Special Assistant, Privacy and Counsel

ACLU - National Office • New York, NY

12d • Hybrid

About The Position

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Special Assistant in the Administration and Finance Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY. The Special Assistant will provide support to both the Privacy & Data Governance (P&DG) unit and the Office of Corporate Counsel (Counsel). This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.
The Privacy & Data Governance (P&DG) unit works to enable the ACLU to honor individual privacy and choice, protect data in our possession, and be a leader in non-profit privacy and data governance practices. The unit is responsible for a cross-departmental Privacy & Data Governance program that provides centralized governance for organizational data policies and internal controls and works with National and Affiliate staff on an ongoing basis to establish and document consistent practices that meet evolving regulatory and organizational expectations for data protection and privacy.
The Office of Corporate Counsel (Counsel) provides primary support for the ACLU to contract outside vendors and protect the organization’s tax-exempt status and its fundraising, advocacy, and litigation capabilities. Counsel drafts and negotiate contracts that enable the ACLU to leverage third-party resources to supplement the talents of its own staff and maximize its impact. The office also creates compliance programs, trains staff, and provides compliance advice, all with the goal of maintaining the highest standards of professional and business impact.
This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).
The deadline to apply to this role is August 12, 2026.

Requirements

• Interest in data privacy rights including knowledge of comprehensive consumer privacy laws (e.g. GDRP, CCPA, CPA) and practical implementation experience with privacy and confidentiality policies and regulations.
• Experience with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint; ability to design and edit basic graphic presentations and materials using Microsoft Office applications.
• Project management skills, including experience with project management tools, such as, Asana.
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment managing strict deadlines and competing priorities.
• Excellent judgement with ability to maintain a high level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential information.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence with the ability to manage up and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Fast learner with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and switch gears at a moment’s notice.
• Highly organized with great attention to detail.
• Willingness to conquer the “small tasks” with an understanding of their vital importance in the success of the team.
• Ability to complete a high volume of tasks and projects with little or no guidance.
• Commitment to advancing the mission of the ACLU.
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives.
• Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts.

Nice To Haves

• Problem solver and critical thinker with unquestionable integrity and discretion, excellent judgment, and a service-oriented, can-do attitude, who can navigate ambiguity and takes pride in anticipating the needs of others.

Responsibilities

• Providing administrative, logistical, and operational support to the P&DG and Counsel units.
• Facilitating the progression of priority projects and initiatives.
• Managing and triaging requests from Nationwide colleagues and the public.
• Creating and managing internal resource libraries to enable effective operations across P&DG and Counsel.
• Supporting the development of a Nationwide Privacy Strategy.
• Researching privacy trends and leading practices.
• Completing a broad variety of administrative and logistical tasks that enable the P&DG and Counsel units to operate effectively and efficiently, including scheduling for the Chief Privacy Officer and Co-Chief Corporate Counsels; designing and producing documents, reports, and presentations; and assisting with special projects.
• Planning and handling all logistics for unit-wide meetings and retreats, the Nationwide Privacy Strategy Group, the P&DG Executive and Operational Steering Committees, Privacy Champions, and other large meetings for both units: scheduling; preparing draft agendas and talking points; developing, compiling, and distributing presentation materials; and drafting meeting minutes.
• Working with consultants to schedule meetings/interviews, gather documentation, facilitate systems access, and other tasks required to enable successful projects and programs (e.g. Nationwide Privacy Strategy).
• Supporting the drafting of ACLU-wide communication(s) from the P&DG unit.
• Conducting research on trends in the privacy regulation landscape, including proposed privacy legislation, leading practices for de-identification, data minimization, and delivering data subject rights.
• Maintaining P&DG official records and libraries of internal resources, including Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) and legal analyses.
• Managing and triaging requests received through P&DG support queues (e.g. Slack channel, Zendesk). This includes directing Nationwide staff to existing documentation, tracking requests, and identifying gaps and trends to improve P&DG operations.
• Supporting management of P&DG and Counsel vendors by submitting and managing procurement requests.
• Coordinating, processing, and tracking invoices and payments, for both units, as necessary.
• Engaging in special projects and other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Generous paid time-off policy
• Comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• 401k plan and employer match
• Annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed