Summary
Description
Location: Remote, with frequent travel
Employment Type: Full-Time (Exempt)
Compensation: $145,000
Reports to: President, American Families for Vaccines
About Us
American Families for Vaccines (AFV) is a fast-growing, mission-driven organization mobilizing families, clinicians, and communities to support pro-vaccine policy and defeat anti-vaccine extremism. Our state chapters defend strong vaccine policy, fight misinformation, and advocate for evidence-based public health. As we scale both our 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities, we are expanding our national infrastructure and growing the number of state-based Families for Vaccines chapters. We operate at the speed of state politics—where deadlines move quickly, and policy decisions can change outcomes for families nationwide.
Position Summary
American Families for Vaccines Action Fund (AFVAF), in coordination with American Families for Vaccines (AFV), is hiring a Political Director to lead multi-state political and legislative campaigns to defend and advance vaccine policy. This is a leadership role for a proven operator with multi-cycle experience managing state legislative and political campaigns, directing teams of lobbyists and consultants, and executing fast-moving strategies in bi-partisan political environments. The Political Director will be accountable for planning, execution, vendor and budget management, and driving measurable results across targeted states and priority threats.
Key Responsibilities
Campaign leadership and strategy
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Lead multi-state legislative and political campaign strategy to defend vaccine requirements and defeat harmful bills, amendments, and rule changes.
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Build and run state-level campaign plans that integrate lobbying, grasstops/grassroots, coalition activity, earned media, paid communications, and rapid response.
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Assess political terrain quickly (stakeholders, committee dynamics, leadership posture, caucus incentives, messaging constraints) and translate into actionable plans.
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Establish clear goals, timelines, decision points, and escalation pathways for high-risk fights.
Lobbyist and consultant direction
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Direct and manage contract lobbyists across multiple states, including scopes, deliverables, and alignment to strategy.
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Oversee external campaign consultants, media consultants, digital firms, and advertising efforts, including independent expenditure-style programs where appropriate and compliant.
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Ensure message discipline and operational alignment across lobbyists, organizers, communications, legal, and research functions.
Budget and vendor management
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Own campaign budgets and vendor allocations across states; negotiate contracts and ensure cost-effective execution.
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Create and maintain scopes of work that are specific, measurable, and tied to outcomes; ensure timely invoicing and documentation.
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Track spending against forecast and reallocate quickly based on legislative momentum and threat level.
Political intelligence and decision support
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Provide real-time political reporting to executive leadership, including whip counts, sponsor dynamics, committee vote outlook, and tactical recommendations.
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Maintain a clear view of the legislative calendar, procedural chokepoints, and opportunities for leverage.
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Build relationships with key external allies and in-state leaders to strengthen strategic credibility and operational reach.
Compliance and coordination
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Partner with Finance Department to ensure compliance with lobbying registration and reporting, ethics rules, and applicable political/campaign finance requirements.
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Coordinate with Communications to ensure claims are evidence-based and messaging is effective in conservative and politically mixed environments.
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Maintain clean separation and compliance where activities intersect with AFV (c3) and AFVAF (c4) workstreams.
Teamwork and organizational contribution
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Collaborate closely with internal leaders (Advocacy, Communications, Legal, Research, Operations) to run integrated state campaigns.
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Develop repeatable playbooks, templates, and vendor scorecards to strengthen the organization’s long-term capacity.
Qualifications
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8+ years of experience in political, legislative, or advocacy campaign leadership, including multi-cycle work.
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Demonstrated success directing state legislative campaigns, ideally in conservative or politically competitive states.
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Proven ability to manage multiple external vendors simultaneously (lobbyists, media consultants, campaign firms, digital/paid media).
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Strong strategic judgment and operational discipline under pressure; able to make decisions quickly with imperfect information.
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Fluency in state legislative process, committee strategy, and stakeholder mapping.
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Strong writing and briefing skills: can produce crisp memos, state plans, and executive updates.
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High integrity and comfort operating in complex compliance environments with clear boundaries and documentation.
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Experience running or directing paid communications programs (including persuasion, mobilization, and rapid response advertising).
Preferred Qualifications
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Experience with multi-state campaign portfolios and centralized vendor management.
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Existing network of high-performing state lobbyists and political consultants, especially in politically conservative states.
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Familiarity with public health, vaccine policy, or adjacent “science-informed” policy arenas (not required, but helpful).
Compensation & Benefits
Salary: $145,000 annually
Benefits:
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Comprehensive health insurance for employee, partner, and dependents, retirement contribution, generous PTO, paid holidays, and remote work flexibility.
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Flexible work hours and fully remote work environment with opportunities to travel and engage colleagues in-person a few times per year.
How to Apply
Submit a resume and cover letter to jobs@familiesforvaccines.org with the subject line: Political Director – [Your Name]. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Equal Employment Opportunity
American Families for Vaccines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace and welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including but not limited to people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and people with diverse life experiences.
We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local laws.
Work Authorization
All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. AFV is not able to sponsor employment visas at this time. AFV participates in the e-Verify system to determine employment eligibility.
Reasonable Accommodation
If you require reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact us at jobs@familiesforvaccines.org
Employment Status
All positions are considered at-will unless otherwise stated in a written employment agreement and are subject to background and reference checks where applicable.
Pay Transparency
This position is offered with a salary range of $145,000 per year, depending on experience and location. The position includes comprehensive benefits. This disclosure is in compliance with applicable state laws including those in California, Colorado, New York, and Washington.
American Families for Vaccines is an equal opportunity employer and committed to hiring without regard to age, race, ethnicity, ability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family status, disability, military status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you require accommodations or assistance to complete an application, we welcome you to contact hr@familiesforvaccines.org.
