National Campaign Director, End Jail Deaths

The deadline to apply is May 7th, 2025.

Sheriff Accountability Action is the only national organization devoted to building power to curb the harms of the more than 3,000 sheriff’s offices across the country. We work in deep relationship with local and national partners to scale effective strategies to reshape the institution of the sheriff across three areas of work:

1. Testing local approaches to accountability and alternative models of safety.
2. Ending the epidemic of jail deaths in the US;
3. Growing the movement for sheriff accountability and transformation.

About the Role

The United States is experiencing a severe and worsening crisis of deaths in local jails. To end this crisis, we are working to bring national attention to the issue while organizing those most impacted to be leaders in campaigns for legislative and local policy reforms.

The National Campaign Director to End Jail Deaths will lead SAA’s national strategy to end this crisis. You’ll work with families who’ve lost loved ones in jail, elevate their voices, and organize them into a powerful political force. You will shape a coordinated national campaign that puts public pressure on sheriffs, jail operators, and private corporations profiting from this system.

This is a role for a seasoned campaigner who knows how to move hearts and power at the same time.

What You’ll Do

• Build and lead the End Jail Deaths campaign: Design and execute a national campaign strategy that includes organizing, advocacy, communications, and partnerships;
• Support and organize impacted families: Help families transform grief into action, provide leadership development, and create spaces for healing and political power;
• Run local, state, and national campaigns: Target sheriffs, jail contractors, legislators, and others with influence over jail conditions and deaths in custody;
• Lead rapid response efforts: Coordinate public responses when jail deaths occur, and support families and communities with messaging and strategy;
• Advance policy change: Drive legislation at the local, state or federal level in collaboration with movement partners;
• Leverage consultants: Manage consultants for a communication strategy and operations consultants for key convenings;
• Track and translate research: Stay on top of the latest reports and data about jail deaths and sheriff misconduct, and apply that knowledge to campaign strategy;
• Build cross-sector partnerships: Work with civil rights groups, health advocates, formerly incarcerated leaders, and others to build broad-based momentum;
• Raise the resources to win: Partner with SAA’s Executive and Fundraising Directors to fund and grow the campaign.

You Might Be a Strong Fit If You Have:

• A track record of designing and winning multi-layered campaigns that shift policy and power.
• Experience organizing directly impacted people and building their leadership.
• Ability to communicate across sectors and speak powerfully to diverse audiences.
• Skill in using rapid response moments to accelerate campaign goals.
• Strong relationship-building and coalition skills.
• Strategic communications experience.
• Willingness to travel regularly, sometimes on short notice.

Bonus points if you also have:

• Experience working in criminal justice or immigration movements.
• Lived experience with incarceration or systems of detention.