Director, Policy and Advocacy

RF Catalytic Capital, Inc.•Washington, DC

10h•$185,000 - $225,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Breakwater Initiative seeks a Director, Policy and Advocacy to lead engagement for its flagship policy agenda on AI and work. Reporting to the Policy Managing Director, the Director will move Breakwater’s ideas into mainstream American policymaking by identifying key audiences, building relationships and outreach materials, and ensuring the agenda is viable in Congress, statehouses, governors’ offices, among thought leaders, and with the public. The role leads engagement with federal and state decision-makers, builds a cross-partisan network of champions and validators, and contributes practical judgment to policy development. The Director may draw on consultants and advisors as needed. Breakwater is a founding-stage organization with a flat structure and an evolving strategy. The role calls for someone comfortable with ambiguity, able to exercise discretion and make sound decisions with incomplete information, and willing to contribute beyond a fixed job description. The position follows a hybrid schedule and requires being in the office Monday through Thursday.

Requirements

Generally expected to have 10 or more years of experience across some combination of government, campaigns, and issue advocacy, with a demonstrated ability to move an idea into public debate.
Proven stakeholder-management experience.
Genuine comfort and skill working across the political spectrum.
Demonstrated experience engaging key decision-makers and public figures, with sound judgment about timing and positioning.
Strong advocacy instincts and policy judgment, with the ability to organize complex, multi-source input into a coherent result.
Familiarity with rules governing nonprofit engagement with government and campaigns, or willingness to learn them quickly and operate within them.
Experience setting strategy independently and making resourcing decisions with significant organizational impact; ability to anticipate risk and plan contingencies.
High tolerance for ambiguity; self-starter able to work in a fast-paced environment, exercise discretion and judgment in uncertain situations, and know when to escalate.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to communicate credibly with policy, decision-maker, and funder audiences.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
High integrity, intellectual curiosity, and deep commitment to economic fairness, worker dignity, and responsible AI development.

Nice To Haves

Direct government experience, such as on Capitol Hill, in a governor’s office, or in an administration.
Familiarity with AI, economic policy, and labor.

Responsibilities

Set and own Breakwater’s engagement strategy, identifying public figures and decision-makers across parties who can shape the debate on AI and work, and developing relationships and materials to reach them.
Serve as Breakwater’s primary point of contact for policymakers and thought leaders seeking to understand AI’s impact on workers.
Lead outreach to policymakers and senior staff in Congress, the executive branch, governors’ offices, and state legislatures.
Build and manage a cross-partisan network of champions and validators to help the agenda reach the right audiences.
Design and execute policy workshops, boot camps, retreats, and scenario-planning sessions that build genuine ownership of the agenda among policymakers and advisors before launch.
Execute the engagement strategy, anticipate risks, develop contingency plans, and ensure alignment with Breakwater’s values, nonpartisan commitments, and priorities.
Manage lobbying and engagement compliance in coordination with the fiscal sponsor’s compliance team.
Make sound decisions about deploying relationship capital and staff and consultant resources for impact, including effective use of a consultant bench.
Build the government affairs and engagement function and infrastructure as the organization grows.
Contribute stakeholder input from across the ideological spectrum to the policy development process.
Support strategic communications by shaping how Breakwater’s ideas reach policymakers, decision-makers, and media audiences.
Support fundraising by contributing to pitches and donor materials.