Associate Lobbyist

South Carolina Realtors•Columbia, SC

21h•Hybrid

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 monitors legislative and regulatory developments, represents SCR’s public policy positions before the South Carolina General Assembly, supports political coordinator networks, and coordinates with external contractors to protect private property rights. The position includes legislative tracking, research, and briefing; direct Statehouse representation; support for State Political Coordinator (SPC) and Federal Political Coordinator (FPC) networks; and contractor and regulatory coordination. The Associate Lobbyist monitors committee calendars, tracks bills, prepares policy updates and risk assessments, lobbies policymakers, assists with testimony, organizes political and grassroots events, liaises with local REALTOR® associations, and maintains lobbyist compliance records. South Carolina REALTORS® is a statewide professional trade association representing more than 30,000 real estate professionals and private property owners. Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, SCR provides legal resources, legislative advocacy, continuing education, and professional development. The organization describes its work environment as collaborative and member-first, with a focus on public service, industry leadership, and organizational excellence.

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.
Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to work dynamically with volunteers, contractors, and elected officials under strict deadlines.

Responsibilities

Monitor and analyze daily legislative, regulatory, and budgetary proposals in the South Carolina General Assembly that affect the real estate profession.
Use customized professional tracking platforms to provide the Chief Political Officer with real-time alerts, policy briefs, and risk assessments.
Represent SCR public policy positions by lobbying 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 the administrative logistics of 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 on 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.
Ensure personal and contractor compliance with South Carolina State Ethics Commission lobbyist registration and disclosure timelines.