Associate Lobbyist

South Carolina Realtors•Columbia, SC

1d•$75,000 - $85,000

About The Position

The Associate Lobbyist provides operational and strategic support to the advocacy division of South Carolina REALTORS® (SCR). Working under the supervision of the Chief Political Officer (CPO), the role tracks legislative developments, represents SCR before the South Carolina General Assembly, supports political action grassroots networks, and coordinates with independent contractors to protect private property rights. The position monitors and analyzes legislative, regulatory, and budgetary proposals affecting the real estate profession; prepares policy briefs, alerts, risk assessments, testimony, and other advocacy materials; and lobbies elected officials, agency executives, and legislative staff. It also supports the State Political Coordinator (SPC) and Federal Political Coordinator (FPC) programs, coordinates grassroots events and campaigns with local REALTOR® associations, tracks political and electoral developments, and maintains compliance with South Carolina lobbyist registration and disclosure requirements. South Carolina REALTORS® is a statewide professional trade association representing more than 30,000 real estate professionals and private property owners. Based in Columbia, it provides legal resources, legislative advocacy, continuing education, and professional development. The organization describes its workplace as collaborative and member-first, with a focus on public service, industry leadership, and organizational excellence. The role offers a flexible schedule with remote work on Fridays.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Communications, Public Administration, or a related field.
2–4+ years of hands-on experience in government relations, direct lobbying, statehouse staffing, or managing political issue campaigns in South Carolina.
Foundational understanding of the South Carolina legislative and committee process.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to work dynamically with volunteers, contractors, and elected officials under strict deadlines.

Responsibilities

Monitor and analyze legislative, regulatory, and budgetary proposals in the South Carolina General Assembly that affect the real estate profession.
Use professional tracking platforms to provide the Chief Political Officer with real-time alerts, policy briefs, and risk assessments.
Represent SCR public policy positions through direct lobbying of elected officials, state agency executives, and legislative staff.
Assist in drafting public testimony, position papers, legislative fact sheets, and background issue summaries for the SCR Legislative Group.
Coordinate and support administrative logistics for the State Political Coordinator and Federal Political Coordinator programs.
Organize grassroots political events, regional legislative dinners, and statehouse networking functions with policymakers.
Liaise with local REALTOR® associations to deploy advocacy call-to-action campaigns and encourage regional political engagement.
Gather information about statewide electoral shifts, candidate filings, political trends, and legislative caucus activities.
Coordinate legislative tracking targets with external contract lobbyists and attend regulatory meetings as needed.
Maintain personal and contractor compliance with South Carolina State Ethics Commission lobbyist registration and disclosure timelines.