Arena Careers

About The Democratic Party of Wisconsin

WisDems is nationally recognized as one of the country’s highest-performing and most pivotal political organizations. During the upcoming election cycle, WisDems will drive massive programs to hold Republicans accountable, elect progressive candidates up and down the ballot, and work to build volunteer-led coalitions for the long term. WisDems’ work is grounded in inclusion, respect, and empowerment across race, gender, other dimensions of identity, and the rural/suburban/urban divide. Our work continues year-round, collaborating with partners to build a movement that delivers meaningful change for all Wisconsinites. We seek outstanding applicants who share our values and vision to join the team, help win elections, and build a future where everyone can thrive.

Proudly a Bargaining Unit Position with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

The Opportunity: The Deputy Communications Director is the operational anchor and strategic partner of the Communications Department. While the Communications Director focuses on high-level strategy and message architecture, you are the general ensuring the machine runs on time. You will directly manage the "Press Stack" (Press Secretary, Press Assistant), serving as the final editor on releases, the primary mentor to junior staff, and the calm hand during Rapid Response moments. You will hold sign-off authority on public statements and serve as an on-the-record spokesperson for the Party.

You’re our person if:

• You have an "Editor’s Eye." You can look at a draft press release for 30 seconds and spot the typo, the tonal miss, and the buried lead. You raise the quality of everyone’s writing.
• You are a News Junkie. You understand the Wisconsin media landscape—from the Milwaukee TV market to Northwoods radio. You know what makes a story stick and how to kill a bad one.
• You are a "Wartime" Manager. You can manage a team during a crisis. When a story breaks at 5:00 PM on a Friday, you don't panic; you assign roles, draft the statement, and execute.
• You bridge the gap. You can translate the Data and Political teams' complex work into clear, punchy soundbites for the press.

Core Qualifications

• Accountability & Solution-Oriented: You take full ownership of your actions and commitments, holding yourself to a high standard and seeing objectives through to completion. When challenges arise, you approach them with a problem-solving mindset, focusing on solutions rather than pointing fingers.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: You succeed by working as a team, stepping up to support teammates, and sharing knowledge freely. You actively break down silos by connecting across teams, inviting different perspectives, and staying open to new ideas to achieve shared goals.
• Growth & Adaptability: You are dedicated to continuous improvement and challenge yourself to learn and adapt. You proactively seek, offer, and act on feedback with openness and can anticipate potential obstacles to take proactive steps.
• Respect & Inclusion: You build strong relationships by treating everyone with kindness, dignity, and trust. You approach interactions assuming positive intent and have the courage to address difficult topics directly and honestly while showing care for others.
• Transparent Communication: You communicate openly and honestly to build trust and alignment. You are proactive in setting clear expectations, sharing the "why" behind decisions, and providing timely updates to ensure the right people have the information they need.

Job Responsibilities:

• Department Management: Directly manage the Press Secretary, Press Assistant, and Interns. Oversee their workflow, professional development, and daily output.
• Quality Control (Editing): Serve as the primary editor for press releases, talking points, and op-eds. Ensure all materials meet WisDems’ rigorous standards for accuracy and tone.
• Rapid Response: Lead the team’s response to breaking news. Draft statements, approve social copy, and coordinate with the Research team to counter opposition narratives in real-time.
• Earned Media Strategy: Cultivate relationships with state and national reporters. Serve as an on-the-record spokesperson and staff the Chair for high-level interviews.
• Operations: Own the Communications Calendar. Ensure rollout plans are synchronized across departments (Political, Organizing, Digital).

Required Qualifications:

• 2+ cycles of communications experience (campaign, official side, or advocacy).
• Experience managing staff or interns.
• Elite writing and editing skills (ability to write a release in <15 mins).
• On-the-record experience with reporters.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Deep knowledge of Wisconsin media markets.
• Crisis communications experience.

Benefits: Great benefits including; excellent health care ($1/month), dental ($1/month), vision ($1/month), life insurance (free), short term and long-term disability (free), mileage reimbursement, monthly cell phone stipend, paid vacation days, retirement plan with employer match, 4 floating holidays, 9 paid holidays.

Equity and Inclusion: The Democratic Party of Wisconsin has a vision for a deeply inclusive and diverse party organization, membership, and electorate. In order to be successful at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin candidates must have the cultural competence to successfully work with a diverse array of constituency groups. We especially strongly encourage applicants with close ties to Black, Indigenous, AAPI, Latinx, Muslim, non-English-speaking, disability, and LGBTQIA+ communities. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.