Director/Senior Director, Advocacy and Issue Campaigns

The Alliance for Early Success is seeking a Director/Senior Director of Advocacy + Issue Campaigns who is passionate about the early years and is eager to help advocates who work across the political continuum to advance state policies that improve outcomes for all young children. We’re looking for someone to join a team that’s committed to continually becoming a more antiracist organization and believes the only way we’ll be successful is through policy changes that dismantle the structural racism and sexism that cause disparity from the beginning.

Issues campaign expertise is becoming increasingly essential to the work of the Alliance. The state advocates in our network are asking for more and more for guidance in polling, message framing, coalition building, and 501(c)3–compliant lobbying — and how to connect these strategies to achieve big, transformative policy wins. In addition, we are supporting state advocacy communities to build equitable and collaborative coalitions for more authentic dialogue, agenda setting, and shared leadership. A prime example of how we are doing this is Child Care NEXT, a major new Alliance project currently in six states.

About the Alliance for Early Success

The Alliance for Early Success convenes and supports a community of early-childhood advocates spanning all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This community ensures our states allies have the connections and resources that inform, accelerate, and amplify their effectiveness in achieving state actions necessary for each and every young child to thrive. (See our Mission, Vision, and Values and the Alliance Policy Framework for the range of early childhood issues we invest in.) We provide our state allies the latest strategy, research, and expertise from our national allies. We organize peer learning opportunities that help them replicate success and avoid pitfalls. We provide almost $10 million in annual grants to help them build capacity and stability. And – above all – we listen to where they are, where they’re trying to go, and how we can fuel that mission.

Funded by many of the leading investors in early childhood philanthropy, the Alliance’s unique support of state advocacy is crucial to the field.

About the Role

The Director/Senior Director of Advocacy and Issue Campaigns is part of the leadership team focused on creating a powerful community of early childhood advocates – one that secures state policies and investments that advance equity and are essential for every child in every state to succeed. In this role, you will leverage your experience in guiding and supporting issue campaigns in order to help state-based early childhood advocacy organizations achieve policy wins for young children and their families, while centering this work on equity and the lived experiences of those most impacted by those wins. With the rest of the Alliance leadership team, you will cultivate authentic partnerships within our network, seize opportunities, champion equity, guide strategy, foster connections, and help grantees apply for and execute Alliance grants, including those in the Child Care NEXT initiative.

In this job you will: 

• • Provide current, sound, and actionable guidance and other supports (e.g., thought partnership, relevant resources, connections with peer organizations and experts) to the Child Care NEXT campaigns and other state partners/coalitions that increase their effectiveness and political power.
  • Collaborate with the Alliance team to further embed racial equity and the lived experiences of those most impacted by state policy in Alliance’s general operations and strategies, such as grant development and management, peer learning opportunities, technical assistance capacity, and potential new initiatives and campaigns.
  • Support a portfolio of grantees that represent both state and national allies.
  • Be part of the team that makes strategic decisions about state and national grants.

Some benefits of working at the Alliance include:

• • Strong remote culture—we were virtual long before COVID – that provides flexibility, promotes connections without proximity, and prioritizes regular opportunities for in-person connection
  • The opportunity to work with a team of high-impact, low-ego pros who are passionate about progress
  • A flexible vacation policy that includes all federal holidays and the last week of the year
  • A generous retirement plan

To be successful in the role, you will need:

• • Ability to lead and/or advise issue campaigns at the state level, including messaging and communications strategies, strategic use of polling, and organizing fieldwork;
  • Experience managing diverse coalitions that embody the different types of power – from the neighborhoods to the state capitol – that are critical to build movements for bold, sustained policy wins.
  • Understanding of and ability to center the experiences of those who are most impacted by the outcomes of the campaigns.
  • Strong commitment to improving outcomes for children and families, in the context of racial, gender, economic, and social justice.
  • Ability to cultivate trust and build community within a network or coalition by developing authentic relationships and partnerships with peers and organizations.
  • Ability to work effectively across the political continuum.
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to travel regularly (when safe travel is again possible).
  • Experience with combining the capabilities of 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) strategies is a plus.

Priority will given to candidates with expertise in campaign management, organizing, and/or coalition development, regardless of formal education.

Position Type: Full Time (40hrs/wk), Permanent

Compensation: Competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range begins at $80,000 for a Director position, or $120,000 for a Senior Director position.

Reports to: Executive Director

The Alliance for Early Success understands diversity strengthens organizational decision making. We strongly encourage members of traditionally under-represented communities to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ-identified people, gender-nonconforming people, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and people who speak a language in addition to English.