Executive Director (CA)

We are looking for a strategic and visionary leader to lead our California team at Common Cause, promoting our national agenda at the state level; fostering a strong and sustainable​, ​organization; leading our team to win public policy campaigns ​at the state and local level; building on a diverse set of organizational partnerships, including with community-based organizations around the state; and providing ​strategic​ vision and public​ leadership. 

The Executive Director will have the opportunity to ​reimagine the​ strategic approach for what our work looks like in California and develop programs to achieve that vision. This is a unique opportunity to be a leading voice at the center of advancing democracy reforms in the state, while also expanding our membership base and managing a high-performing team. 

This role reports to the Senior Vice President, State Operations and is a remote role within California with regular in-state travel. We hope our new Executive Director can join us in December! 

Responsibilities 

Set and lead our statewide strategy for policy advocacy and organizing that ​advances and expands democracy while ​center​ing​ racial equity​ ​. 

• Develop proactive and defensive ​​​pro-democracy ​policy campaigns that center racial equity ​    ​ 
• Advocate for our campaigns in alignment with Common Cause​’s​​ nonpartisan approach; collaborating with democracy champions from across the ideological spectrum​ 
• Develop strategies to advance reform (or stop anti-democratic initiatives) and to hold federal, state, and local elected and appointed officials and other decision-makers accountable, and manage members of the California team to implement those strategies 
• Oversee Common Cause’s work in the state including on issues like voting and elections, redistricting, money in politics​, media and democracy, and combatting disinformation​ 
• Manage members of the California team to ​advance campaigns, build strategic relationships, and ​produce timely, high quality policy research 

​​Drive the team’s work on public outreach and strategic partnerships that advance our mission​ 

• Build, lead, and participate in effective and diverse coalitions, and manage members of the California team to lead effective coalitions 
• Serve as Common Cause’s spokesperson and respon​d​ to inquiries from media, government officials, and others 
• Engage members and the public across the state through social media, website updates, and email communication 
• Develop and implement grassroots organizing strategies to build support for the Common Cause agenda 
• Expand and diversify our membership base in the state to deepen our impact 

Team Management 

• Manage​ and support​ the California team: collaboratively ​​set​ clear, actionable ​goals, coach and develop them towards these goals​,​ and support their career progression and retention at Common Cause
• Supervise consultants, volunteers, and interns as needed, in accordance with Common Cause management standards, practices, and procedures
• Provide guidance and oversight to staff to ensure their contributions are effective and support the broader goals of the team 

Administration: 

• Manage the budget for the California team 
• Build​, maintain,​ and engage a strong and diverse state advisory board that provides guidance on program and fundraising 
• Collaborate with Common Cause staff across the country 

Development and fundraising

• Develop ​and expand ​fundraising strategies to ​support and sustain ​Common Cause programs, including lobbying efforts 
• Raise ​funds​ from​ a variety of sources, including​ foundations, major donors, members, and special events 
• Collaborate with national staff to achieve fundraising goals for Common Cause  
• Cultivate, nurture, and grow relationships with donors across the state​, ensuring ongoing support and deepening their engagement with Common Cause’s mission​

Qualifications 

You will thrive in this role if you have:  

• A strong commitment to Common Cause’s nonpartisan ​pro-democracy ​mission and to advancing racial equity through our national agenda 
• A commitment to equity in the goals of your work and in how you work with others ​    ​​ 
• Ability to quickly build rapport, trust, and credibility with multiple stakeholders with diverse interests 
• A track record of working collaboratively with others, leading change initiatives and 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 problem-solving 
• Familiarity with the unique aspects of the California political dynamic, and knowledge of funders and decision-makers across the state (with a preference for candidates who have existing relationships with these people and organizations) 
• Knowledge of current statewide democracy issues, including voting rights, redistricting, campaign finance reform, disinformation, and ethics 
• Ability to manage multiple short- and long-term projects simultaneously, with shifting priorities 
• An ability to compel action through both written and verbal communication, including the ability to distill complex concepts for a broad audience, and differentiate communications as needed for various audiences (with a preference for candidates who have served as the external spokesperson for an organization)​​​​    ​ 
• Openness to feedback and awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth 
• Familiarity with office productivity tools (Microsoft Office, Slack, Zoom) 

The following is required: 

• Have led public interest advocacy campaigns in a non-profit setting, ideally centered in racial equity and on legislative work at the state and local levels
• Strong familiarity with, or interest in, democracy policy issues including voting rights, redistricting, money in politics, online disinformation and AI, and other topics
• Have managed and develop a team, set strategic direction for a team, and built a unified approach to achieve goals
• Have managed coalitions or groups that represent stakeholders with diverse interests to achieve a policy or campaign goal 
• Experience ​developing, ​analyzing, and advocating for legislati​ve​​ proposals​, preferably in California ​    ​ 
• Significant ​​e​xperience raising funds to support campaigns or programs  
• Ability to travel within state 3-4 times per month to meet with staff, partners, media and donors (much of this travel will be to the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Sacramento); and nationally 1-2 times per year for team and/or all staff retreats 
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed 
• 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 more than 1.5 million members and supporters living in every congressional district in the United States, and offices in 23 states around the country. 

In order to ensure greater equity and transparency as an organization, Common Cause sets salary ranges consistently based on job responsibilities, and we determine salary for each staff member based on relevant years of experience (you can read more about our approach to compensation here, including where we offer geographical adjustments). For these reasons, we do not negotiate on our salary ranges or our specific salary offers. 

In addition to salary, we also offer a generous benefits package, including: 

• • A robust healthcare plan that covers 97% of employee’s medical care, 100% of employee’s vision and dental benefits, and 75% of family medical care and 100% of family vision and dental benefits 
  • A 401k retirement savings plan, with Employer Match after 1 year of service 
  • Generous Paid Time Off including 20 Days of Vacation and 10 observed Holidays per year, and additional days off for Thanksgiving and Winter break  
  • Flexible spending accounts 
  • Dependent Care and Pet Care Support when you travel for work 
  • Funds for professional development 
  • And more! See more details here: https://www.commoncause.org/our-benefits/