Position: Legislative Director
Location: Sacramento, hybrid remote/in-person position
Type: Full-time, exempt, salaried
Start Date: ASAP
Reports to: Executive Director
Salary Range: $90,000-$120,000
ABOUT EQUALITY CALIFORNIA
Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer+ (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization with over 900,000 members. Equality California brings the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating, and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. For more than 20 years, Equality California has been fighting for full, lived LGBTQ+ equality in a number of ways: electing pro-equality leaders up and down the ballot; passing pro-equality legislation in California, Nevada and Washington, DC; and fighting for LGBTQ+ civil rights and social justice in the courtroom.
Equality California Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization that has a parallel mission to Equality California, its 501(c)(4) counterpart. Equality California Institute works to achieve full, lived LGBTQ+ equality by reducing disparities in LGBTQ+ health and well-being, developing a pipeline of LGBTQ+ leaders and increasing civic participation within the LGBTQ+ community.
POSITION SUMMARY
Equality California is hiring an experienced, high-performing Legislative Director to lead the organization’s state legislative advocacy and government affairs in Sacramento. The Legislative Director will lead the organization’s state policy, budget and administrative advocacy in Sacramento, including collaborating with legislative offices to pass sponsored and supported pro-equality legislation, analyzing and tracking pro-equality and anti-LGBTQ+ proposals, managing the organization’s partnership with the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus on key priorities and initiatives and serving as Equality California’s primary liaison to the California Legislature, the Governor’s Office and other state constitutional officers, departments and agencies.
The Legislative Director will report to the Managing Director of External Affairs and will manage a Legal Fellow. Additionally, the Legislative Director will work closely with Equality California’s outside policy advisor/contract lobbyist.
The ideal candidate must have exceptional analytical skills, expertise in LGBTQ+ policy issues — including health, education, and justice reform — and significant legislative advocacy and/or management experience. A law degree and/or experience working for a California legislator are preferred but not required.
KEY EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS
What you’ve accomplished (required):
- Bachelor’s Degree in political science, public policy, or related field. (Law Degree preferred.)
- At least 4 years of legislative advocacy and/or management experience
- Ability to independently analyze complex proposals and develop recommendations
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong decision-making skills and sound judgment
- Detail oriented, logical, and methodological approach to problem solving
Other things you might have accomplished or would be excited to learn here:
- Demonstrated experience providing vision and leadership
- Excellent interpersonal skills – ability to relate to individuals at all levels from diverse backgrounds
- Experience working in the California Legislature, either for a member or as a legislative advocate
- Experience managing diverse coalitions of stakeholders, such as social justice organizations, community leaders, local government, trade organizations, religious groups, public defenders, and law enforcement
- Supervisory experience
Skills you have developed and knowledge you have acquired:
- Ability to adapt to the needs of the organization and employees
- Ability to prioritize tasks and delegate them when appropriate to meet deadlines and expectations
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including leading meetings with key stakeholders and presenting in front of large groups of people
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and legislative tracking platforms
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
This full-time position with salary up to $120,000 commensurate with experience and includes competitive benefits (healthcare, dental, vision, long/short term disability, life insurance and 401K). Occasional travel to organizational events is needed and expenses will be reimbursed.
TO APPLY
Please send a cover letter, resume, list of references and two writing samples to Samuel Garrett at jobs@eqca.org, with the Subject Line “Equality California Legislative Director – [YOUR NAME]
RELEVANT POLICIES AT EQUALITY CALIFORNIA
Equality California is an equal employment opportunity employer. Equality California does not make employment decisions or discriminate based on protected characteristics including, but not limited to, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sex, gender (including gender identity and/or gender expression), sexual orientation, age, physical or mental handicaps, veteran status, or genetic information as prescribed by applicable local, state, and federal law.
We strongly encourage diverse candidates to apply, including, but not limited to, women, people of color, people of diverse gender identities, and non-LGBTQ+ allies.
Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with the requirements of the California Consumer Reporting Agencies Act and Los Angeles’s Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.
The post Legislative Director appeared first on Equality California.