CM+: Candidate Staffer (Entry Level), Queens NYS Assembly Campaign

CM+: Candidate Staffer (Entry Level), Queens NYS Assembly Campaign

Queens, NY

$4000 - $4000 (Monthly)

CM+

Operations

Consulting Firm

Entry Level

Job Description: Insurgent Democratic Primary campaign for experienced Democratic Socialist organizer in progressive Western Queens district is now hiring a CANDIDATE STAFFER (CS) as an entry-level but full-time position, to accompany the Candidate to events, interviews and meetings, and to serve as a direct and constant bridge between the Candidate, the Campaign, and all campaign stakeholders.

The Candidate Staffer is a unique and central position that functions as an "extra set of hands, eyes and ears" attached to the Candidate, a 25-year WoC community activist, Disability rights advocate and teacher running in a progressive Western Queens district. The CS will be responsible for staffing the candidate, creating relationships with potential funders, volunteers and political figures quickly and seamlessly, photographing the candidate as she engages in events and meetings, handling some aspects of social media, and acting as a thoughtful and enthusiastic bridge between other campaign staff and the Candidate on a day-to-day basis, in a highly-competitive Democratic Primary race, starting immediately and ending Primary Day 2026.

The CS will report directly to the Campaign Manager and Candidate, with frequent interactions with the Communications Director, Field Director, interns, volunteers, endorsing organizations, community leaders, and any others as necessary.

The CS will be expected to:

• Research, structure and help schedule events of importance to the Candidate and to the broader Campaign in service of the Campaign's day-to-day (and longer-term) objectives;
• Assure preparation, and availability on-site, of all materials necessary for Candidate to interact as efficiently as possible with her environment at any given time in service of the Campaign's objectives;
• Maintain an ongoing facility with, and absorption of, the Candidate's best personal working style, and reconcile their own style with that of the Candidate on an ongoing basis, such that the best adherence to goals, attainment of metrics and delivery of assets (such as social media posts, quotes, press releases etc) is assisted by the relationship between CS and Candidate and the daily routines they make for themselves, with both attainment of Campaign goals and positive mindset / fulfillment of the Candidate being critical;
• Be willing to adjust said routines on the fly with an eye toward not fumbling metrics, buy-in or communication, especially at first (as routines are being set) and toward the end of the campaign (when rapidly-changing conditions on the ground demand frequent assessment of the viability of, and often tweaks to, the daily routine);
• Serve as an effective, positive and energetic emissary of the campaign and its culture to all potential stakeholders that the Candidate might interact with in the field, including volunteers, funders, politicos, local businesses, and the various staffs and reports of those stakeholders;
• Keep and organize excellent notes on what happens in the field for processing with the Campaign, and vice versa (be aware at all times of critical campaign priorities, for processing / attainment with the Candidate);
• Plan proactively, with the Candidate's and the CS's schedules as "north star," such that the interests of the Candidate as a human being and figurehead and those of the Campaign are reconciled as predictably and consistently as possible, including week- and month-ahead planning, general event research, interdepartmental communication and pre-resolution of as many anticipated issues with staffing and downloading in particular settings as possible; and
• Communicate pain-points for themselves, for the Candidate and for others proactively, such that the campaign functions in a more honest, robust and communicative way as time goes on.

The CS will be responsible for supporting the schedule, headspace and connectedness of the Candidate, a partially-Deaf immigrant mother of three and full-time campaigner, soliciting her needs where unknown in order that she can hit goals, make and keep appointments while windows of opportunity are available, connect with different parts of the campaign and see and appreciate the real-world impact of what she is doing in the field. This is a position of high responsibility and responsiveness that will prepare a studious and eager entry-level campaign staffer well for future roles on campaign teams, including campaign management.

Requirements:

• This is obligatorily a role for a "people person." For this position, diplomacy, energy, proactivity, good humor and excellent organizational skill are a must. The CS, above all other roles, will be pivotal to a culture where all is communicated, benefit of the doubt is given across the board and active, joyful collaboration is maintained under tight deadlines and stressful circumstances. The ability to keep various people in their orbit calm, focused and upbeatly on-task is perhaps the most critical personality trait of a successful CS.
• 2-3 professional references are required that can speak to your passion for organizing and/or for people-management.
• Familiarity with basic best practices of photography and social media copy are STRONGLY preferred, though much of this work will be done in collaboration with a Communications Director, who shall have final say on all campaign communications, including social media.
• We will be fighting several machines simultaneously. The ability to put work, candidate quality and the principles of democratic community involvement above in-group popularity is a requirement for a cultural match. Our job is to ensure the community is consulted and all parts are included in positive ideological shifts, including public housing residents, immigrants and other groups traditionally left out of Leftist organizing for reasons of inertia, bias and lack of creativity. You will be well-supported, well-trained, given the benefit of the doubt at all times and working with joyful and capable comrades, with a genuinely kind and empowering Candidate and Campaign Manager. But this is not a cookie-cutter or front-runner race. We can and will win, but we will not be the cool kids in citywide politics at the start - though we are appreciated by, and getting a great reception from, the community itself! If this is not you - if you're looking to simply learn and coast with a race already assumed to win - no hard feelings, but this will not be your ideal environment! We are assembling a team that enjoys a challenge and risks being questioned in service of the ideals we believe in, because NYC still has machines and they must be dismantled so we don't risk passing machine tendencies on to the next generation of NYC politics.

Preferred:

• Familiarity with Queens's basic demographics and political setup is extremely helpful.
• Familiarity with NYC's recent electoral history, with all its many complexities, will be important for best performance of this job.
• Familiarity with Bengali, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin and/or Cantonese is a huge plus, but is not required.

Salary and benefits: Competitive, negotiable based on experience, campaign-culture fit and qualifications.

To apply: Submit resume, cover letter and 2-3 references to View email address on click.appcast.io, and put "Candidate Staffer" in the Subject.

We are an equal-opportunity employer. Women, LGBTQ+ folks, Disabled folks and People of Color are strongly encouraged to apply.