Location: Sacramento (Hybrid – 2 days/week in-office)
Status: Non-Exempt (Hourly), Full-Time (37.5 hours/week)
Starting Wage: $28.72/hour ($56,000 annual equivalent)
Reports to: Director of Legislative Affairs
About Public Advocates
Recently ranked as one of the top two most effective legislative advocacy groups out of over 100 ranked by CalMatters, Public Advocates (PA) has been on the frontlines of social justice movements in California. As a bold and highly regarded nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization that challenges the systemic causes of poverty and racial discrimination, we pride ourselves on our ability to skillfully deploy a multi-pronged approach to create systemic change and make rights real. Using litigation and enforcement, policy advocacy, community partnership and communication strategies, PA achieves tangible legal and policy victories in education, housing and transit justice in ways that help build power with low-income communities of color. To learn more about Public Advocates, please visit publicadvocates.org.
Position Summary
We are seeking motivated and reliable candidates with a “can-do” attitude to apply for the Legislative Coordinator opening. The Legislative Coordinator is primarily responsible for supporting our busy and ambitious state advocacy program staff in our Sacramento office with their engagement in the legislative, agency and budget advocacy processes. This is an opportunity to work with and learn from a strong and experienced team of advocates in the areas of education, housing and transit justice.
Responsibilities
Legislative/Agency/Budget Advocacy Support: 75-80%
- Own the scheduling of all relevant hearing dates and letter submission deadlines on the state advocacy and appropriate staff calendars
- Set up and calendar meetings w/legislators, coalition members, allies
- Assist w/production, submission and distribution of position letters, coalition sign-on letters, fact sheets, floor alerts, information packets, etc.; gather signatures/logos, prepare, format, proofread templates/drafts
- Monitor bills in CapitolTrack, keep attorneys/advocacy staff appropriately informed
- Provide logistical support for advocacy coalition meetings (e.g., scheduling, note-taking)
- Update appropriate staff on amendments or bill status changes as they occur and identify those changes
- Obtain all fact sheets, template position letters, committee analyses,hearing agendas, budget bill summaries and related handouts
- Monitor hearings, provide “me, too” (generic support) testimony, report back on hearing outcomes to attorney/advocacy staff
- Maintain electronic file organization and management of advocacy materials
Other Support: 20-25%
- Provide research, writing and formatting support as needed, including preparing internal and community partner-oriented materials (e.g., slide decks, 1-pagers, infographics, etc.)
- Assist w/organizing team retreats and handling logistics
- Provide other support as needed, including administrative and Sacramento office support
Skills & Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
- At least 2-3 years of experience working in a similar role
- Knowledge of the California legislative and budget processes
- Experience working w/Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Office suite, in particular Outlook, Word (proficiency w/formatting skills is required), Excel, PowerPoint; familiarity w/Google Apps; openness to learning how to use new technology/software
Nice to Have Qualifications, Although Not Required
- A genuine desire to increase the effectiveness and capacity of our advocacy team and advance Public Advocates’ mission by providing high-quality legislative coordination support
- Adaptability and flexibility to changing circumstances or priorities
- Reliability and consistent follow-through
- Excellent organizational skills
- Ability to “manage up” – ask questions upon assignment, consult w/supervisor when prioritizing workload, communicate proactively when potential issues or conflicts arise
- Excellent attention to detail
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities – often w/competing or tight deadlines – quickly, accurately and w/poise
- Responsive and proactive communicator, both orally and in writing
- Ability to exercise good judgment
- High degree of self-motivation and a demonstrated willingness to take initiative
- Experience using CapitolTrack and/or other legislation-tracking systems/software
Qualities uplifted by all Public Advocates staff include integrity, high professional standards, commitment to progressive social change, racial and economic justice, and working successfully with diverse colleagues, clients and community partners. This includes active participation in promoting healthy workplace culture through our organizational diversity and inclusion initiative – an ongoing process of communication, trust-building and learning about our individual and organizational areas for growth. We strive to build a culture of cooperation and mutual support and value flexibility, resilience, optimism, curiosity and a sense of humor.
Compensation & Work Setting
The position is a full-time (37.5 hours/week), non-exempt (i.e., hourly) position. The starting hourly wage is $28.72 ($56,000 annual equivalent).
Benefits include full health, dental and vision insurance for the employee and all eligible family members; generous vacation, 13 paid holidays, 2 floating holidays and additional paid time off between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day; $750 annual professional development budget; $1,000 wellness budget; 403(b) retirement plan; $75 monthly internet/cellular service stipend; paid parental leave; flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care; and paid sabbatical after 7 years. We will also provide a laptop and peripherals to set up your home office.
Public Advocates has adopted a flexible “hybrid” work model based on community COVID-19 levels in SF and Sacramento and requires staff to commute to the office no more than 2 days a week, depending on those levels. We have also adopted a COVID-19 vaccination policy that requires all employees either establish that they have been fully vaccinated or obtain an approved exemption as an accommodation.
Application Instructions
Please submit the following 3 items combined into one document: 1) a cover letter that a) explains your interest in performing this legislative support role at Public Advocates and b) provides descriptive examples of your qualifications for this position; and 2) your resume. Please name this file “Last Name, First Name LC Application”.
Please email your application materials to legcoordinator@publicadvocates.org by the Application Priority Deadline of Friday, September 20, 2024.
Public Advocates reflects the rich diversity of California. Sixty percent of our employees and two-thirds of our Board members are people of color. Four of seven members of our senior leadership team — including our President & CEO — are people of color, and three are women.
Public Advocates seeks to fill this position with someone who shares our values, including our organizational commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We encourage all interested individuals to apply — especially those who identify as Black, Indigenous and people of color; women; people from low-income backgrounds; people with disabilities; people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender or anyone belonging to any other federal or state protected category. Read our Diversity Vision Statement here.
*Applicants requiring an accommodation to complete the application and/or interview process should send an email to spaik@publicadvocates.org for assistance.
