Campaign Organiser for St Albans Liberal Democrats
We've paused hiring for this role due to the General Election
We will post revised dates in due course
Job Title: Campaign Organiser for St Albans Liberal Democrats
Responsible to: Campaign Manager (East of England) and Chair of St Albans Liberal Democrats
Salary: £26,000 - £28,000
Benefit: 5% pension contribution
Hours: 35 hours per week. Evening and weekend work sometimes required, and flexibility during campaign periods is essential
Location: St Albans
Contract: One year, full-time, fixed term contract
Closing date: 23:59 on Thursday, 30th May
Interviews and starting date: Interviews to be held during the afternoon of Friday, June 7 in St Albans; please advise when you submit your application if you cannot attend the interview on that date. We will reimburse pre-approved travel expenses.
Job Details
Do you want to make the world around you a better place to live? Do you want to see your values making a real difference in peoples’ lives? Do you want to work alongside the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats and a team of enthusiastic and experienced campaigners? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, this role may be the perfect opportunity for you!
Following our successful General Election campaign in 2019, electing Daisy Cooper as the MP for St Albans (and now Deputy Leader of the Lib Dems), we now hold 47 out of 56 seats on the District Council. We are looking for a strong self-starter to continue our successes in 2024 and 2025, and re-elect Daisy at the next General Election. In addition, with Hertfordshire County Council elections in 2025, we aim to make gains in County Council seats (we currently hold 7 out of 10 County Council seats) and build a team that can support Lib Dem wins across Hertfordshire.
The Organiser will play a critical role in the Campaign Strategy Team, and will help to develop the messaging, set out our campaigning priorities, and plan the campaign needed to win. The Organiser will also be expected to manage the operational side of the campaign, involving coordinating several strands of work and multiple volunteer teams.
In order to deliver on our objectives, the Organiser will lead on growing our volunteer base at all levels, and will be expected to demonstrate excellent stakeholder management skills when communicating and coordinating activity with lead volunteers. In addition, the Organiser will manage 1-2 Volunteer Officers who assist with volunteer recruitment and capacity building.
The Organiser will benefit from on-the-job coaching and mentoring from an experienced Regional Campaign Manager (recently promoted from this role), as well as training on all aspects of the role offered by the Federal Party to you and your peers across the country.
In addition to the Organiser, the office team includes a Communications Officer who will work closely alongside the Organiser. The Local Party also often employs interns or welcomes work experience - the Organiser will be expected to line manage these roles in addition to the Volunteer Officers,, providing a chance to develop management skills.
Key Tasks
- Act as the key link between the Campaign Strategy Team and the operational teams, and the manager of the operational side of the campaign
- Sit on the General Election Core Team with the Campaign Director and Regional Campaign Manager to prepare the local party for the next General Election
- Take overall responsibility for delivering the constituency and local election campaign plan to the agreed budget
- Play a leading role in developing the campaign strategy and messaging; ensure that the agreed strategy and messaging is executed at all levels
- Manage the development of the volunteer base, including supporting and leading on the recruitment, retention and upskilling of volunteers
- Designing and delivering a programme of doorstep communication with voters
- Overseeing and assisting with the design, production, print, and coordination of delivery of campaign literature
- Organising events, for example action days, social events and so forth
- Work with the Communications Officer to manage and develop the local party website and the use of Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms to ensure a high profile
- Attending relevant conferences, training and other meetings as required.
Essential Skills
- Strong personal organisation and self-motivation
- Ability to work on multiple projects at once, while prioritising workload to meet stakeholder expectations
- Excellent written communication skills with a high level of accuracy and compelling style
- Ability to engage, motivate, and manage a team of volunteers, and to delegate tasks effectively
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Excellent computer skills with up-to-date knowledge of social media and Microsoft Office. A knowledge of the following software and platforms would be desirable but not essential: Connect, Lighthouse, and Affinity Publisher
- Must be happy and able to work independently and also as part of a team without significant supervision
- Motivated to promote and deliver the aims and values of the Liberal Democrats.
Desired skills and experience
- Experience of training others
- Experience of delivering political campaigns.
Why St Albans?
This historic city frequently scores highly in the Best Places in the UK to Live lists. It has many cafes, restaurants and pubs giving it a vibrant pulse. There are several theatres, an art cinema, museums, street markets and a good range of shops. The sports facilities include a couple of golf clubs (the Ryder Cup was born here!), many tennis clubs, running and cycling clubs. It has all the extra-curricular activities you could desire to rest and relax when you are not campaigning.
The town is surprisingly politically active with a number of local campaigns and NGO groups to join. Many of our 700+ local members are activists in these groups.
With only a 20-minute train ride into central London (St Pancras), additional political networks and entertainment in one of the best capital cities in the world is on your doorstep.
The St Albans Liberal Democrats have become one of the ‘gold standard’ local parties when it comes to Liberal Democrat campaigning, making this an important and influential role. This role is a proven path for growing into more senior roles within the party.
How to apply
Please email sam.oliver@libdems.org.uk with a full CV of no more than 2 pages, including telephone number and email address, and a covering letter (no more than one A4 page) setting out why you want the job and how your experience and skills are relevant to it.
Please also include the details of two referees, including one from your current or most recent employer where applicable - if you would prefer us not to contact them until a later stage of the selection process, please let us know.