Application Guide
How to Apply for Political Director
at American Families for Vaccines
🏢 About American Families for Vaccines
American Families for Vaccines is a mission-driven organization uniquely positioned at the intersection of public health advocacy and political action, specifically combating anti-vaccine extremism through state-level mobilization. What makes AFV distinctive is its grassroots, family-focused approach to defending evidence-based vaccine policy in politically challenging environments, offering the opportunity to work on urgent public health issues with tangible legislative impact.
About This Role
As Political Director, you'll lead multi-state legislative campaigns to defend vaccine requirements and defeat harmful bills, directly managing contract lobbyists and campaign budgets across conservative or competitive states. This role is impactful because you'll shape the political strategy that protects public health policies against misinformation-driven attacks, with real-time influence on legislative outcomes that affect families nationwide.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day involves morning briefings with state chapter leads to assess legislative threats, coordinating with contract lobbyists across multiple states on whip counts and sponsor dynamics, analyzing anti-vaccine misinformation trends to inform strategy, and preparing real-time political reports for executive leadership with tactical recommendations. You might negotiate vendor contracts, allocate campaign budgets, and develop rapid response plans for emerging legislative threats.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who American Families for Vaccines Is Looking For
- Has 8+ years leading multi-cycle political or advocacy campaigns with demonstrated success in state legislatures, particularly in conservative or politically competitive states
- Proven experience managing multiple external vendors simultaneously (lobbyists, media consultants, campaign firms) with strong budget management and contract negotiation skills
- Possesses strategic judgment to make quick decisions under pressure while maintaining operational discipline, with specific experience in health policy or public health advocacy being highly valuable
- Can provide real-time political intelligence including whip counts, sponsor dynamics, and tactical recommendations to executive leadership in fast-moving legislative environments
📝 Tips for Applying to American Families for Vaccines
Quantify your state legislative campaign successes with specific metrics (e.g., 'defeated 3 anti-vaccine bills in Texas 2023 session' or 'managed $500K budget across 5 states') rather than generic descriptions
Highlight experience working in conservative-leaning states where vaccine policy battles are most intense, as AFV specifically mentions this in requirements
Demonstrate your multi-vendor management approach by describing how you've coordinated lobbyists, media consultants, and campaign firms on simultaneous state campaigns
Show understanding of the anti-vaccine misinformation landscape by referencing specific tactics or organizations you've countered in previous roles
Emphasize your ability to provide real-time political reporting with examples of how you've tracked whip counts, committee dynamics, and made tactical recommendations under tight deadlines
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your specific experience defending public health policies in state legislatures, particularly against organized opposition groups', 'Examples of managing multi-state campaigns with contract lobbyists and vendors while maintaining budget discipline', "Understanding of the current anti-vaccine legislative landscape and how you would develop strategies for AFV's state chapters", 'Your approach to making quick strategic decisions under pressure during fast-moving legislative sessions']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → AFV's state chapter activities and recent legislative battles they've engaged in (check their website and news coverage)
- → Current anti-vaccine legislation moving through state legislatures, particularly in conservative states
- → Key anti-vaccine organizations and influencers AFV opposes, and their recent tactics
- → Public health policy landscape regarding vaccine requirements post-COVID and which states are most active
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Generic political campaign experience without specific state legislative or public health policy examples
- Focusing only on federal-level experience when this role is explicitly multi-state legislative
- Failing to demonstrate understanding of the organized opposition to vaccines and how to counter their tactics
- Not providing concrete examples of vendor management and budget allocation in previous roles
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to American Families for Vaccines!