Senior Project Manager, National Campaigns

ACLU; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 109,050 - 147,538; Full time

Job summary

The ACLU is seeking a Senior Project Manager in the National Political Advocacy Department in Washington, DC or New York, NY. The role is hybrid with two days in-office weekly and a 3-year term.

You will lead complex internal projects, track deliverables, and coordinate cross-departmental work to advance civil liberties initiatives. You will develop communications materials, support senior leaders with research and talking points, manage budgets, and collaborate with national and affiliate staff

Qualifications

• Significant experience with project management and/or internal communications.
• Strong understanding of advocacy campaign operations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including grammar and style.
• Excellent research and analytical skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to engage stakeholders.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines.
• Strategic and creative thinker with a proactive approach.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
• Discretion, confidentiality and professional integrity.
• Experience with crafting content (PowerPoint preferred).

Responsibilities

• Lead large and complex internal projects to advance key departmental projects and initiatives, ensuring all projects meet scope, budget, and timeline.
• Design and implement methods for tracking deliverables, schedules, and metrics for various projects.
• Manage systems for communication and collaboration so teams have up-to-date information and are connected to departmental goals.
• Develop, edit and collaborate across memos, newsletters, and presentation decks for internal and external audiences.
• Prepare, proofread, and edit documents/materials, including internal communications, meeting agendas and notes, weekly reports, and dashboards.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Senior Director of National Campaigns, conducting research and preparing talking points.
• Draft correspondence and other materials; respond to inquiries as directed.
• Partner with internal stakeholders from other national departments and affiliate staff to advance NPAD goals.
• Process and track budget-related matters, procurement, and invoices.
• Maintain big-picture awareness of opportunities, challenges, and trends across all issue areas.
• Exercise independent judgment to solve problems and adjust priorities as needed.
• Engage in special projects and other duties; flexible hours.

Skills

Project management

Internal communications

Advocacy operations

Written communication

Research and analytics

Interpersonal skills

Fast-paced work

Strategic thinking

Detail-oriented

Judgment and discretion

Job description

About The Job

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full‑time position of Senior Project Manager in the National Political Advocacy Department of the ACLU’s National office in Washington, DC or New York, NY. This is a hybrid role with in‑office requirements of two days per week or eight days per month. It is a 3‑year term‑limited position.

The National Political Advocacy Department builds power to achieve an accountable, representative democracy. We have ambitious goals across Reproductive Freedom, Democracy and voting rights, systemic equality, immigration, trans justice, criminal justice and other core issues in order to protect and expand civil rights and civil liberties, and advance the freedom, equality, ability to prosper, and humanity of all people.

Our department conducts analysis, develops policy, crafts world‑class campaigns and situates the ACLU to have impact across legislative, administrative, and electoral levers. We are policy experts, lawyers, community organizers, lobbyists, campaign strategists, electoral specialists, program managers and more. We partner across the ACLU to drive national efforts, and support and amplify the priorities of our affiliates. We work to center principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in our approach.

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).

What You’ll Do

The Senior Project Manager will report to the Senior Director of National Campaigns.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Lead large and complex internal projects to advance key departmental projects and initiatives, ensuring all projects meet scope, budget, and timeline
• Design and implement methods for tracking deliverables, schedules, and metrics for various projects
• Manage systems for communication and collaboration so teams have the most up‑to‑date information and are connected to departmental goals
• Develop, edit and collaborate across various communication mediums such as memos, newsletters, and presentation decks for internal and external audiences
• Prepare, proofread, and edit documents/materials, including but not limited to internal communications, meeting agenda and notes, weekly reports, and dashboards
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Senior Director of National Campaigns, and conduct research and prepare talking points for internal and external audiences, as needed
• Draft correspondence and other materials as requested; respond to written and verbal inquiries, as directed
• Partner closely with internal stakeholders from other national departments and affiliate staff to advance the goals of NPAD
• Process and track budget‑related matters, including procurement process and invoices
• Maintain big‑picture awareness of emerging opportunities, challenges, and trends across all issue areas
• Maintain awareness of the work to facilitate representation of the Department internally and externally
• Exercise significant independent judgment to solve problems and determine creative solutions
• Demonstrate an ability to be flexible and adjust priorities as necessary in order to adapt to changing external environment
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned
• This position requires flexibility in work schedule, including the ability to work nontraditional hours

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

What You’ll Bring

• Significant experience with project management and/or internal communications
• Strong understanding of advocacy campaign operations
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including a strong understanding of grammar, spelling punctuation, and sentence structure to ensure proper and efficient writing
• Excellent research and analytical skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels
• Ability to work in a fast‑paced environment, simultaneously handle many tasks; work efficiently, meeting multiple deadlines, while remaining composed under pressure
• Strategic and creative thinker with a proactive, positive approach to work
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail
• Ability to exercise a high level of judgment, discretion, confidentiality, and professional integrity
• Ability to develop compelling content through various mediums, including PowerPoint
• Experience with graphic design, a plus
• Experience with advocacy on both issue campaigns and electoral campaigns, a plus
• Experience with legislative and administrative advocacy, a plus
• Experience with grassroots organizing, a plus
• Fluency, expertise and experience in multiple ACLU issue areas, a plus
• Willingness to travel

Compensation

The ACLU is committed to equity, transparency, and clarity in pay. Consistent with our compensation philosophy, there is a set salary for each role based on geographic work location. The annual salary for this position is $128,294 (Level G), reflecting the salary of a position based in New York, NY. Salaries are subject to a regional pay adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.

For details on our pay structure, please visit: https://www.aclu.org/careers/ACLU_Geographic_Pay_Structure-July_2024.pdf

WHY THE ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well‑being.

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time‑off policy
• Focus on your well‑being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check‑the‑box activities, but a chance for us to make long‑term meaningful change. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti‑oppression, anti‑ableism, and anti‑racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe “We the People” means all of us.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please complete the Accommodation Request Form.

If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.