Managing Policy Counsel

Americans United for Separation of Church & State-•Washington, DC

3d•$153,689 - $181,136•Hybrid

About The Position

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a nonpartisan educational and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure freedom of religion, including the right to believe or not believe, for all of us. Founded in 1947, Americans United (AU) is a diverse and dynamic organization composed of people from all walks of life: lawyers and lobbyists, students and activists, religious leaders and impassioned Americans. AU includes people of faith and people who don’t profess any particular faith. It is a community that welcomes people of all genders, races, ethnicities, religions or beliefs, sexual orientations, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities. Because we work on a wide variety of issues with many different communities, we value what diversity and diverse perspectives bring to our work. The Managing Policy Counsel will be a forward-thinking, passionate leader for change who is excited to lead and collaborate with a dynamic team and organization, working together to fight for freedom without favor, and equality without exception. The position will report to the Vice President of Public Policy and be part of the Public Policy department’s leadership team, along with the Associate VP of Public Policy. AU’s Public Policy department implements state and federal legislative and policy-advocacy strategies to advance and protect the separation of church and state. We build partnerships on the Hill, in state legislatures, and with diverse federal and state stakeholders. The department’s main areas of work include: Protecting and advancing the separation of church and state at both the federal and state levels. Fighting the misuse of religion to discriminate and cause harm, such as in undermining LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive rights. Protecting secular public education. Fighting private school vouchers. This is an exciting new leadership role to envision and build out the Public Policy department’s capacity to support integrated advocacy campaigns and projects for movement building and narrative change at state/local levels in alignment with the organization’s strategic goals. This position will work closely with the Senior Director of Field and Organizing in the Outreach department as well as other AU departments to ensure strong collaboration and communication. This role will require creativity and intention to translate the Public Policy department’s technical policy work into actionable organizing and outreach initiatives. A significant portion of time will also be spent supervising AU’s policy counsel team, currently comprised of three attorneys. Their day-to-day work includes: Analyzing and tracking federal and state legislation and regulations Drafting legislation and potential amendments to bills. Writing letters, talking points, backgrounders, etc. with legal and policy analysis on bills—distributed to legislators, legislative staff, and coalition partners. Writing regulatory comments, coalition comments, and template comments for proposed regulations with legal and policy analysis. Developing strategies for federal and state legislative hearings, debate, and briefings, including preparing witnesses and panelists; drafting testimony and questions that legislators ask witnesses. Leading and participating in national and state coalitions and forge ad hoc coalitions by successfully recruiting and equipping other allied organizations to advocate on church-state separation issues on legislative and regulatory matters. Working closely across AU departments so that policy work can advance litigation, movement building, narrative change strategies. Develop and Lead Integrated Policy Effort Build and strengthen integrated advocacy work between AU departments, with a special focus on bridging the policy work of the Public Policy department and the organizing work of the Outreach department. Collaborate across departments and partner organizations to initiate, lead, and/or support integrated advocacy campaigns at state/local levels that integrate policy work with AU’s litigation, movement-building, and narrative change work. Oversee and expand AU’s lobbying and policy efforts at the state level. Serve as a subject matter expert and policy strategy expert to partners, legislative and administration officials, and staff. Supervise advocacy, including lobbying, before state legislatures, Congress, the White House, and federal agencies. Build and strengthen relationships with partner organizations: represent AU in coalitions, run AU-led coalitions, and build ad hoc coalitions as needed. Analyze and research legislation and proposed regulations and policies; draft legislative and policy language; draft and edit legislative and policy materials (such as congressional testimony, regulatory comments, and letters to public officials) as well as public-facing resources. Help determine strategic vision and direction for Americans United’s public policy program. Supervise Policy Counsel Team Manage the Public Policy department’s policy counsel team to effectively advance AU’s policy agenda and to support AU’s litigation, movement-building, and narrative change strategies. Align policy work with AU’s strategic plan and organizational goals. Provide direct supervision, mentoring, and professional development support to the policy counsel team and their work. Organize trainings to the department as needed for skills development. Set clear performance expectations and support policy counsel staff in meeting them. Support the Vice President of Public Policy and Associate Vice President of Public Policy as a thought partner in the Public Policy department’s leadership team, further developing and shaping the impact of the Public Policy department.

Requirements

Has a J.D. and is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia or eligible and willing to become a member of the bar of the District of Columbia.
Has a minimum of ten years of public policy or related legal experience (judicial-clerkship experience counts toward those years).
Has demonstrable supervisory or managerial experience, including experience with change management.
Has experience engaging in organizing, outreach, engagement, or other non-legal policy advocacy activities.
Is a self-starter who takes initiative and gets excited about identifying and developing new initiatives integrating public policy work with organizing, outreach, and engagement.
Has exceptional analytical, writing, and research skills, including fluency in breaking down technical legal concepts for resources geared towards the general public.
Has experience and interest in training and developing staff, including attorneys at all practice levels.
Has the interpersonal skills to collaborate productively with stakeholders of differing viewpoints, work across diverse communities (e.g. race, age, class, LGBTQ+, religious/nonreligious), and integrate diversity, equity and inclusion into our work.
Is committed to advancing the public interest and the separation of religion and government.
Is demonstrably committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility and to fostering an inclusive and respectful work environment.
Can travel as their work requires, including conferences, in-person briefings, and speaking engagements.
Can work from AU’s headquarters office in downtown Washington, DC at least once per week, and as needed, as determined by the VP of Public Policy and/or AU executive leadership.
Currently live in or would be willing to relocate to the Washington, DC metro area.

Responsibilities

Develop and Lead Integrated Policy Effort
Build and strengthen integrated advocacy work between AU departments, with a special focus on bridging the policy work of the Public Policy department and the organizing work of the Outreach department.
Collaborate across departments and partner organizations to initiate, lead, and/or support integrated advocacy campaigns at state/local levels that integrate policy work with AU’s litigation, movement-building, and narrative change work.
Oversee and expand AU’s lobbying and policy efforts at the state level.
Serve as a subject matter expert and policy strategy expert to partners, legislative and administration officials, and staff.
Supervise advocacy, including lobbying, before state legislatures, Congress, the White House, and federal agencies.
Build and strengthen relationships with partner organizations: represent AU in coalitions, run AU-led coalitions, and build ad hoc coalitions as needed.
Analyze and research legislation and proposed regulations and policies; draft legislative and policy language; draft and edit legislative and policy materials (such as congressional testimony, regulatory comments, and letters to public officials) as well as public-facing resources.
Help determine strategic vision and direction for Americans United’s public policy program.
Supervise Policy Counsel Team
Manage the Public Policy department’s policy counsel team to effectively advance AU’s policy agenda and to support AU’s litigation, movement-building, and narrative change strategies.
Align policy work with AU’s strategic plan and organizational goals.
Provide direct supervision, mentoring, and professional development support to the policy counsel team and their work.
Organize trainings to the department as needed for skills development.
Set clear performance expectations and support policy counsel staff in meeting them.
Support the Vice President of Public Policy and Associate Vice President of Public Policy as a thought partner in the Public Policy department’s leadership team, further developing and shaping the impact of the Public Policy department.