ABOUT LUMINETIX
Luminetix AI delivers intelligence on demand: AI synthetic persona research for politics, government, and public policy. The firm builds AI-generated synthetic personas, convenes them in moderated discussions, and returns finished findings in three business days — without the recruiting, scheduling, and long analysis timelines of traditional focus group research.
Every Luminetix persona population is built by a proprietary persona engine developed alongside pollsters who have called real races. It draws on decades of campaign public-opinion data, calibrated across geography, demographics, partisanship, and psychographics, and each population is benchmarked against known real-world data before any discussion runs. This allows Luminetix to test unlimited creative, reach audiences that cannot be recruited at any price, scale on demand, reconvene the same group for follow-up sessions, and guarantee total confidentiality.
Luminetix is not self-service software. Every engagement is handled end to end by the Luminetix team: clients brief the firm as they would a research partner, and Luminetix designs the personas and discussion protocol, moderates the session, and delivers a full transcript, theme analysis, and a presentation-ready insight report. The firm was built by people who have been in the room, with decades of experience in political campaigns, consulting, and public opinion research.
THE ROLE
Luminetix is seeking a Business Development Director to build and own its pipeline of political, public affairs, and advocacy clients. The Director will be responsible for the full business development cycle, from lead generation and outreach through relationship cultivation, proposal development, and closing.
Target clients include campaigns, PACs, independent expenditure committees, issue advocacy organizations, agencies, corporate and trade association public affairs teams, public affairs shops, and public opinion research firms that need message testing and persuasion research.
Strong candidates will already be established in political and public affairs consulting circles, or will be able to build that credibility quickly. This market operates on referrals, track record, and relationships at the consultant, campaign-manager, and public affairs firm level. Party affiliation is not a requirement; what matters is a substantive network and credibility with political and public affairs buyers.
A NOTE ON TIMING
With the 2026 cycle now complete, Luminetix is interviewing immediately and expects many strong candidates to be professionals whose campaign or committee work has just concluded. The start date is flexible, and candidates finishing out current engagements are encouraged to apply.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Build and manage a pipeline of campaigns, PACs, independent expenditure committees, advocacy organizations, agencies, public affairs firms, and public opinion research firms with message research or persuasion research needs.
Cultivate relationships with campaign managers, media consultants, pollsters, and party committee staff positioned to refer or co-pitch work.
Attend relevant conferences, party gatherings, and consultant-network events to build and maintain a strong network of contacts ahead of election cycles.
Lead discovery conversations to assess a prospective client's messaging needs, budget, and timeline, and collaborate with the Luminetix team to shape proposals.
Negotiate pricing and scope, with authority to close engagements within defined parameters.
Represent Luminetix's methodology credibly, speaking fluently about message testing and the role of AI-assisted persuasion research in a campaign's broader strategy.
Track and forecast the pipeline by cycle, accounting for the seasonality of political and public affairs work around election calendars and legislative sessions.
Contribute to the firm's business development infrastructure, including CRM discipline, proposal templates, and cycle-based outreach cadences.
QUALIFICATIONS
Five or more years in political consulting, public affairs, campaign management, media consulting, or a closely related client-facing role (party committee staff, PAC leadership, corporate or trade association public affairs, digital or media vendor sales); candidates of any party or nonpartisan background will be considered.
An established network of relationships with campaign managers, media consultants, or party operatives.
Comfort with the seasonal nature of political and public affairs work, including sustained pipeline development during off-cycle periods.
The ability to speak knowledgeably about message testing, public opinion research, and campaign and advocacy strategy in a manner that earns trust with sophisticated political and public affairs buyers.
A self-directed working style suited to building a function with limited day-to-day oversight.
Willingness to travel for conferences, meetings, and relationship development as needed.
Candidates currently on the vendor or consulting side (media firms, research shops, digital agencies, PR and public affairs firms) are encouraged to apply.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Direct experience with independent expenditure or PAC-side compliance, including FEC disclaimer rules and coordination restrictions.
Existing relationships with media consulting firms, PR and communications firms, or trade association public affairs teams that may subcontract or co-pitch persuasion research.
Direct experience with message testing or polling-adjacent research.
COMPENSATION
Compensation is structured to reward business development performance, reflecting the relationship-driven, cycle-based nature of this work.
Base salary: $65,000–$125,000, depending on experience and structure, intentionally commission-forward.
Commission: Uncapped commission on first-year revenue from closed engagements; specific terms will be discussed with finalists.
Cycle considerations: Because political revenue fluctuates around election calendars, Luminetix is open to a draw-against-commission arrangement to cover off-cycle periods, with true-up against closed business; public affairs work can help smooth revenue year-round.
REPORTING AND STRUCTURE
The position reports directly to the founder. Full-time and fractional or contract arrangements will be considered depending on the candidate; given the seasonality of this vertical, a fractional or cycle-based structure may be appropriate. Start dates are flexible for candidates completing current engagements. Washington, DC preferred; hybrid.
Luminetix AI is an equal opportunity employer.