Job Description

We are looking for a strategic and collaborative Deputy State Director to join the Common Cause team in North Carolina. In this role you will oversee our organizing strategy across North Carolina, setting state-wide strategy and managing our Organizing team as we continue to expand our impact. This is a full-time role reporting to the State Director, North Carolina; this role is based in North Carolina, with an expectation to travel in-state at least five times per month We hope our new Deputy State Director will join us in July. Responsibilities Oversee statewide organizing strategy

• Lead the development and execution of Common Cause’s organizing and outreach strategy at the state level, ensuring alignment between state-level and national organizing strategy, as well as alignment with our organizational policy pillars: Voting & Fair Representation; Anti-Corruption & Accountability; Civil Rights & Civil Liberties; and Media & Technology

• Oversee the implementation of statewide organizing efforts, contributing to both short-term campaigns and long-term programs and driving toward measurable annual and long-range outcomes 

• Oversee the Organizing team, directly managing the Organizing Director and the HBCU Program Manager and foster a collaborative and high-impact culture across the Organizing Team; collaboratively set goals, coach and develop staff towards these goals, and support their career progression and retention at Common Cause

• Provide leadership and guidance to organizing staff, ensuring the timely and effective execution of work 

• Monitor and assess the effectiveness of organizing initiatives, regularly evaluating impact and identifying areas for improvement 

• Build and lead coalitions that drive our strategic initiatives, including with partners and key players who disagree with our positions

• Attend and lead events, presentations, trainings and other public-facing activities that further organizational goals

• Act as a spokesperson for Common Cause, including representing the organization in coalition spaces, speaking to the media, participating in partner events, and other activities

Collaborate with teammates to support work across the team

• Collaborate with the State Director and Development Team to highlight for donors and foundations the priorities and accomplishments of the Organizing and HBCU Teams

• Work closely with State Director and other management staff to set priorities, achieve annual goals and budgeting and develop long-term planning

• Support initiatives for contributing to strategic communication with members and the public

• Act as a leader within Common Cause, collaborating with Common Cause staff across the organization to advance and support our priorities

Other duties as assigned

You will thrive in this role if you have:

• A strong commitment to Common Cause’s nonpartisan mission and to advancing civil rights through our pro-democracy agenda      

• A commitment to equity in the goals of your work and in how you work with others  

• Openness to feedback and awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth     

• An ability to build rapport, trust, and credibility with multiple stakeholders with diverse interests, with a track record of working collaboratively with others, navigating organizational and power dynamics to meet common goals, and respectfully navigating conflict while maintaining your values 

• Innovative and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to navigate through ambiguity to achieve goals, and a resourceful approach to solve problems 

• Ability to manage and meet deadlines for multiple short- and long-term priorities at once, with high attention to detail, strong organization skills, and the ability to manage your time independently as well as manage through others to achieve outcomes   

• Ability to compel action through both written and verbal communications, including distilling complex concepts for a broad audience, and to differentiate communications as needed for various audiences 

• Familiarity with office productivity tools including Microsoft Office, Slack, and Zoom 

The following is required:

• Have led successful local- or state-level public advocacy campaigns related to democracy, elections, voting rights and civil rights, including creating and managing campaigns or annual plans, from conception through implementation and completion 

• Have managed coalitions or groups that represent stakeholders with diverse interests to achieve a goal, as well as a demonstrated knowledge of the political dynamics, funders and decision-makers at the state level, with a preference for candidates who have existing relationships with these people and organizations 

• A track record of leading organization-wide change initiatives 

• Have organized advocacy events, and ideally, experience with state and local advocacy as well 

• Have managed and developed a team; set strategic direction for a team, and built a unified approach to achieve goals; ideally has managed managers 

• Willing to have a social media presence on behalf of Common Cause, including being tagged on posts and creating content on behalf of the organization (as needed, Common Cause may provide accounts for staff members to use)  

• Ability to travel in-state at least 5 times per month, as well as domestically 1-2 times per year for team and/or all staff retreats 

• Per our nonpartisan policy, Common Cause staff members may not currently be in elected office (or running for office); on the Steering Committee or Finance Committee for any political candidate; or affiliated with the leadership of a political party 

Additional information about this role:

• This position is classified as supervisory and therefore not included in the union-represented collective bargaining unit

• Common Cause is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time; please note that if hired, you will be asked to produce documentation for authorization to work in the US

Common Cause is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of any race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, income class, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status, as well as applicants who have been previously incarcerated.

Common Cause (501(c)(4)) and Common Cause Education Fund (501(c)(3)) are nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots affiliate organizations dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create an open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.  

Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Washington, DC, Common Cause has members and supporters living in every congressional district in the United States, and offices in 23 states around the country.