The Deputy Director reports to the Email Director and assists in elevating the performance, systems, and creative output of Middle Seat’s Email Team. This role is designed to provide strategic execution support, content quality leadership, and operational coordination across the email team — ensuring that we deliver best-in-class digital fundraising programs to our progressive clients. The ideal candidate will have a deep background in political copywriting, email program execution, digital fundraising strategy, and creative quality control, with a demonstrated ability to manage and coach others, improve systems, and execute quickly under pressure. Job Responsibilities

Creative & Content Quality Ownership

Ultimately responsible for Middle Seat’s high standard of content quality across all email clients

Identifies areas for improvement or standardization Regularly write high-impact fundraising copy or concept outlines for priority clients Provides individualized high-level editing and feedback on email drafts, especially for junior staff Create and lead trainings, workshops, coaching sessions, or other internal resources to bolster overall creative quality from members of the team

Ultimately responsible for all email team client calendars

Ensures that all email team clients have optimized, regularly-updated email calendars Trains team members on developing client calendars Provides feedback on client calendars and calendar development to ensure that structure, cadence, topics, etc. are ideal Ensures team members are pitching effective email hooks and ideas, as well as exploring new and novel tactics and approaches Trains team members on identifying, developing, and pitching email hooks

Manages the email team’s content review, revising, editing, and approval processes

Ensures that team members have built quick, efficient, and effective approval processes Troubleshoots, provides feedback on, and revises approval processes when necessary

Client Oversight + Management

Provides flex capacity to pods and clients

Act as an ultimate back-up for email team pods — stepping in on any aspect of client service when the pod’s back-up systems aren’t enough or workload surges Serve as a full interim client lead during sudden transitions, as needed

Acts as a leadership representative on key accounts, providing high-level client oversight and management, owning client relationships, and driving performance Responsible for onboarding and offboarding designated clients from team

Ensures that onboarding decks and checklists are built out and onboarding meetings are held Helps transition email pods onto new clients Manages the process of standing up new CRM and ActBlue instances Delegate this process; subsequently oversees this work, providing guidance and feedback as needed.

Helps train team members on new client onboarding and CRM setup

Oversees overall client satisfaction and performance for designated email clients (beyond the content and calendar oversight detailed above)

Ensures that team members build and maintain strong, productive client relationships with all clients Ensures that team members build effective, successful email programs with strong email deliverability Triages email-related client challenges Reviews and edits reports, memos, slide decks, projections, and other key deliverables from team members Is responsible for the client email program’s structure, performance, and efficacy

Systems & Operational Support

Directly manage associate principals and principals on the email team

Hosts regular check-ins to discuss professional development, performance, growth, goals, etc. Produces and delivers semi-annual performance evaluations for each direct report Oversees team member professional development goals, training, and growth Works with direct reports to develop and actualize professional development goals Ensures that team members have accurate job descriptions and know the available paths of advancement for growth

Manages recruitment, hiring, and onboarding for all new team members on the team except for those in management or leadership roles

Focuses on helping build a diverse team Works with email director to build out staffing plans that align with budgetary goals and capacity needs Has the ability to hire, fire, and discipline members of the team

Along with the director and email manager, lead weekly team meetings as well as occasional trainings, workshops, brainstorms, and other team-wide meetings Assist director in all large-scale team projects related to the success and growth of the team, including

Developing new processes, tools, and guidance Coordinating cross-pod adoption of new processes, tools, and guidance, including creating documentation and trainings

Assist director in frequently reviewing email team work for accuracy, functionality, and alignment with best practices Assists director in managing the email team budget

Is responsible for achieving email team profitability goals Ensures that email team clients are profitable; ensures that the email team is receiving revenue that is commensurate with the value of their work on clients Ensures that employee pay is fair and equitable, and that merit raises are provided commensurate with employee growth and contributions Develops new pricing structures, email products, and revenue streams to boost team profitability

Assists the director in managing email team time tracking and timesheets

Ensures timesheets are completed on schedule

Other responsibilities as requested Contribute to broader company leadership

Assist director with sales and marketing tasks Serves as a member of Middle Seat’s Leadership Team; helps guide and inform company growth, development, and direction Qualifications

6+ years of relevant experience in email fundraising (or similar) Experience with people management Mastery of several common CRMs or fundraising platforms (ActionKit, ActBlue, ActionNetwork, EveryAction, etc.) Ability to quickly learn new tools and CRMs Mastery of email writing for fundraising Understands and effectively utilizes theories of change Excellent writing skills (diction, grammar, sentence structure, spelling) Able to switch voice and tone per client needs Proficiency in HTML and CSS as needed to run email programs

SQL experience preferred

Creative writing chops Enthusiasm for data and testing A desire to play a role in fundraising for major political campaigns, nonprofits, and causes Salary & Benefits

$105,000 – $115,000, with additional compensation based on performance Profit sharing plan: share in the growth and success of Middle Seat 6% employer match on your 401k retirement account 100% premium coverage for health, dental, and vision on a zero-deductible plan $350 monthly mental health reimbursement 20 paid vacation days off, plus your birthday and work anniversary off Unlimited sick leave 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents Commuter benefits for public transportation Coworking space (WeWork, etc.) stipend for employees outside of the D.C. metro area $100 monthly student loan reimbursement

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