategic plan; promoting the participation of partners in this plan; overseeing the provision of resources, technical assistance and training for partner organizations; innovating and evaluating best practices; and managing staff and contractors.

Strategic Public Campaign Development: Develop and implement an effective strategy for internal and external communications to both union audiences and the general public; including a forward-thinking plan to reach a greater targeted audience of activists and supporters through social media, mobile and email campaigns. Provide counsel to the coalition members of organizations on political and communications issues.

Communications: Serve as the liaison to members of the local and national media in order to communicate effectively the organization’s positions; pitch story ideas and attract positive press coverage; write and distribute press releases and plan press conferences; secure placement of letters to the editor and other opinion pieces; schedule and prepare for media interviews; write talking points and speeches for various speakers, including union officers, rank-and-file members, and religious and political allies; provide daily news summaries of relevant and important issues. Manage the organization’s website through the content management system, posting regular updates and information. Assist in the planning and coordination of public events, including press conferences and rallies, and more. Write and edit organizational publications; direct creative design, content and production of publications and other materials.

Develop and maintain partner participation and strengthen collaborative relationships within the Coalition: Keep partners informed of all coalition undertakings, organize and facilitate partner meetings, hold partners accountable for fulfilling their commitments to the Coalition, encourage participation in all coalition activities, help build relationships between partners, facilitate collective decision-making processes, and foster the growth of the coalition. Work with community, grassroots, and religious organizations to advance Coalition priorities and develop and maintain relationships with political and communications staff from national organizations and local affiliates; convene regular discussions to provide information, support and networking opportunities.

Qualifications and Skills

Preferred candidate will have an understanding and affiliation with labor organizations, as well as a strong knowledge of state, county, and municipal politics and policy. Candidates with strong field and communications experience are preferred. Candidate must be able to work independently while carrying out the political and communication goals of the coalition as well as having:

Experience working on political, legislative or issue campaigns;

Experience disseminating  polling, market research, and other data into strategic plans and campaigns;

Experience working for or with labor unions or labor organizations;

Experience working for or with community or progressive policy organizations;

Excellent writing skills and abilities to work effectively in a fast-paced environment under tight deadlines;

Experience managing projects such as website development and publications, from concept to completion;

Ability to travel throughout the state of Illinois as needed, including Springfield and Chicago;

Experience with social media networks, including Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr, and website content management systems.

Additional Information:   Salary and benefits commensurate with experience.

Please Submit Resumes by January 29, 2016 to:  Illinois AFL-CIO/Chicago Federation of Labor, 534 South Second, 2nd Floor, Springfield, IL  62701 or iwt@ilafl-CIO.org.