Campaign Director

ABOUT HOUSING CALIFORNIA
 

Since 1988, Housing California (Housing CA) has worked to create a California with homes, health, and prosperity for all in thriving, sustainable communities. We bring together a diverse, cross-sector network to prevent and end homelessness, increase the supply of safe, stable, affordable homes, and reverse the legacy of systemic racial and economic inequities by cultivating, connecting, and leading statewide, cross-sector coalitions & grassroots networks, shaping the narrative on housing affordability and homelessness, and advocating for the passage of transformative statewide policy solutions. Learn more about long term policy agenda here (which is in the process of a refresh and will launch in January 2026) and explore additional information about Housing CA’s legislative priorities on our website at www.housingca.org.  

We are looking for a Campaign Director to provide leadership for the Statewide Affordable Housing Advocacy Committee (SHAC) to strengthen field alignment and advance transformative, racially just housing policy. Co-anchored by Housing California, SHAC convenes advocates and community leaders to protect critical housing and homelessness resources, secure near-term policy wins, and build momentum for long-term, permanent funding for housing and homelessness in California. This role supports the core staff infrastructure for SHAC, coordinates partner contributions, and expands strategic partnerships—including deeply aligned organizations, groups with shared constituencies, organized labor, and select private-sector actors—to grow collective power and advance key priorities from the Roadmap Home.  

POSITION SUMMARY

The Campaign Director will design and execute high-impact campaigns that advance SHAC's advocacy priorities across California. This role requires building and managing complex coalitions, translating policy goals into winning campaign plans, and coordinating tactical implementation of electoral, defensive, and issue-based initiatives while ensuring alignment between distinct parts of the campaign strategy (narrative and communications, policy development, and power building. 

The Director will serve as the SHAC’s primary campaign strategist and coalition manager, working as a peer collaborator with senior leaders to execute our organization’s vision. This role requires coordinating multiple stakeholders—partner organizations, advisors, and consultants—to support them moving forward in an aligned way while honoring diverse perspectives and unique institutional needs. As a small team, Housing CA staff must be comfortable handling both strategic and administrative work with clear communication and strong accountability.  

We are seeking a seasoned campaign professional who thrives in coalition settings and understands that winning on housing and homelessness requires both technical expertise and a genuine understanding of impacted communities. The ideal candidate brings knowledge of California's political landscape, a track record managing campaigns from strategy through execution, and commitment to centering communities most affected by the housing crisis. This role is for someone who sees campaigns as opportunities to build lasting power and advance systemic solutions to housing inequality.

WHAT YOU WILL DO
 

Campaign Strategy and Implementation

• Develop and oversee the execution of comprehensive campaign strategies to advance the SHAC agenda including campaign plans for ballot measures, legislative campaigns, and advocacy initiatives. This will include working with the SHAC leadership team to establish a foundation and pathway for a long-term revenue campaign that can secure the resources to address California’s affordable housing needs at scale.
• Regularly assess the political landscape to inform campaign strategy and identify opportunities and threats, especially as it relates to setting the stage for a long-term revenue campaign to secure permanent funding for housing and homelessness at scale.  
• Oversee the development of campaign messaging, materials, and communications strategies—working collaboratively with consultants, Housing CA leadership and staff, SHAC working groups and coalition partners to ensure alignment and impact.
  
• In partnership with the SHAC leadership team, external partners, and the leadership and staff at Housing CA, support the development and implementation of grassroots advocacy strategies, advocacy actions, endorsement campaigns, and legislative and regulatory strategies.
  
• Manage campaign timelines, deliverables, and ensure strategic alignment across multiple workstreams and workgroups (e.g., policy, power building, narrative, etc.).
  
• Evaluate campaign effectiveness and adjust tactics as needed to achieve goals. 

Project Management, Coalition Building and External Relations 

• Support SHAC co-anchors and SHAC and Housing CA leadership teams to manage and drive evolving SHAC leadership structures.  

• Engage in, as well as build and manage, statewide coalitions for legislative and ballot-measure campaigns by facilitating clear decision-making processes and sustaining strong, collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders. 

• Cultivate and maintain strategic relationships with regional and local partners, community organizations, allied advocates, values-aligned sectors such as labor, health care, environmental, education, etc., and private interest groups that are essential to making big breakthroughs in solving the state’s housing and homelessness crisis. 

• Represent Housing CA and SHAC in external campaign coalitions and collaborative tables. 

• Coordinate with cross-sector partners and SHAC-affiliated organizations to ensure broad participation and alignment on campaign priorities. Support efforts to actively engage board members, partners, and community leaders in campaign activities. 

Organizational & Team Development

Participate as an organizational leader, shaping and ensuring the effective implementation of our mission, values, and culture, including:   

• Represent Housing CA and SHAC as a member of the leadership team in external events and press engagements.  

• Collaborate with the Housing CA leadership team to shape and advance the organization’s strategic objectives, ensuring that campaign work is fully integrated into organizational planning, budgeting, and outcomes and impact tracking.  

• Lead a productive and collaborative team by hiring, managing, mentoring, and coaching staff and hiring and managing contractors. Support staff growth through professional development opportunities and by fostering an environment of continuous learning.  

• Partner with fellow Housing CA leadership team members to cultivate an organizational culture that reflects our values, advances racial equity, promotes open communication, disrupts institutional racism, and fosters a strong sense of belonging.  

• Work with the Housing CA Executive Team, SHAC leadership committee, and funder allies to cultivate funder relationships, draft grant proposals and reports, and generally assist with fundraising to support SHAC and field-wide campaign work. 

• Support additional organizational and administrative responsibilities and initiatives that align with and advance Housing California’s strategic goals.  

WHO YOU ARE

• Committed to Justice: You demonstrate a deep and ongoing commitment to racial, gender, disability, economic, and housing justice—and consistently work to uphold these values in your practice and leadership. You have expertise in keeping the needs of low-income Californians central to complex work.  

• Mission Aligned: You bring professional experience in housing justice or a closely related field such as community development, urban planning, health equity, criminal justice reform, education, disability justice, food insecurity, climate justice, or labor.  

• Policy and Systems Experience: You have 10+ years of relevant experience with electoral and legislative campaign work—preferably on behalf of low-income communities and communities of color. You possess knowledge of California politics and the state’s budget, legislative, electoral, and regulatory processes.  

• Strategic Leadership: You can articulate and implement a strategic vision within a cross-functional organization, aligning efforts to achieve mission-driven goals. Must have a proven ability to broker trust with diverse types of people and organizations, and experience managing complex interests. 

• Versatile Leader: You have substantial, hands-on experience managing a team. You have excellent management and coaching skills to supervise, mentor, and grow the capacity of staff. You have worked with staff, consultants, and partners to create and carry out campaign strategies that are well coordinated and aligned. 

• Agile and Adaptable: You are tenacious, flexible, and thrive in dynamic environments. You are comfortable navigating ambiguity and challenges using creative problem solving while maintaining focus on driving change.  

• Clear and Effective Communicator: You are a strong communicator—both written and verbal—and can engage effectively with policymakers, media, community-based organizations, residents of affordable housing, people experiencing homelessness, advocates, funders, and cross-sector partners.  

• Collaborative and Inclusive: You have a demonstrated ability to broker trust and collaborate with diverse types of people and organizations who have complex interests to advance shared goals. You have deep experience of facilitation – in person or remotely – people from diverse sectors and backgrounds, often needing to establish common language to meet purpose, outcome, and process goals. 

• Coalition Management: You have experience in building and managing coalitions. You can ensure coalition spaces reflect Housing CA’s values of equity and inclusion and support shared leadership
  models—particularly centering impacted communities and grassroots partners.  

• Learning- and Outcomes-Oriented: You embrace learning and adapting as part of your work, thriving in an environment where continuous improvement and flexibility are valued. You are tenacious and committed to moving change through ambiguity and challenges to find a path forward.  

• Willingness to Travel: You are willing and able to travel and attend early morning or evening obligations. This role requires significant travel throughout California.  

Additional experience that would be welcomed, but is not : 

• Familiarity with affordable housing, homelessness, and tenants’ rights programs or policy.  

• Lived experience of homelessness or housing insecurity or experience working with people with lived experience.  

• Experience using online advocacy, data tracking, software and data platforms for campaigns, and project management tools.  

• Experience in budget management and fundraising. 

Our ideal candidates may have experience that does not directly match the qualifications above, and we encourage people with equivalent experience to apply. 

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS, AND LOCATION

This is a full-time, exempt position that reports to the Deputy Director of Programs. The Director will serve as a supervisor to at least one staff member – Campaign Associate - and oversee related consultants. The salary range is between $120,000 - $150,000, depending on experience. This is a one-year, limited-term role with the goal to transition it into a long-term position. 

Benefits package includes fully paid medical, dental, and vision for employee and 25% paid medical, dental and vision for dependents, paid parental leave, long-term disability and group life insurance coverage; commuting subsidy; cell phone/at home internet subsidy; 403(b) retirement plan with 3.5% employer contribution; generous vacation (3+ weeks, depending on tenure), sick leave (8 hours per month + employees start with 8 hours of leave), 12 paid holidays; organization-wide paid closure during the last week of December and a shortened workweek during the summer legislative break; training and professional development opportunities; and a hybrid work environment.  

This position can be remote but the individual must be located in California and within 30 minutes of a major airport. Candidates living within thirty miles of our office in Sacramento will not be considered remote and will be expected to work in our Sacramento office for a minimum of 1 day per week. The position is expected to participate in regular travel (mostly in California) including the following engagements: twice yearly Board of Directors meetings (sometimes held in Sacramento); annual 2-3 day staff retreat; annual 3-day Housing California conference (often in Sacramento); annual 2-3-day statewide RUN summit (sometimes in Sacramento); regular in-person SHAC meetings and quarterly retreats located throughout California, plus various conferences or in-person partner meetings, based on need and interest.   

 
OUR CULTURE 
Housing California is committed to creating a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace that fosters a culture of belonging, ongoing learning and collaboration, and supports, stabilizes, and incentivizes people to join the Housing California team and stay for the long game.  

We value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we address. We especially encourage Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and people of color; people from families that have immigrated to the U.S.; people who have been unhoused or experienced housing instability; women; LGBTQIA+ people; system-impacted people; and people with disabilities to apply for these positions.  

We aim for our work to be both effective and sustainable; we balance required travel during some parts of the year and the fast-paced legislative calendar with a commitment to our team’s mental and physical health.  

 
HIRING PROCES

The interview process will include one 30-minute screening call followed by three 60-90–minute interviews and a written/presentation activity.