Associate Director for Data

Are you passionate about economic fairness and social justice? Do you want to improve the lives of working people and strengthen the labor movement? If you answered, “Yes!” then the AFL-CIO may be the right place for you. We are the largest federation of labor unions in the United States, and our team of dynamic professionals is dedicated to growing worker power and ensuring every working person has a voice on the job. When you work at the AFL-CIO, you’re more than just an individual employee—you’re helping to lead a movement with a proud history and a bright future ahead.

The Associate Director for Data plays a central role managing the Federation’s data programs and the technologies and processes that support them. This position is responsible for managing the data team and serving as the ambassador for the team within the federation, organized labor, and allied groups.

The Associate Director for Data manages the headquarters and field data divisions in the DAIR Department. In addition to leading the Federation's data efforts, this position will help liaise with affiliates, vendors and other external stakeholders about data and technology on behalf of the AFL-CIO.

The DAIR Department’s goal is to generate lasting power for the labor movement, by building the Federation's programmatic tools, web development, data systems, and analytics capacity. This team serves a broad range of clients across the labor movement - from other AFL-CIO departments, to AFL-CIO affiliates, to state and local labor bodies. Through investment in central infrastructure, training, and direct service work, the department aims to empower its partners to run stronger and more cost effective political and legislative mobilization, digital, and organizing campaigns.

This position reports to the Director of the DAIR Department.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

• Manage the HQ and field data team, which produces the Federation’s support and training for the Labor Action Network (LAN), peer-to-peer texting and other tools and reporting for elections and other campaigns;
• Provide strategic guidance to internal and external audiences of executives, department directors and staff, often including non-technical stakeholders, to ensure the labor movement is taking a data-driven approach to member engagement, community mobilization, organizing and other campaigns;
• Assess existing systems and technologies and project manage efforts to improve them or find alternatives through robust request for proposal processes;
• Responsible for ensuring existing standards of practice around internal and external data policies to protect membership data are followed as well as finding and proposing solutions to improve systems and processes used to track these policies;
• Oversee the development of training programs for existing tools, such as LAN, peer-to-peer texting, PilotLight and the Working Families Toolkit, and for new member engagement and field mobilization technology as it comes on line;
• Bring best practices to affiliate unions, state and local federations and evangelize the use of AFL-CIO’s data products and technologies through presentations, facilitated discussions and one-on-one meetings;
• Act as one of the primary points of contact with core vendors in the data space, including VAN, Catalist, TargetSmart, and others;
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 5 years of experience with VAN, LAN or VoteBuilder;
• Demonstrated experience leading the work of a team of data practitioners, particularly in the labor movement;
• Minimum of 4 years of experience working directly with campaign staff or high level stakeholders on statewide or national political campaigns;
• 2-3 years of experience with other member engagement, election and field mobilization systems utilized by the labor movement, including PilotLight, peer to peer texting (Spoke, Hustle or GetThru) and more;
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with, or for, a union, an association, candidate campaign, or a nonprofit political/social organization;
• Demonstrated experience project managing development of internal systems to make work more efficient;
• Experience enforcing a list policy and creating mechanisms to ensure the security of sensitive data, particularly union member data;
• Ability to communicate and present complex technical concepts and analysis to technical and non-technical audiences;
• Experience working with outside vendors to implement large scale technology projects;
• Demonstrated excellent written and verbal skills;
• Must have excellent computer skills and understanding of political technology;
• Ability to work independently as well as lead and work in a team environment;
• Strong project management and problem solving skills;
• Effective time management skills, including prioritizing and managing multiple tasks, and in developing campaign and personal work plans and goals;
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in politically sensitive and high-pressure environments;
• Ability to work well under tight deadlines;
• Ability to work long and irregular hours, including weekends; and to travel as needed.

Equal Opportunity Employer