Deputy Director of Policy and Programs

Council of State Governments • Decatur, GA

1d • $90,000 - $100,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

JOIN OUR MISSION This is not a glamorous role-and that is exactly why it matters. The Deputy Director of Policy & Programs ensures that CSG South's policy and programmatic work is delivered on time, at a high level of quality, and in alignment with our mission to serve state governments across the South. This role exists to keep complex work moving forward, support staff excellence, and ensure commitments to members are met with consistency and credibility. If you are motivated by execution, accountability, and operational leadership, and you find purpose in supporting state governments through disciplined, behind-the-scenes leadership-we invite you to join our team. WHO WE ARE The Southern Office of The Council of State Governments (CSG South) empowers and elevates public servants across the 15 Southern states. Through policy innovation, leadership development, and regional collaboration, we equip leaders to serve their constituents with excellence. We live out our core values in all that we do: Servant's Heart - We lead by serving others. Ambitious - We set bold goals and pursue them relentlessly. Adaptable - We respond to challenges with innovation and agility. Accountable - We honor commitments, our policies, and own our outcomes. Credible - We earn trust through excellence and integrity. 1B POSITION SUMMARY CSG South seeks a highly organized, execution-focused Deputy Director of Policy & Programs to provide operational leadership for the organization's policy and programmatic work. This role supports the Director of Strategic Partnerships, Policy, and Programs by ensuring that policy and program deliverables are completed on time, meet quality standards, and align with organizational priorities. The Deputy Director serves as the operational backbone for the Policy and Programs teams-coordinating tasks, managing workflows, editing deliverables, and supporting staff as they execute complex, deadline-driven work. While not a strategic policymaker or department head, this role exercises significant judgment, influence, and responsibility in keeping projects moving forward and ensuring consistent, high-quality outcomes. The Deputy Director works closely with Senior Policy Analysts, Policy Analysts, and the Programs Associate to keep projects on track and ensure consistent, high-quality outputs that serve CSG South members.

Requirements

• 5-7 years of relevant professional experience in public policy, government programs, nonprofit administration, or a related mission-driven environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects, timelines, and deliverables in fast-paced settings.
• Strong editing, writing, and quality-control skills for policy and programmatic materials.
• Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams while exercising sound judgment and operational leadership.
• Experience supporting policy research, legislative programming, or leadership development initiatives.
• Familiarity with state government structures, legislative processes, and policy environments.
• Experience supporting conferences, convenings, or multi-state programs.
• Comfort using project management tools, shared workspaces, and tracking systems.
• Demonstrated ability to establish systems, processes, and tools that enhance departmental efficiency, policy tracking, and quality assurance.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and policy research and project management tools (e.g., legislative databases, CRMs, Monday.com).
• Exceptional communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to present complex policy issues in nonpartisan and actionable ways.
• Genuine interest in and commitment to advancing the organization's mission, values, and goals.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including self-awareness, sensitivity, and valuing others.
• Dedication to public service with an unfailing commitment to act with civility, be nonpartisan in performing CSG duties, and be a responsible steward of member and donor funds.
• Bachelor's degree in public policy, public administration, political science, or a related field.
• Willingness to travel occasionally (up to 30%) for state visits, conferences, events, meetings, and policy or programmatic convenings as needed.

Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership & Project Management Support the Director of Strategic Partnerships, Policy, and Programs with day-to-day operational leadership, project management, and execution support.
• Coordinate and track policy and program workplans, timelines, and deliverables across the Policy and Programs teams.
• Ensure projects meet deadlines, quality standards, and organizational expectations; proactively identify risks, resolve bottlenecks, and work with the Director to adjust workflows as needed to keep work on track.
• Manage task and project workflows for recurring deliverables, special projects, and time-sensitive member requests, such as:
• Manage and track policy inquiries from receipt to completion, ensuring clear delegation, quality control, and timely responses; supporting complex or sensitive inquiries from members of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches as needed.
• Managing and tracking policy publication deliverables from planning through release, ensuring adherence to established timelines and publication KPIs, and consistent quality, accuracy, and nonpartisanship.
• Managing and tracking program deliverables from concept through execution, ensuring readiness of content, speakers, materials, logistics, and follow-up deliverables for both in-person and digital programs.
• Support standing policy committees and programmatic initiatives by helping the Policy and Programs teams to identify priority topics, agenda alignment, presenter readiness, and documentation to ensure outcomes are clearly captured and communicated.
• Reinforce and continuously improve systems and processes for workflow tracking, document management, database management, quality assurance, and institutional knowledge across all Policy and Programs work products.
• Policy & Program Execution Serve as Editor-in-Chief for policy publications by leading the editorial review process across policy and program materials, ensuring all outputs meet CSG South's standards for quality, consistency, accuracy, and nonpartisanship.
• Provide policy execution support by stepping in, as needed, to respond to policy research requests, deliver presentations, moderate discussions, or provide testimony on high-priority issues-particularly when additional capacity or a senior-level representative is required.
• Support professional development programs by ensuring content readiness, alignment with learning objectives, and timely integration of policy insights into in-person and digital experiences.
• Provide coordinated policy and program execution support for special projects, ensuring timelines, deliverables, and internal handoffs remain aligned.
• Develop and implement performance metrics to assess the reach, quality, and impact of CSG South's policy research and programmatic outputs, convening results, and ensuring alignment with the strategic plan.
• Events, Convenings & Member Engagement Support the development and execution of policy and program sessions for the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC), including timeline management, internal coordination, and deliverable tracking.
• Serve as the primary operational liaison for cross-cutting convenings such as the Policy Plenary Luncheon, Campaign Against Hunger, and International Relations Forum, supporting content readiness, speaker coordination, written materials, and on-site execution.
• Participate in state visits, policy meetings, and program-related member engagement activities as a representative of CSG South, supporting relationship-building, continuity, and execution follow-through, while coordinating materials and post-visit deliverables.
• Support policy and program webinar series by coordinating timelines, content readiness, technical preparation, and post-event follow-up tracking.
• Provide operational and content execution support for in-person and digital professional development programs, working closely with the Programs Associate and Director to ensure a high-quality member experience.
• Works and communicates effectively with state legislators, legislative staff, other government entities, nonprofits, program presenters, and myriad external partners as needed on policy, programs, or special projects.
• Collaboration & Quality Assurance Serve as a central point of coordination between Policy and Programs staff to ensure alignment, communication, and consistency.
• Maintain systems and documentation that support efficient workflows, version control, and institutional knowledge.
• Reinforce CSG South's mission, values, and standards of excellence through consistent operational practices.
• Partner closely with the Director of Strategic Partnerships, Policy, and Programs to transition funded projects into operational implementation, establishing timelines, workflows, and accountability structures that ensure high-quality deliverables.
• Serve as a credible representative of CSG South at state, regional, national, and international convenings, as delegated, in support of policy and program execution and member engagement.

Benefits

• A hybrid work schedule: Based in Decatur, GA, with the option to regularly work from home on Tuesday and Thursday unless traveling, discontinued, or temporarily suspended for business reasons.
• Generous personal paid and sick leave policies plus 12 paid holidays.
• Office closure the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, a paid day off in the month of your birthday, and other periodic telework or paid days off. These benefits are at the discretion of the Regional Director.
• A recently renovated office with amenities such as beverages, an in-office business casual dress code, and a collaborative floor plan with options for various workstyles and sit-to-stand desks.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees