Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee — Chief Operating Officer

Be a part of the team that will be instrumental to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) taking back our state legislatures and—by winning crucial redistricting fights— remaking the U.S. Congress to re-enfranchise millions of voters and end the GOP-led gridlock that’s paralyzing our government.

Our task is no less than to teach a diverse generation of voters about the central role their state legislatures play in their day-to- day lives, and in the shaping of the country.

The mission is to win Democratic majorities and build Democratic power in state legislatures.

Role

The DLCC Chief Operating Officer (COO) drives a culture of transparency, risk and performance management, and customer service within the operations department. The COO ensures that the human resource, financial management, legal, compliance, and office management functions are completely aligned with DLCC’s organizational strategy and delivering what the organization needs to evolve and meet the challenges of taking back our state legislatures.

The COO serves on DLCC’s Leadership Team, reports to the Deputy Executive Director, and manages the Deputy Director of Operations & Compliance and Operations Assistant. The COO is a D.C. based position.

The COO is expected to model the values of the DLCC:

• Transparency
• Credibility
• Initiative
• Teamwork
• Focus on results

Responsibilities Include:

Leadership Team & Strategy: (15%)

• Abide by and perform to the Leadership Team Code;
• Regularly supplies financial, legal, and compliance information into the meetings to inform leadership team decisions;
• Ensures that budgets and resource allocations match the strategic priorities of the organization;
• Review job descriptions, expenses, and budget reallocations for strategic alignment and budget impact;
• Remain up to date on legal and financial developments that impact the organization’s ability to execute its strategy and work together with internal staff and external consultants to ensure DLCC always has compliant, fiscally responsible options to achieve its strategic objectives and targets;
• Lead the DLCC performance management process and performance reviews.

General Management: (15%)

• Clearly align departmental job descriptions, individual quarterly targets for direct reports, and work priorities with the department and organizational strategy;
• Routinely check in on direct report’s progress;
• Routinely assess direct report’s skill and performance and provide feedback to develop their individual skills and benefit the performance of the team;
• Routinely review the quality, timeliness, and presentation of departmental plans and large projects, DLCC financial information, DLCC compliance reporting, and DLCC HR information;
• Ensure all staff have the information they need to perform and effectively represent the organization.
  

Finance Management: (25%)

Budget preparation

• Guide the senior team to adopt, approve, establish, and review budget principles and guidelines and align the budget with the organization’s strategy;
• Create a budget and spending forecast;
• Create and oversee the implementation of guidelines and systems for leadership team members to manage budgets and personnel in their departments;
• Manage Operations staff and vendors to align accounting tools to budget and budget analytics tools to needs;
• Track and present actual spending against budget by department and agreed strategic objectives.

Financial Accounting

• Oversee, review and, approve, as needed, the work of the DLCC’s accountant and to ensure DLCC’s accounting practices are compliant with legal requirements, meet the operational needs of the organization, and the needs of the DLCC board;
• Signatory for all DLCC financial accounts, including bank accounts and credit cards.

Communication and Presentation

• Collaborate on reports and presentations for executive and external audiences;
• Distill and explain the organization’s financial story efficiently and effectively when preparing monthly and quarterly reporting to the board or funders;
• Communicate insights, assumptions, methodology, risks and opportunities as financial information is incorporated into board and funder reports, internal business plans, etc.

Human Resources: (25%)

• Lead efforts, in partnership with the ED and Leadership Team, to recruit, develop and retain a diverse, talented, and high performing staff;
• Manage process for new hires;
• Manage the provision of the necessary tools and learning opportunities to ensure a functioning performance management system that incorporates regular feedback and values risk-taking;
• Manage the provision of staff development opportunities consistent with needs identified in the performance review process;
• Build and maintain a high quality on-boarding process;
• Serve as the HR contact for DLCC staff and legal team;
• Create a streamlined process for employee separation.

Legal & Compliance: (10%)

• Facilitate overall legal strategy;
• Oversee, review and, approve, as needed, the work of the Deputy Director of Operations and Compliance and DLCC’s lawyers to ensure DLCC’s operations and contributions meet legal requirements;
• Maintain a basic knowledge of state and federal compliance and legal issues and developments that may impact DLCC’s operations and political engagement;
• Signatory for all DLCC contracts.

Administration: (10%)

• Oversee contracting process with vendors and satisfactory vendor compliance with contractual terms together with relevant department leadership;
• Oversee the acquisition of appropriate vendors, hardware, and software for the smooth and secure operations of DLCC information technology and management of data;
• Oversee office management to ensure efficient and consistent operations. This includes coaching and partnering with direct reports to create efficient strategy and ensure high level implementation of all processes;
• Encourage opportunities to find cost-savings in administrative tasks.

Expected Outcomes

• DLCC will maintain debt free operation unless otherwise agreed with the Executive Director.
• DLCC will have timely, accurate, financial information with which to evaluate its performance.
• DLCC will have systems to continuously evaluate and manage for results.
• DLCC staff have the opportunity and support to stretch and take risks that enable the organization to learn and improve performance.
• DLCC will have staff development opportunities that support individual growth and organizational performance.
• DLCC administrative systems will provide for efficient, cost effective, legally compliant activities that support the strategy of the organization.

Qualifications Include:

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience, including but not limited to: directing an operations department; direct responsibility for managing comprehensive human resource services; direct responsibility for creating and managing a budget in excess of $5,000,000; basic understanding of legal and compliance impacting political organizations; and, past responsibility for office management.
• Experience with managing vendors and consultants providing accounting, legal, IT and other services.
• Excellent manager of people with experience executing a continuous performance management system.
• High comfort levels with a rapidly growing, dynamic, fast paced environment with a strong desire to address issues quickly with no drama.
• Clear and persuasive communicator, able to distill challenging topics, engage attention and move people to action.
• Strong collaborator capable of getting the best results with a senior team.
• Sharing our commitment to electing state legislative Democrats.

DLCC is committed to offering an inclusive and welcoming workplace that values the efforts of all. Our success depends upon everyone contributing good ideas, taking initiative to solve problems, and working collaboratively across departments.

DLCC offers a competitive salary and a generous benefits package.

How to Apply:

Please submit a cover letter and resume to settleson@gmail.com, subject line: DLCC -- COO.  No calls please. Applicants will be screened on a rolling basis.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), is committed to diversity among its staff, and recognizes that its continued success requires the highest commitment to obtaining and retaining a diverse staff that provides the best quality services to supporters and constituents. The DLCC is an equal opportunity employer and it is our policy to recruit, hire, train, promote and administer any and all personnel actions without regard to sex, race, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, personal appearance, marital status, family responsibilities, genetic information, or any other legally protected basis. The DLCC will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination and any such conduct is strictly prohibited.