Duties akin to Legislative Director, Policy Director, or Chief Lobbyist/Director of Government Affairs
Compensation: Annual Salary of $100,000 to 110,000 per year, depending on experience.
Generous Benefits Package including: 100% Employer-Sponsored Medical, Vision & Dental Insurance; Federal Holidays, Personal, Sick and Family/Medical Leave, Employer Pension Contribution and Employer-Sponsored 401K.
Application Process: Please submit a cover letter explaining your interest in and qualifications for the position along with a résumé in PDF format and writing sample to jmittman@nelahq.org. Please indicate “Advocacy Director” as subject line.
- Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
- Plan for a 45-minute introductory phone conversation and if selected a 90-minute Zoom interview with the internal hiring team.
- Finalists will create a presentation for a combined staff and Board team that demonstrates the ability to think strategically and communicate effectively about workers’ rights issues.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
If you are seeking to build and transform an exciting legislative, public policy and advocacy program elevating the voice of the largest association of workers’ rights attorneys, NELA and the Institute seek a Director of Advocacy (“DA” or the “Director”) to lead the organizations’ government affairs work. Building on a track record of wins in the fight for workers’ rights, the Director will have the opportunity to plan for and implement programmatic evolution leading to even greater future success.
The National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) empowers workers’ rights attorneys through legal training, promoting a fair judiciary, and advocating for laws and policies that level the playing field for workers. Founded in 1985, we are the country’s largest professional organization exclusively comprised of lawyers who represent employees in cases involving employment discrimination and harassment, wage theft, employee benefits, and other employment-related matters.
The National Institute for Workers’ Rights (the Institute) is NELA’s sister organization. The Institute advances workers’ rights through research, thought leadership, and education for policymakers, advocates, and the public. For more information about the Institute, visit www.niwr.org.
The Director will lead NELA’s lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill, ensuring that key Senators and Representatives, and Legislative Staff have immediate access to the knowledge and expertise of NELA’s member attorneys. The Director will also promote NELA administrative and judicial branch policy priorities.
Working in coalition with workers’ rights organizations and labor, the Director can depend upon the close collaboration of staff colleagues, the support of many volunteer leaders, including NELA’s Vice-President of Public Policy, other Board Members, the Judicial Nominations Committee, U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Working Groups, our Amicus Advisory Council, and other ad hoc committees and task forces that advance workers’ rights initiatives.
The Director can marshal the power of NELA’s state and local Affiliates to promote effective lobbying, and in turn will support the work of Affiliate leaders, members and representatives in implementing state and local advocacy efforts to advance workers’ rights.
The Director of Advocacy reports to the Executive Director. This is a full-time, exempt position, based in NELA’s Washington, DC Office in the AFL-CIO Building near the White House.
Responsibilities
Legislative Lobbying
- In coordination with the Executive Director, Vice President of Public Policy, and Board, develop, direct, and implement NELA’s federal legislative and public policy activities, including determining advocacy priorities, positions, and strategies.
- Develop and implement lobbying activities for NELA’s priority issues, including tracking priority bills and committee activity, crafting and negotiating language for legislation, drafting comments on administrative regulations, promoting key executive and judicial nominations and confirmations, and meeting with key contacts in Congress and the Executive Branch.
- Create and direct opportunities for NELA members to participate in advocacy priorities, including lobby day, action alerts, in-district meetings, patch throughs, and other grass-top and grass-roots activities.
- Support and promote the advocacy activities of NELA’s state and local affiliates.
Regulatory, Judicial, and Public Policy Advocacy
- Establish and promote relationships with key persons in executive and administrative offices, including the White House, U.S. Department of Labor, and U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and support NELA member working groups and judicial nominations processes to effect policy change supporting the expansion and enforcement of workers’ rights.
- Represent NELA in select coalitions to advance NELA’s workers’ rights advocacy initiatives, and develop a network of leaders and advocates in supportive and affiliated organizations in DC.
- Work with NELA’s sister charitable and educational organization, the National Institute for Workers’ Rights, to achieve the organizations’ shared vision.
- Identify priority research and writing projects to provide analysis and critical thinking on avenues for expansion and enforcement of workers’ rights.
Communications & Public Relations
- Publicize NELA’s advocacy initiatives internally and externally, including through our weekly newsletter, monthly legislative report, NELA’s website, and other digital channels.
- Serve as a resource to news media and the public on issues pertaining to workers’ rights and NELA’s legislative priorities, including development of talking points, action alerts, quick quotes, and drafts of substantive portions of press releases.
Administrative Duties
- In coordination with senior leadership, develop annual departmental budgets, operating plans, and workload benchmarks and metrics.
- Recruit and supervise NELA’s Washington, DC-based interns and volunteers, which can include a Peggy Browning Fund Fellow, Law Clerks, or Public Policy Interns.
- Prepare and submit all required lobbying disclosures.
Development
- As needed, support the Development Director in developing and sustaining relationships with donors or funders, develop substantive portions of grant proposals, explore co-funded partnerships with allied organizations, create program-related communications and reports for donors, funders, or other constituencies, and occasional direct fundraising.
Travel
- Occasional travel is required (subject to health and safety considerations) including to NELA’s multi-day summer Annual Convention.
What You Bring
We welcome the opportunity to explore the unique attributes you might bring to NELA. Please do not exclude yourself from applying if you do not have every skill or experience on this list.
- Minimum four years experience in employment law or legislative advocacy on behalf of workers.
- Outstanding legal, research, writing, and analytical skills, law degree preferred.
- Demonstrated passion for and commitment to workers’ rights, access to justice, and increasing equity in employment.
- Superb political, strategic, organizational, and relationship-building skills.
- Demonstrated ability to apply legal thinking to legislative and public policy analysis, and the ability to marshal people and organizations to support change.
- Ability to work independently, while being able to pivot to support the team when needed. Flexibility to adjust priorities in a multi-task environment, and a habit of producing high-caliber work product in a timely manner.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, or equivalent software.
NO PHONE CALLS OR RECRUITERS
Equal Opportunity Employers
The National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) and the National Institute for Workers’ Rights (Institute) are equal-opportunity employers. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture.
NELA and the Institute encourage applications from all persons without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
NELA and the Institute make every effort to ensure that our recruitment and employment practices provide all persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions, and are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities. If you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email jmittman@nelahq.org or call (415) 625-5401. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.