In April 2008, it was announced that Dunn, who had joined the Obama campaign in February, would be the director of communications, policy and research operations for Obama for America, where she held the title Senior Adviser and was one of the major decision makers of the Obama campaign. She was featured as one of four top advisers (along with David Axelrod, David Plouffe, and Robert Gibbs) in a "60 Minutes" interview held after then-President-elect Obama's November 4, 2008, victory speech at Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois. She was described, in the "60 Minutes" interview, as, "a relative newcomer who handled communications, research and policy." During the presidential transition of 2008–09, Dunn trained White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.