Senior Director, National Campaigns

The Opportunity

As the nation’s guardian of civil rights and liberties, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side, through its mission “to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.”

In a time of unprecedented attacks on civil liberties, the National Political Advocacy Department (NPAD) of the ACLU builds power to advance an accountable and representative democracy. NPAD seeks a Senior Director of National Campaigns to strategically advance its ambitious goals across Reproductive Freedom, Democracy and Voting Rights, Systemic Equality, Immigration, Trans Justice, Criminal Justice, and Abuse of Power through world‑class campaigns that activate legislative, administrative, and electoral levers.

Partnering across the ACLU, the Senior Director will drive national and federal efforts that support and amplify the priorities of the ACLU and its affiliates.

For over 105 years, the ACLU has defended rights and liberties across the political spectrum using the tools of advocacy, litigation, and campaigning. With affiliates in every state and territory, the organization maintains a network of over 1.7 million members and a staff of 650.

ACLU leaders have been positioned at the epicenter of the most consequential civil‑rights battles since the 1960s, from voting rights and reproductive freedom to digital privacy and equal protection. The ACLU is where history is being made, and its legal victories become constitutional precedents that protect millions of Americans.

Being in leadership at the ACLU requires navigating complex constitutional questions and being on the front lines with colleagues whose voices carry weight in national debates. The organization is formed by brilliant lawyers, advocates, and organizers whose intellectual caliber, drive, and shared commitment create an environment unlike any other.

The mandate of the Senior Director, National Campaigns is:

Strategic Leadership & Execution

Set Direction, Drive Results & Lead Decisively

• Create and put in motion a comprehensive national campaign strategy in conjunction with the Chief Political & Advocacy Officer. Establish priorities and identify mutually reinforcing efforts among the national campaigns.
• Maintain the big‑picture (a 30,000‑foot view) across emerging opportunities and challenges to drive integrated and seamless execution in National campaigns.
• Sequence and prioritize the work of multiple complex initiatives.
• Connect and amplify emerging trends, identifying common threads across issues.
• Inspire confidence by making and enforcing decisions. Distinguish between nice to have and must have and decisively say yes and not now.

Campaign Expertise & Operations Management

Unify, Coordinate and Optimize

• Reinforce the connection and work of the highly skilled national campaigns team and integrate their work to prevent conflicting efforts, inefficiencies, and siloed initiatives.
• Provide visibility and oversight across all campaign activities. Be the connective tissue of national campaigns and NPAD and make sure tactics reinforce each other instead of competing for resources.
• Enable success by reducing bureaucratic obstacles and sharpening campaign performance through hands‑on support. Help the team know when and how to work together and which battles to pursue.
• Continuously evaluate whether the focus of work represents the highest use of resources.
• Ensure campaign activities are strategically sequenced and operationally sustainable for the operations, organizing, and state teams.
• Identify and capitalize on missed opportunities.

Thought Partnership & Judgment

Support Leadership, Bring Alignment, and Rapidly Respond

• Provide insight, clarity, and creativity, and drive well‑developed options and decisions as a trusted deputy and thought partner to the Chief Political & Advocacy Officer (CPAO).
• Distill complex operational realities into action and strengthen ideas coming from multiple directions in the matrixed organization. Integrate these ideas into the strategy.
• Support alignment between the CPAO and national…