Application Guide
How to Apply for State Impact Specialist (Wisconsin)
at Protect Democracy
🏢 About Protect Democracy
Protect Democracy is a unique nonpartisan organization founded in 2016 with an urgent mission to prevent democratic backsliding into authoritarianism. What sets them apart is their team of 130+ experts who have served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, creating a cross-partisan approach to defending democratic institutions. Someone might want to work here because they offer the rare opportunity to work on urgent democracy protection with bipartisan credibility and strategic sophistication.
About This Role
This State Impact Specialist role involves designing and implementing multi-pronged strategic campaigns to influence Wisconsin's political and civic leaders to rebuild democratic norms and institutions. The position is impactful because it focuses on concrete legislative/regulatory advocacy at the state level while maintaining cross-partisan coalitions, directly addressing democracy protection where state-level action is increasingly critical.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve strategizing with Wisconsin-based coalition partners about upcoming legislative sessions, drafting model policy language for state-level adoption, and coordinating with Protect Democracy's national team to align state efforts with broader democracy protection goals. You'd likely spend significant time building relationships with diverse Wisconsin stakeholders while developing concrete advocacy plans to influence key political leaders.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Protect Democracy Is Looking For
- Has 3-5 years of experience designing and leading policy development or advocacy campaigns at the federal or state level, with specific Wisconsin political knowledge
- Demonstrates proven ability to execute complex projects from start to finish while collaborating across diverse teams and organizations
- Possesses strong working knowledge of Wisconsin's political environment and the pro-democracy organizational ecosystem in the state
- Has experience building and maintaining cross-partisan coalitions, working with organizations across the political spectrum
📝 Tips for Applying to Protect Democracy
Explicitly quantify your experience with Wisconsin politics - mention specific legislators, organizations, or policy battles you've worked on in the state
Highlight any experience working across party lines or with ideologically diverse coalitions, as this is central to Protect Democracy's approach
Provide concrete examples of developing legislative or regulatory advocacy plans, including model policy documents or bill language you've prepared
Demonstrate understanding of both the urgency of democracy protection work AND the strategic, long-term approach Protect Democracy takes
Show how you've executed complex projects from conception to completion, emphasizing collaborative organizational skills rather than just individual achievements
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your specific knowledge of Wisconsin's political landscape and how you would leverage it for democracy protection work", 'Examples of building or maintaining cross-partisan coalitions and working with organizations across the political spectrum', 'Concrete experience developing legislative/regulatory advocacy plans and policy documents at the state level', "Why you're drawn to Protect Democracy's specific nonpartisan, expert-driven approach to democracy protection"]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Protect Democracy's specific Wisconsin-focused work and any existing partnerships or campaigns in the state
- → The organization's cross-partisan approach and how they've worked with both Democratic and Republican-aligned experts
- → Current democracy-related legislative battles or issues in Wisconsin that this role might address
- → Protect Democracy's model policy documents or legislative frameworks that have been adopted elsewhere
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing only on partisan approaches or showing inability to work across political divides - this organization prioritizes cross-partisan work
- Being too generic about Wisconsin politics - they need candidates with specific, detailed knowledge of the state's political environment
- Emphasizing only national-level experience without demonstrating understanding of state-level legislative/regulatory processes
📅 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 Protect Democracy!