Senior Policy Advocate

Position Description

Position Summary:

The Senior Policy Advocate will lead policy advocacy to address civil rights and liberties of individuals at the local, state and federal levels, with a focus on addressing immigrants’ rights. In this role, the Senior Policy Advocate will develop strategy grounded in a racial justice lens to advance policy campaigns, conduct research on policies, and work with an integrative advocacy team to advance campaign goals. This role is for a self-starter that likes to develop and implement strategy and is comfortable with having management responsibilities.

This position will be supervised by the Advocacy & Legal Director. The position may require travel and work on occasional weekends and evenings, as determined.

Primary Duties And Responsibilities

• Identify opportunities and lead work in the areas of policy and legislative analysis to promote and protect the civil rights and liberties of individuals at the local, state and federal levels, with a focus on addressing immigrants’ rights.
• Develop strategic legislative and administrative policy options related to immigration issues based on policy research and fact finding.
• Independently develop novel ideas and approaches to solving problems, in addition to sourcing existing policy ideas and approaches to immigrant rights challenges.
• Prepare, provide guidance on and/or deliver testimony on pending legislation before elected bodies and public agencies; and draft or provide guidance on testimony to be delivered by affiliate staff before legislative or regulatory bodies at the state and local/municipal levels, in collaboration with Issue Team and partner organizations.
• Lobby elected officials, their staff, and other public officials to support ACLU positions on pending legislation and policy initiatives on immigrant rights.
• Support executive and senior leadership in presenting information and advocating policies to internal and external audiences on immigrant rights.
• Provide policy analysis, strategic planning guidance, and tactical suggestions to affiliate to support local and state efforts.
• Coordinate and conduct in-depth policy briefings for elected and agency officials to advance affiliate priority goals on immigrant rights.
• Help coordinate strategy designed to reach campaign goals or other policy/political outcomes across affiliate departments and coalition partners.
• Collaborate with affiliate and state teams in Immigrant Rights space to ensure effective relationship management, and effective policy advancement strategies.
• Participate as the affiliate representative in meetings of ad hoc lobbying and policy and/or political coalitions as relevant.
• In collaboration with the affiliate Communications staff and other key affiliate staff, provide expert commentary to media, participate in media briefings and draft and contribute to op-eds and other publications as relevant.
• Organize, lead, and work with coalition groups to bolster support for ACLU policy goals or to minimize opposition to those goals.
• Provide subject matter expertise, advice, and support to fellow colleagues in other departments as they develop and execute local and state campaigns.
• Demonstrate an ability to be flexible and adjust priorities as necessary in order to adapt to changing external environment.
• Work with statewide ACLU teams to pursue policy changes to advance the organization’s agenda.
• Help manage a network of organizational and individual partners in relevant issue areas.
• Provide expertise to policymakers, the press, and coalition partners.
• Participate in rapid response efforts.
• Lead local policy advocacy campaigns.
• Assist in organizing and execution of coalition and community events.
• Complete assigned project-related tasks on an as-needed basis.
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned.