CAREERS
Open Positions
Check out our open positions here!
Our Mission
Run for Something recruits and supports young, diverse progressives running for local office in the United States. Since launching in January 2017, we have recruited over 140,000 potential political candidates, endorsed over 3,000 candidates, and won over 1,000 elections. Over half of those endorsed candidates are women, more than half are BIPOC, and over a quarter are members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Win or lose, our alumni have meaningfully and intentionally made life better for millions of Americans across the country. We are an ambitious team changing the face of politics in America. Learn more about our work in this clip or at our website.
Our Plan
There are no off years. We have bold plans for 2024. Read about them in our Strategic Plan.
Working for Run for Something means that no matter what your role, your work ultimately supports an incredible group of young, diverse, progressive candidates who are working to make meaningful, lasting change in their communities. Get to know them on our website or in our podcast.
Our Values
Bold & Fearless
We have big dreams and are unafraid to pursue them. We have a high risk tolerance; we’re not afraid of fighting the system when fighting is necessary. We’re not afraid of primaries either. We’re willing to fail; we’d rather fail than avoid challenge.
Open & Honest
We believe in radical openness; we never shy away from challenging dialogue. We tell the truth, even when telling the truth is difficult. We’re transparent.
Supportive & Respectful
We’re here for the candidates and we put their needs first. We meet people where they are, with warmth and without judgment. We work hard while respecting people’s lives outside work.
Long-Term & Strategic
We’re committed to our goals and will make short-term sacrifices in service of our long-term goals. We take principled stands, but don’t believe it’s our job to be the “purity police.” We invest in talent, both at RFS and in the field. We build infrastructure designed to last beyond individual election cycles..
Progressive & Diverse
We support Democrats that share our values. We value cultural competency and strive to exemplify it in all we do. We believe in diversity and seek to build a team that demonstrates diversity across race, class, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, geography, and professional background.
Our “Progressive & Diverse” Values
At Run for Something, our most valuable asset is our staff. In order to succeed, our staff needs to be set up for success; that means co-creating a culture that is inclusive, equitable, and actively anti-racist.
Run for Something focuses on recruiting and supporting diverse, progressive candidates for local office, because voices that have been traditionally excluded from decision making bodies need to lead. We believe that work begins at home. Our staff reflects a diversity of perspectives across race, gender and sexual identity, age, immigration experience, disability status, and professional and educational backgrounds. We work hard to create a culture where everyone feels supported and respected in expressing their unique point of view, and that fully leverages the skills, potential, and unique perspectives of our employees.
Run for Something actively works to center underrepresented voices in our work, and to continually evolve and improve when it comes to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Each team member at Run for Something is expected to work on their own learning journey, to contribute to a culture of inclusion, to manage with the values of equity, and to bring a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) lens to their own work.
We know that when it comes to this work within our organization and within ourselves, there is no finish line. Our staff-led DEI Council meets monthly to advance internal and external DEI initiatives, and Council members are compensated for each term they serve. In addition, employee resource groups (ERGs) provide opportunity for connection and advocacy among staff communities at Run for Something, including employees of color, caregivers, Black employees, and white employees focused on allyship and anti-racism.
We are committed to building teams that reflect the diversity of our candidate and prioritize bringing new, unique perspectives to our work. We strongly encourage applications from members of marginalized communities who have been disproportionately affected by lack of representation in elected office, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, women, and the LGBTQIA+ and disabled communities.
Work Environment
Run for Something is a national organization with a permanently remote office structure. Team members are located across the United States, in multiple time zones. Employees work core business hours, Monday through Thursday, in their local time zone. That means that as long as you’re based in the United States, we’d love to hear from you.
In addition, work/life balance is a core expression of our Supportive & Respectful value. We put that into practice through an unlimited paid time office policy, a permanently remote workplace, generous holiday closures, paid sabbaticals, and communication norms that protect off-work hours. In 2022, RFS piloted and then made permanent our four day work week. Run for Something employees work four, approximately 8-hour days, Monday through Thursday, and have Fridays off. Read more about the four day work week, and our motivations behind it, here.
Benefits
Run for Something supports a Compensation and Benefits program that creates a supportive, respectful, sustainable environment that allows our employees to show up as their authentic selves and perform at their best. We’re in this work for the long-haul, and that means investing in our most important asset: our staff. Our benefits include:
- Four Day Work Week (employees work Monday-Thursday)
- Unlimited Paid Time Off
- Platinum Medical Insurance (100% of premium covered for employees; 50% of premium covered for dependents)
- Dental and Vision Insurance (99.9% of premium covered for both employees and dependents)
- 12 weeks paid family leave
- Paid Sabbatical (after 3 years of service to RFS)
- Flexible, permanently remote work environment
- 401k
- Professional Development Stipend
- Equipment Stipend
- Work from Home Stipend
- Cell Phone/Internet Stipend
- Treat Yourself Stipend ($500 a year to do something that brings you joy)
- Over four weeks of organization-wide holiday closures, including a two-week winter break
- Employee Assistance Program
Compensation
In order to counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity, salaries are non-negotiable for new and current employees. Starting salaries are always listed clearly in job descriptions.
Why are salaries non-negotiable? Requiring new staff to negotiate in order to receive a fair salary often results in pay inequity, especially for women and people of color. We believe that experience does not always equal skill; in addition, opportunities for experience have been given inequitably in many sectors, and we do not want to compound that inequity as part of our compensation structure.
Run for Something salary bands for a given staff level are benchmarked to the 75th percentile for our sector, and all new employees are paid at the entry point of those bands. These starting salaries will always be listed clearly in job descriptions. New Run for Something staff can be assured that they are being offered the best possible salary for a new position. Employees then have the opportunity to progress through current salary bands through annual cost of living increases and performance-based pay increases, and into new salary bands through promotions.
Our Team
Learn about the awesome human beings who currently serve on the Run for Something team here.
Interview Process
The Run for Something interview process is designed to give candidates time to get to know us and for us to get to know them. All interview stages are conducted through remote means. The average Run for Something interview process, from application to offer, takes three to four months. During this time period, we’re focused on building a diverse candidate pool that goes beyond our immediate networks. This also ensures that candidates have plenty of time to learn about RFS and the role, and allows RFS to speak with candidates who may have non-traditional resumes or transferable skills. An interview process may include:
- Completing an online application consisting of a resume and short-answer question(s)
- We strive to make the initial application process as simple as possible. We also welcome applications from folks with unconventional or nontraditional backgrounds with transferable skills. Therefore, cover letters are optional in applications. Candidates should feel free to include a cover letter if it’s useful to share how their unique background makes them a great fit for the position. However, candidates are not penalized for not including a cover letter!
- A short phone screen call
- A Zoom call with the hiring manager
- A short writing simulation or work task, designed to give insight into the position’s day-to-day responsibilities. To the extent possible, we request existing work samples rather than the creation of new work, in order to make this stage a light lift for the job applicant
- A Zoom call with a RFS search committee, consisting of members from the candidate’s potential department and across the organization
- Depending on position, a Zoom call with the Executive team
- Reference checks, which may include a former manager, a colleague, and, if relevant, a former direct report
If you need accommodations in any step of the process, please contact hiring@runforsomething.net, with the job title + “accomodation request” in the subject line.