Director of State Legislative Affairs

RAINN • Washington, DC

5d • $90,000 - $110,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

RAINN is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization and a leading voice in reshaping how our country understands, prevents, and responds to sexual violence. Through a holistic focus on Prevention, Justice, and Healing, RAINN combines survivor support, education, research, and policy advocacy to change minds, change laws, and change lives, working every day to build safer communities and a more just future for survivors and those at risk. The Director of State Legislative Affairs will support and advance RAINN’s state-level policy research, government relations, and advocacy portfolio to align with the organization’s Prevention–Justice–Healing framework. This role will help drive coordinated policy efforts across multiple states, strengthen legislative relationships, and support national advocacy goals. Travel will be required to support state legislative and policy initiatives as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree (Master’s), or a combination of education and equivalent work experience.
• Minimum 7 years of state legislative work at a statehouse or non-governmental organization with a robust state level advocacy program.
• Solid knowledge of and familiarity with policy issues affecting sexual violence.
• Exceptional analytical, research and organizational skills a must.
• Strong interpersonal skills with exceptional communication and presentation skills, both written and spoken.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace applications (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms) with demonstrated ability to effectively utilize these tools for communication, collaboration, organization, and data management.
• Excellent time-management and prioritization skills.
• Must be able to perform with minimal supervision and function well in a cooperative team environment.
• Must possess the ability to effectively relate to a wide variety of people and demonstrate creatively in addressing assignments and problem solving.
• Ability to exercise good professional judgment and ethical behavior in handling sensitive material with discretion.
• Commitment to RAINN's mission and goals.
• Must be willing and able to travel approximately 10% to support state legislative and policy initiatives.
• Must complete a criminal background check administered by RAINN.
• RAINN employees are required to have a home office setup with a dependable high-speed internet connection. This must be sufficient to support all job-related tasks, including accessing systems, communicating with teams, and providing uninterrupted hotline services or administrative support.

Nice To Haves

• Experience on political campaigns preferred.
• Experience with and skill in statistical analysis is a plus, but not required.

Responsibilities

• Legislative Advocacy & Policy Strategy Lobby for state legislative policy and advocacy efforts in support of RAINN’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Evaluate and develop state campaign initiatives that align with RAINN’s policy goals and legislative agenda.
• Build and execute comprehensive state campaign plans across multiple states simultaneously.
• Support federal policy efforts as needed to ensure alignment across state and national advocacy strategies.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Management Develop and maintain strong state legislative partnerships and relationships with key officials, state agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Develop and sustain state level coalitions as needed to support advocacy goals and legislative initiatives.
• Maintain an accurate and up to date database of key contacts for thePolicy Department.
• Manage and coordinate external contract lobbyists and policy consultants across multiple states, setting strategic direction, aligning deliverables with RAINN’s legislative priorities, and ensuring consistency with RAINN’s Prevention–Justice–Healing framework.
• Policy Analysis, Research & Issue Monitoring Provide regular weekly updates on both reactive and proactive state legislative efforts to keep internal teams informed and aligned.
• Prepare and deliver clear summaries and strategic recommendations on pending legislation and policy proposals.
• Prepare meeting materials and conduct policy research, including support for media inquiries from RAINN’s communications team.
• Develop legislative scorecards and state mapping tools to support strategic planning and execution of state campaign efforts.
• Maintain legislative tracking and organizational systems to monitor active and emerging policy activity across 30+ states, ensuring timely updates, accurate documentation, and clear visibility for leadership and internal stakeholders.
• Project & Campaign Management Build and manage coordinated state campaign plans across multiple states nationwide to advance RAINN’s legislative priorities.
• Coordinate with the Policy Coordinator to develop and deliver consistent weekly legislative updates.
• Manage and execute multiple overlapping initiatives simultaneously while maintaining timelines, priorities, and quality.
• Operational Compliance & Administrative Management Help supervise and maintain state registration and lobbyist disclosure forms to ensure accuracy and ongoing compliance.
• Support adherence to all state advocacy and lobbying regulations and requirements.
• Maintain complete and up to date state compliance documentation in accordance with applicable laws and organizational policies.
• Adaptability & Cross-Functional Support Support federal policy initiatives as needed to advance RAINN’s national advocacy priorities and ensure alignment across state and federal efforts.
• Perform additional duties as assigned in support of the Public Policy team’s objectives and RAINN’s mission to prevent sexual violence, support survivors, and pursue justice.

Benefits

• RAINN offers competitive compensation and a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, employee assistance, a 403(b) retirement savings plan, paid vacation, sick leave, paid holidays, including a bonus week, and free access to the building's fitness center.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees