About The Democratic Party of Wisconsin

WisDems is nationally recognized as one of the country’s highest-performing and most pivotal political organizations. During the upcoming election cycle, WisDems will drive massive programs to hold Republicans accountable, elect progressive candidates up and down the ballot, and work to build volunteer-led coalitions for the long term. 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:
We are seeking a strategic, sophisticated, and collaborative leader to serve as the Deputy Executive Director and lead the programmatic engine of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. You will serve as the strategic co-pilot to the Executive Director, forming a single functional unit to guide the party. You will be the sponsor and implementer of our programmatic vision, a key strategic thought partner, and the driving force ensuring our departments are integrated, aligned, and executing at the highest level. You will directly lead the departments that shape our message and our political strategy, making this a pivotal role for a leader who is ready to build a winning infrastructure in the most important battleground state in the country.

The Team:
You will report directly to the Executive Director and serve as a core member of the party's executive leadership. You will directly manage and mentor the Directors of our programmatic departments, including Political and Communications, as well as the Executive Admin team. You will organize and drive daily Senior Staff meetings of all department heads, placing you at the center of information flow and strategic implementation for the entire organization.

You're our person if:

• You thrive as a trusted number two. You have a low ego and find deep satisfaction in acting as a strategic partner, relief valve, and force multiplier for a principal leader.
• You translate bold vision into flawless execution. You are the "chief implementer," with a rare ability to take a high-level strategic plan and build the systems, meetings, and accountability structures to make it a reality.
• You're a natural conductor. You excel at leading a room of high-level experts, ensuring every part of the orchestra is playing in harmony and on tempo.
• You are fluent in both the art of the message and the science of the political map. You have deep experience in at least one of our programmatic areas and can effectively lead and mentor senior experts in both Communications and Political affairs.
• You love the machinery of politics. You are genuinely passionate about the inner workings of a state party, from bylaws and governance to the execution of a flawless State Convention.

Job Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Execution

• Serve as a primary strategic thought partner to the Executive Director, co-developing the vision and long-term strategy for the party.
• Act as a key implementer of the party's strategic plan, ensuring programmatic goals are met and departmental work is aligned and integrated.
• Drive the daily Senior Staff meeting of all department heads, creating a culture of transparency, accountability, and cross-departmental collaboration.
• Serve as a key advisor to the Chair and Executive Director, acting as a de-facto second in command in a wide variety of party matters.

Programmatic Department Management

• Lead, manage, and mentor the Directors of the Political and Communications departments, serving as a strategic partner to drive their success and ensure their work is fully integrated.
• Oversee the development and execution of the party's comprehensive communications and political plans.
• Manage the Executive/Admin Support team, ensuring the executive office is running at a high level of efficiency and professionalism.

Stakeholder & Governance Management

• Serve as the executive sponsor and lead strategist for the annual State Party Convention and other major party meetings.
• Oversee the party's internal governance processes, including matters related to the party's constitution, bylaws, and Administrative Committee.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including elected officials, party leaders, and grassroots activists, working to align interests and resolve conflict.

Core Qualifications:

• Accountability & Solution-Oriented: You take full ownership of your actions and commitments, holding yourself to a high standard and seeing objectives through to completion. When challenges arise, you approach them with a problem-solving mindset, focusing on solutions rather than pointing fingers.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: You succeed by working as a team, stepping up to support teammates, and sharing knowledge freely. You actively break down silos by connecting across teams, inviting different perspectives, and staying open to new ideas to achieve shared goals.
• Growth & Adaptability: You are dedicated to continuous improvement and challenge yourself to learn and adapt. You proactively seek, offer, and act on feedback with openness and can anticipate potential obstacles to take proactive steps.
• Respect & Inclusion: You build strong relationships by treating everyone with kindness, dignity, and trust. You approach interactions assuming positive intent and have the courage to address difficult topics directly and honestly while showing care for others.
• Transparent Communication: You communicate openly and honestly to build trust and alignment. You are proactive in setting clear expectations, sharing the "why" behind decisions, and providing timely updates to ensure the right people have the information they need.

Required Experience & Skills:

• A minimum of 5-7 years of progressive leadership experience in high-stakes political environments, such as electoral campaigns or party organizations.
• Direct experience managing senior-level staff, particularly department director-level employees.
• Deep expertise in at least one of the core programmatic areas: political strategy, communications, or campaign management.
• Demonstrated experience with and familiarity with Wisconsin's political landscape and key stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead through influence and act as a strategic advisor to an executive-level principal.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience serving as a senior staff member for a state party or a statewide coordinated campaign.
• Experience with political convention planning and execution.
• Lived experience with and familiarity with Wisconsin; strong relationships with Democratic Party of Wisconsin members, elected officials, unions, and grassroots leaders throughout the state and across lines of race and place.

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), mileage reimbursement, monthly cell phone stipend, paid vacation days, retirement plan with employer match, 4 floating holidays, 9 paid holidays. 

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 LGBTQIA+ communities. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.