Connecticut Governance Director

ABOUT THIS ROLE

Working Families Party (WFP) and Working Families Power seek to build a powerful, left political force that can win real governing power: the durable capacity of the multiracial working class to shape and wield government in its own interests. In Connecticut, we’ve been winning elections for champions for working people for two decades, and organizing to leverage those electoral successes into legislative victories for working families — including paid family and medical leave, paid sick days, immigrant protections, and equitable state budgets. 

The Governance Director will lead our work aligning and organizing elected officials around a clear vision for Connecticut and how we can get there through explicit policy changes and a unified platform. From cohering newly-elected legislators to convening aligned allies, this role will take the lead in organizing our legislative champions. The position is also responsible for crafting and implementing a legislative strategy for the organization. Electoral responsibilities for this role predominantly include incumbent defense, with other elections as Party priorities dictate. The role will require the staffer to be a registered lobbyist with the state of Connecticut. 

This position is supervised by the Connecticut State Director, and will work closely with our team of five, as well as with staff in similar roles in other WFP states around the country. The role includes local and national professional development opportunities.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Organizing legislators

• Organize and run regular WFPower meetings of elected officials

• Develop trusting working relationships with allied legislators 

• Develop bi-annual WFPower legislator retreats (pre- and post-session) to debrief and plan

• Regularly host skill and/or issue training spaces (such as on press relations or housing policy)

• Lead development of a public WFPower legislative agenda or platform 

• Identify opportunities for shared messaging 

• Lead WFP staff team in supporting aligned legislators (ie communications and social media work with Comms Director) 

• In conjunction with the organizing staff, develop pathways for activists to support WFP electeds and legislation

• Analyze and strategize the evolving legislative landscape 

• Organize substantive new legislator orientation event series to build community and recruit newly-elected legislators into organizing with WFPower

• Meet monthly with newly elected aligned legislators for at least a year after election 

• Coalition work and legislative lobbying

• Lead WFPower involvement with coalitions working on tax equity, progressive revenue, paid family & medical leave, housing, and more 

• Craft legislative strategies and build campaigns to pass priority legislation 

• Track priority legislation and manage/deliver WFPower testimony on key bills 

• Lobby legislators on WFPower priority bills 

• Electoral responsibilities 

• Support incumbent elected officials in planning re-election campaigns 

• Lead WFP incumbent electoral defense work

• Manage WFP electeds showing up for each other in election season 

• Coordinate group endorsement efforts in primary elections where possible 

• Support candidate recruitment efforts 

• Municipal elected responsibilities 

• Track and manage ongoing opportunities for municipal elected officials to engage WFP

• Support governance of aligned municipal elected officials by connecting them to each other, coalitions, and national resources 

• Identify and coach municipal electeds with potential for running for higher office 

• Raise funds to drive CTWFPower and CTWFParty work

• Support the state director in researching and obtaining grants for governance work 

• Lead efforts to help aligned legislators create PACs

• Raise funds from legislator PACs into WFP 

• Compliance 

• Manage registrations and monthly/annual reports for all registered lobbyists on the team 

• Create and use tracking systems for lobbying hours

• Report to funders lobbying time as required 

• Other duties as assigned.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• At least 4 years of relevant professional experience in advocacy, politics, or organizing

• Demonstrated track record of commitment to social, economic, and racial justice

• Demonstrated ability to work closely with elected officials to pass progressive policy 

• Excellent facilitation skills, and the ability to build solidarity and shared strategy across differences.

• Ability to quickly learn new contexts and policy areas. 

• Ability to make decisions with consequences in nuanced political settings.

• Strong sense of empathy and ability to build collaborative relationships. 

• Excellent problem solving skills, with excellent judgment in moments of conflict. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

• Ability to work independently and manage complex projects. 

• Ability to manage multiple projects at once and prioritize work. 

• Basic computer skills including Microsoft Office Suite & Google Suite

• Driver’s license, reliable transportation, and willingness for regular in-state travel

• Ability and willingness to work late evenings and weekends, including at the State Capitol during legislative session

Preferred

• Experience with the Connecticut legislature 

• Experience managing electoral campaigns 

• Fluency in Spanish

The final salary will be determined based on an internal equitable scale that takes into consideration years of experience, geographic location, and final job description. 

Location: The position requires weekly in-person work with opportunities to work remotely when possible. The role requires that the staffer become a registered lobbyist with the state of Connecticut. 

Schedule: Full time 

Union Affiliation

WFP is a unionized workplace. This role is eligible to join WFP's staff bargaining unit after 6 months. WFP's union employees are represented by the New York Metropolitan Area Joint Board, Workers United union.