Senate Director

The Vermont Democratic Party (VDP) is seeking a strategic, organized, and driven Senate Director to lead and coordinate efforts to elect Democrats to the Vermont State Senate and support our Senate Caucus. This role is central to building strong campaigns, aligning resources, and ensuring Democratic Senate candidates are positioned to win across the state.

The ideal candidate will have experience working with candidates, managing campaign programs, coordinating across teams, and executing strategic plans in a fast-paced political environment. This position requires strong political judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while supporting candidates with diverse needs across Vermont’s districts.

The Senate Director will work closely with the Executive Director, Party leadership, Senate leadership, consultants, and allied organizations to execute a coordinated strategy for the 2026 election cycle.

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About the Role

The Senate Director is a senior leadership position responsible for overseeing the Vermont Democratic Party’s Senate campaign strategy and supporting Democratic candidates around Vermont with their fundraising, constituent communications, candidate recruitment, and training. This role serves as the primary point of contact between the Party and Democratic Senate candidates.

This position reports directly to the VDP Executive Director; however, the Director will also work closely with Senate Democratic leadership.

This is an election cycle position expected to conclude in November 2026, though the role may be extended depending on budget and organizational needs.

The position requires both strategic thinking and hands-on execution. Our Senate Director must be a goal-oriented, metrics-driven self-starter with a robust work ethic who is willing to work weekends and evenings in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, with a high level of attention to detail.

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Responsibilities:

• Senate Campaign Strategy & Coordination

  • Develop and execute a comprehensive Senate campaign strategy in collaboration with the Executive Director, Party leadership, and Senate leadership.

  • Serve as the primary liaison between the Vermont Democratic Party and Democratic Senate candidates.

  • Coordinate campaign timelines, benchmarks, and support plans to ensure candidates are meeting key goals.

  • Support targeted districts with tailored strategies based on political landscape and resource needs.
     

• Fundraising & Resource Development

  • Partner with the Executive Director, Finance Director, and Senate leadership to develop and execute fundraising plans that support both the Senate Caucus and individual Senate candidates.

  • Create district-specific and member-specific fundraising plans, including targets, timelines, and tactics, to ensure candidates have the resources needed to run competitive campaigns.

  • Plan, coordinate, and execute fundraising events for the Senate Caucus and individual members, including call-time fundraisers, in-district events, and larger caucus-level events.

  • Staff and manage call time for Senate leadership and individual members, including scheduling, preparing call sheets, donor research, and follow-up.

  • Work with candidates to build and monitor campaign budgets, ensuring alignment with fundraising goals and overall campaign strategy.

  • Track fundraising progress and regularly report on benchmarks, revenue goals, and budget performance to Party and caucus leadership.

  • Coordinate with the Finance Director to ensure compliance with all campaign finance laws and reporting requirements.

  • Support candidates in developing sustainable donor pipelines and expanding their fundraising capacity cycle over cycle.
     

• Candidate Recruitment & Support

  • Assist with recruiting strong Democratic candidates for Senate races, including outreach and onboarding.

  • Provide guidance and support to candidates and campaign managers on best practices, messaging, compliance, and campaign operations.

  • Help candidates access resources, vendors, consultants, and training opportunities.

  • Track candidate needs and flag challenges early to Party leadership.
     

• Communications & Message Alignment

  • Coordinate with the Party’s communications team and consultants to ensure message alignment between Senate candidates and broader Party priorities.

  • Assist candidates with earned media strategy, press coordination, and rapid response when needed.

  • Support development and distribution of messaging guidance, talking points, and issue briefs for Senate campaigns.
     

• Field, Data & Program Coordination

  • Work with Party staff and consultants to integrate Senate campaigns into coordinated field, data, and voter contact programs.

  • Assist candidates in understanding and utilizing VAN and voter contact tools.

  • Coordinate shared campaign programs where appropriate, including literature, digital programs, and field support.
     

• Caucus & Stakeholder Engagement

  • Maintain regular communication with Senate Caucus leadership and members.

  • Support caucus priorities and coordination during session and election cycles.

  • Engage with allied organizations, labor partners, and advocacy groups to support Senate races.
     

• Tracking, Reporting & Administration

  • Track campaign progress, fundraising benchmarks, and program metrics.

  • Maintain records related to Senate races, candidate plans, and support efforts.

  • Prepare for caucus meetings, candidate briefings, and internal reporting.
     

• Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director. 

​Location Requirements:

This position is based in Vermont with at least 3 days a week required at VDP’s headquarters in Montpelier and requires regular travel throughout the state.

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Qualifications:

• 2+ years of political or campaign experience; legislative or statewide campaign experience preferred.

• Experience working directly with candidates, campaigns, or political committees.

• Familiarity with VAN/NGP and campaign data tools preferred.

• Strong political instincts and ability to exercise sound judgment.

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to build relationships with stakeholders at all levels.

• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously under tight deadlines.

• Experience working with senior leadership and top stakeholders to execute campaign strategies.

• Strong commitment to Democratic values and political change.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.

• Familiarity with Vermont politics is preferred but not required.

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Salary:

​This is a full-time position that offers a generous benefits package and an annual salary range of $60,000 - $69,000, commensurate with experience.

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How to Apply:

Please send your cover letter, resume, and 3-4 professional references to May Hanlon, Executive Director of the Vermont Democratic Party at mhanlon@vtdemocrats.org with “Senate Director - [Last Name]” in the subject line. We encourage applicants to submit materials by March 1, 2026, for full consideration, though applications received after this date may still be considered.

This position is a part of the Vermont Democratic Party employees' bargaining unit, represented by USW Amalgamated Local #4. 

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The Vermont Democratic Party is an equal opportunity employer and it is our policy and our core value to recruit, hire, train, promote and administer any and all personnel actions without regard to sex, race, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity or expression, ethnic identity or physical disability, or any other legally protected basis.