Political Research Director
Job Description
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is the premier grassroots organization focused on advocating solutions to the country’s greatest challenges. We recognize that tens of millions of Americans are frustrated with the extreme partisanship in government that keeps common-sense reforms from being passed, and instead seek to stand with policy leaders who are committed to finding a better way.
Americans for Prosperity is part of the Stand Together philanthropic community.
The Electoral Strategy team is an integral part of AFP's work, forging a path forward by engaging in elections to build broad-based policy coalitions by recruiting and supporting candidates for office.
Partnering closely with the Executive Vice President, the Political Research Director will lead a team responsible for evaluating and researching the policy positions of potential and current political candidates for races at multiple levels of government, including gubernatorial, state legislative, congressional, and senate races. This role will partner with internal teams to collaboratively develop vetting strategies to elect policy champions who will advance Americans for Prosperity’s policy priorities that are in line with our vision. The research team will also develop products to inform other key strategies for the organization.
How You Will Contribute
- Supervise and lead the research team, connecting them to vision and developing talent
- Oversee the research team’s work products, including opposition research, and own recommendations to the organization's leaders regarding potential candidates under consideration
- Develop and refine the candidate vetting strategy and tools used to assess political candidates for policy alignment and reputational risk
- Drive collaboration across stakeholders within the Electoral Strategies team and across departments including but not limited to Government Affairs, Policy, State Chapters, etc.
What You Will Bring
- 5+ years of research experience related to the political/electoral field (including local, state, or federal campaigns, political committees, Super PACs, or consulting)
- Strong organizational skills and ability to handle multiple projects at once in fast-paced environment with a high sense of urgency
- Proactive communication and demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate toward greater results
- Strong commitment to AFP's approach to political engagement
- Strong candidates will also bring experience supervising a team of staff
What We Offer
- Competitive benefits: Enjoy a 6% 401(k) match with immediate vesting, flexible time off, comprehensive health and dental plans, plus wellness and mental health support through Peloton and Talkspace.
- A meaningful career: Join a passionate community of over 1,300 employees dedicated to improving lives and driving innovative solutions to complex social challenges.
- Commitment to growth: Thrive in a non-hierarchical environment that empowers employees to discover, develop and apply their unique talents.
- Competitive compensation: Our approach rewards the value you create through competitive salaries and bonus opportunities, allowing you to share in the success you help drive.
Our Values: Working at Stand Together is different from many other organizations. Our culture is deeply rooted in Principle Based Management® (PBM®), a framework guided by the principles that drive human progress, such as dignity, openness, and bottom-up empowerment. PBM® empowers our employees to be entrepreneurial, to innovate, and to continually drive transformation.
We believe diversity fuels creativity, broadens knowledge, and helps drive success, and that is why we’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and strive to treat all employees and applicants with honesty, dignity, respect and sensitivity.