Director, Anti-Extremism

Third Way•Washington, DC

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Third Way is a national think tank and advocacy organization that champions moderate policy and political ideas. Since our founding in 2005, we have served as a critical bulwark against political extremism by advancing values-driven, reform-oriented solutions on the defining issues of our time. Our work is grounded in the mainstream American values of opportunity, freedom, security, and democratic capitalism, and we advocate for the vital center across seven major areas: climate and energy, economy, education, health care, national security, politics, and social policy. The Director of Anti-Extremism will lead a project to combat the rise of far-left extreme voices and forces, and to mobilize the center left at the national level to fight extreme elements in the places where they are gaining power. New extreme forces on the far left are on the rise, and they represent a sharp break from a traditional left wing in American politics. Their ideas are not just unwise or unworkable, and their rhetoric is not simply heated. Instead, we are now confronted with a faction that is radical, illiberal, and, in many cases, overtly discriminatory. The rise of these voices in American politics pose distinct dangers for the center left. Where they take power, they govern badly, leaving the working- and middle-class voters for whom they claim to speak worse off and more disillusioned. And they champion politically toxic ideas and offensive rhetoric that can and will be used by the MAGA right to define all of their opponents, including those on the center left. Most voters still reject the idea and label of socialism. These extreme candidates still lose far more races than they win, and their agenda is broadly unpopular outside of blue bubbles. But the center left must take much more significant action to combat these far-left extreme forces. This position will spearhead that effort.

Requirements

5-8+ years of experience in political organizations, campaigns, leadership development, or coalition-building
An understanding of the moderate Democratic political ecosystem and its key stakeholders
Experience developing and running communications and advocacy campaigns
An ability to manage both internal coordination and external coalitions effectively
Strong organizational and operational skills, with the ability to execute at a high level
Strong project management and execution skills across complex, cross-functional initiatives
Relationship management and ability to build trust with diverse stakeholders
Strategic thinking with ability to translate goals into actionable plans
Collaboration and ability to operate horizontally across teams
Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously
Communication skills, including working with senior leaders and external influencers

Responsibilities

Assembling and updating a database of the DSA’s most extreme ideas and statements and a repository of voting records, affiliations, and issue positions to make available to allies and partners
Leading public opinion research to identify and test the contrasts that move base voters away from these extreme candidates
Overseeing the development of memos, talking points, rapid response materials, and other products that make the case against these extreme forces in American politics
Promoting and marketing our research and materials to ensure they reach decisionmakers quickly, repeatedly, and at scale through a coordinated distribution infrastructure
Recruiting and arming a group of young, diverse spokespeople to fight the DSA from a center-left perspective and assembling a broad coalition of organizational partners to make the case against extremism
Running an earned media program to create a drumbeat of our message in op-eds, television appearances, podcasts, and traditional and digital media engagement