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Position Description – Communications Director

Democracy for America (DFA) seeks an experienced and dynamic person for the full-time position of Communications Director. The Communications Director will report to the Executive Director and will be responsible for developing, planning, and implementing a strategic national communications plan and media outreach.

Responsibilities will include but are not limited to the following:
-   Develop, plan, and implement a strategic communications plan to support and highlight the work of a national organization of 725,000 members
-   Conduct media outreach- pitch stories, develop relationships with reporters, write press releases and media advisories. This includes both traditional media as well as online media.
-   Handle all incoming media requests
-   Build and execute a media schedule for DFA’s Chair and Executive Director
-   Write talking points and conduct interview prep for applicable DFA staff
-   Work with our national grassroots network activists to provide communications support for local DFA groups around the country
-   Manage blog content and support DFA’s existing online programs
-   Monitor and report on DFA’s press hits
-   Monitor and report on news stories relevant to DFA’s work

Qualifications:
-   The ideal candidate will have 3-5 years of experience managing strategic communications and media outreach for political campaigns and/or labor, social justice, or advocacy organizations.
-   Demonstrated ability to develop relationships with reporters.
-   Familiarity and ability to work with new media.
-   Ability to produce well-written materials under pressure of deadlines.
-   Ability to multitask and handle many ongoing projects at once.
-   Should be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.
-   Flexibility, political savvy, and grace under pressure are crucial.  
-   Experience managing candidates or executives is a plus.
-   Willingness to work long hours and occasional weekends.

The position is located in Burlington, Vermont but the position will require travel for media events, conventions, and to staff the Chair or Executive Director. Salary commensurate with experience.

To apply email a resume and cover letter to careers@democracyforamerica.com. Candidates for interview may be asked for writing samples, references, and/or examples of past press coverage.

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Democracy for America – Field Organizer

Democracy for America (DFA) is our nation's largest progressive political action community. With over 725,000 members nationwide, DFA is a grassroots powerhouse working to change our country and the Democratic Party from the bottom-up. Founded by former Governor and DNC Chairman Howard Dean we provide campaign training, organizing resources, and media exposure so our members have the power to support progressive issues and candidates up and down the ballot. Join us and fight for progressive values all across our country!

DFA Field Organizer– will have hands-on responsibility for engaging, energizing, and mobilizing our leaders, members, activists and groups.

The Field Organizer will be an instrumental part of a leading national field program, expanding their organizing and field campaign skills on a local, state, and national level and have a chance to network with progressive leaders nationwide.

Individuals must be self-motivated, operate with a high level of energy, be enthusiastic for true grassroots actions, extremely well organized, and can connect with our grassroots leaders, members, and activists.

Actions:
1.    Organize offline actions for the entire DFA community
    a.    Organize conference calls, mailings and member action emails
2.    Organize local, regional, state offline member actions
    a.    Help manage and support member activists program
    b.    Find and connect member activists with offline actions
3.    Convert strong member activists to group leaders
    a.    Identify, recruit, and support activists to become group leaders
4.    Compile metrics and analyze effectiveness

Groups:
1.    Organize and support monthly DFA group meetings
    a.    Organize conference calls, mailings and DFA group emails
    b.    Provide support and follow-up for monthly DFA group meetings
2.    Develop program to improve performance of DFA groups
    a.    Create criteria and tier system to categorize DFA groups
    b.    Connect "off-link" groups with DFA community
    c.    Provide resources, training materials and incentives
3.    Organize or reorganize DFA groups in targeted areas
4.    Compile metrics and analyze effectiveness

The positions will be based at DFA headquarters in beautiful Burlington, Vermont.
Compensation range is $24,000 - $26,000 and includes healthcare.

Please submit a resume and VERY short note ASAP and no later than December 8th.

Please contact Adam Quinn at field@democracyforamerica.com or 802-651-3200

Internships at DFA

Democracy for America (DFA) is looking for creative, motivated young people who want to get involved in progressive politics. At DFA, you will have the opportunity to work directly with staff, playing a substantive role in your department. The hands-on experience you gain at DFA will be invaluable wherever your education and career take you.

We currently have internships available in many of the departments at DFA, including:

Field/Community
Field/Community interns are the first line of support for our groups in turning online activism into off-line action: shaping public policy, electing progressive officials, and fighting in the trenches to take our country back. Our past field interns have helped organize campaigns against FISA, Unity events for Barack Obama, and hundreds of Debate Watch Parties. You will support endorsed candidates by working with local DFA groups and activists to build grassroots involvement in the campaign. As a field/community intern, you'll help expand DFA's grassroots network by working directly with over 800 local DFA groups around the country.

Political
DFA endorses progressive candidates from the school board to the presidency. Political interns play an important role in the endorsement process. Your job is to find these candidates and research their stories. But this isn't just an office job; past interns have traveled to work on campaigns around the Northeast including Ned Lamont's campaign for Senate and Peter Welch's race for Congress. Every race and every candidate comes one step closer to taking the country back. If you want to be involved in races across the country, this is the internship for you. Political background encouraged. Research and writing skills a must!

Communications
Help get DFA in the news! Become a vital part of the communications department by assisting with research, writing, and editing, media tracking, and e-mail correspondence. You will work directly with our Communications Director and you should have excellent writing skills, attention to detail, and the ability to multi-task.

Technology
If you have computer skills, the Tech department is the place for you. You will assist our Tech Director by helping with systems administration or coding Ruby on Rails applications. All tasks require you to work quickly and independently.

Some of the skills we can put to good use:

Training
Putting the 50-state strategy into practice, DFA's weekend campaign trainings go where we're needed most, whether it's New Hampshire, Utah, Texas, or elsewhere. Working in direct contact with local grassroots organizations and top tier Democratic campaign advisors, you will ensure that each training weekend runs smoothly. In addition to learning valuable organizing and campaign experience, you may get a chance to attend at least one weekend training for free.

Do you have questions? Want to apply?

Click here to get started.

Please contact:
Dave Santucci
Democracy for America
PO Box 1717
Burlington, VT 05402
intern@democracyforamerica.com
phone: 802-651-3200
fax: 802-651-3299

Application deadlines:
Fall semester (Sept.-Nov.) Hiring Now.

Winter semester (Dec.-Feb.) First Preference October 15th, Final Deadline November 15th.

Spring semester (Mar.-May) First Preference February 15th, Final Deadline March 15th.

Summer semester (June-Aug.) First Preference April 15th, Final Deadline May 15th.