Political Program Manager

Location: Denver
Work Schedule: Exempt, Full-time
Deadline for submission: May 2, 2023

Conservation Colorado is seeking a Political Program Manager based in Denver who will play a key role in the organization’s efforts to build and maintain racially-diverse, pro-conservation electoral majorities on the federal, statewide, state legislative, and local levels. This position will own components of our political work, including our local elections program. This position is also responsible for supporting our accountability work, development and execution of long term political plans, and in developing relationships with key decision-makers and coalition partners.

About Conservation Colorado
As the largest statewide environmental organization in Colorado, we work to protect our state’s climate, air, land, water, and communities. We play a unique role in Colorado as our work focuses on organizing communities, influencing decision-makers, and electing conservation-minded leaders. That work includes Protégete, which is focused on building Latino leadership and engagement on environmental issues. We believe that achieving racial, social, and environmental justice are critical to our mission. You can learn more about our mission here.

What You’ll Do
As the Political Program Manager, you will be responsible for leading Conservation Colorado’s local election work and supporting our broader political program. This position reports to the Political Director. This role can evolve over time, but you will have these areas of responsibility:

Win and support political campaigns

• Develop and execute local electoral campaign plans and program development; Work across teams to ensure our local election work supports broader organizational goals such as building and racially diversifying the bench, engaging members, and developing relationships with local leadership.
• Play a key supporting role in candidate recruitment including collaborating with key partners and political tables, working internally to develop effective membership recruitment, and supporting existing candidate training programs.
• Own data collection and analysis necessary for political plans including district and voter data, candidate information and research, etc. 

Political program support

• Build relationships with candidates before and after endorsement; Support in the development and implementation of resources for local and state candidates post-endorsement
• Support organizational efforts relating to Voter Registration, GOTV, or other nonpartisan electoral programs.
• Support organizational efforts to hold elected officials accountable via a variety of tactics (digital, mail, etc.)
• Work closely with the Political Director to create long and short term political plans 

In addition to your regular responsibilities, all staff are expected to participate at some level in organizational priorities including helping in certain fundraising efforts, taking part in our election-related activities, and committing to our organizational efforts around equity & inclusivity.

Qualifications
To be successful in this job, you will demonstrate strategic thinking, dedication to authentic relationship development, and an analysis of power and its impact on electoral and policy spaces. We want someone who sees the role politics, and especially local politics, plays in building power for our environment and communities. More specifically, you will have or be most or all of the following:

• At least two years of relevant experience, which could include political campaigns, working directly with decision makers (for example, state legislators, regulators, or local elected officials) to achieve policy or political victories, or organizing and working with communities historically excluded from the conservation movement including but not limited to BIPOC communities 
• Can articulate an understanding of how race, gender, socio-economic status and other social identities impact political campaigns, candidates, and voters. Demonstrated by successful experiences working in teams with people of different group identities and/or organizing in communities with different racial identities or from different socioeconomic backgrounds
• Has a track record of authentic relationship building in policy and/or political spaces with partners, candidates, or individuals. Understands the role of relationships and coalitions to achieve political goals
• Solid project management skills including the ability to manage several projects at once, while collaborating and working in teams, executing sideways management to successfully complete projects and achieve goals
• Experience using VAN or other voter databases is desirable, but not required

This position does not have an undergraduate education requirement. Spanish/English bilingual is a skill we value, but it is not a requirement. This is a full-time job but there can be some flexibility in the exact schedule.

Compensation and Benefits
The full-time salary range for this role is between $63,000-$75,000, based on a wage analysis across the organization and new staff rarely starting at the top of the range.

We provide high-quality, zero-deductible health insurance and a strong benefits package that includes a SIMPLE IRA retirement plan with a match, at least 35 days of vacation & holidays as well as 6 physical & mental wellness days in your first year, and parental leave and a sabbatical program. Please note that as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, Conservation Colorado employees are not eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

All Conservation Colorado positions require in person work of some kind & therefore we do require our staff to be vaccinated against COVID. However, when it comes to being in the office or working from home, we have embraced a hybrid work model where we offer people, in consultation with their managers, some flexibility on where they work based on organizational needs, job requirements, and personal preferences. The organization does not have a set policy for the number of days someone must be in the office and the days required for a specific individual or position will vary from person to person based on the needs of the job. Everyone is welcome to work in the office 100% of the time if they prefer or if their home environment is not conducive to working for whatever reason.

We are committed to building a more diverse and inclusive organization and conservation movement to fully represent and engage all Coloradans and to build as powerful a movement as we can. Recruiting staff that better reflects Colorado is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, race, ethnicity, geographies, political affiliation, sexual orientations, gender identities, and all other identities represented in Colorado or protected by law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

To Apply
If this job truly speaks to you please click here to submit a cover letter and resume and answer a few short questions. If you have a disability and need accommodation or assistance with our online application process, please tell us how we can help by calling us at 303.333.7846.