Advocacy Director, Gender Justice
Location
Minnesota | United States
Job description
Reports To: Executive Director, Megan Peterson
Position Status: Exempt, Salaried; FTE (40 hours/week).
Salary: $114,000/year plus benefits described below.
Office in St. Paul, MN; currently working remotely from home.
This is a Twin Cities-based position.
To Apply: Gender Justice has retained the executive search firm LeaderFit to lead this search. Although applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
Organization :
Gender Justice and Gender Justice Action are nonprofit legal, policy, and political advocacy organizations based in St. Paul, Minnesota, working in Minnesota and North Dakota to advance gender equity through the law. We fight discrimination based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We represent clients directly in state and federal court and before administrative agencies in impact and strategic litigation cases. In addition to pursuing justice through the legal system, we also advocate for policies that expand gender equity and educate the public about their rights and how to fight gender discrimination. We employ grassroots organizing, coalition building, and strategic communications and narrative strategies to create the movement momentum and cultural conditions for gender equity to flourish. We are also the institutional home of the UnRestrict Minnesota coalition and campaign, which works to protect, expand, and destigmatize access to abortion care–and all reproductive healthcare—in Minnesota through public education, advocacy, and the law. This is an exciting time at Gender Justice and Gender Justice Action as we expand geographically to North Dakota, begin our next strategic planning process, and continue building our team. We’re a small but mighty organization with an operating budget of $4 million and a talented and growing staff of 20, looking for the newest member of our ambitious and highly effective team.
Position Summary: The Advocacy Director will provide the vision and direction for our policy and legislative advocacy, movement-building, civic engagement, and political and electoral programming. As a member of the leadership team, the Advocacy Director also works closely in partnership with the Executive Director to provide vision and leadership for the organization overall. The Director will work to advance gender justice through policymaker education, legislative policy development and lobbying, development of strategic partnerships, coalition-building, and administrative advocacy. Priority issue areas include reproductive rights and justice, including abortion access and maternal health, LGBQ rights, transgender rights, women’s rights, and gender-based violence and harassment. The Director oversees the strategy and execution of advocacy, political and organizing programming, as well as manages a team of 4-6+ people and works in close partnership with the Political Director and North Dakota State Director, who each hold significant leadership over their intersecting areas of work. The Director will coach internal staff and external stakeholders, serving as an advocate and organizer and motivating staff and stakeholders to understand their power, realize common goals, and shepherd bold policy agendas to advance gender equity. The Director also serves as a passionate and visible spokesperson and as a prominent leader throughout the organization, at the Capitol, among stakeholders, in the community, and nationally where appropriate.
Responsibilities: - Supervise, manage, and build a thriving advocacy team, including leading the annual work planning process and program and team evaluations.
- Develop policy, issue education, and movement-building strategies and activities that integrate communications, public engagement, funders and donors, and strategic partnerships.
- Collaboratively define and develop the organization’s advocacy goals, agenda, and legislative session priorities based on community needs, current organizational priorities, current and upcoming litigation cases, and external legal and policy landscape.
- With support of the legal team, analyze bills; provide oversight and support for the advocacy and communications teams to prepare Gender Justice comments, identify and support testifiers, draft testimony, fact sheets, or related materials in support of or opposition to proposed legislation.
- Cultivate, grow, and maintain strong, effective, and enduring relationships internally and with policymakers, their staff, career employees in relevant government institutions, and other civic leaders.
- Provide leadership for the UnRestrict MN campaign and coalition, including managing the Campaign Manager.
- Provide partnership and support to the North Dakota State Director in building the ND coalition and campaign to build public support for transgender rights.
- Identify opportunities for policy and narrative change through Gender Justice impact litigation cases.
- Ensure organizational participation in coalitions, task forces, and other groups aligned with Gender Justice’s priorities.
- Establish and maintain relationships with national, local, and regional social, economic, and racial justice partners, LGBTQ, women’s, and civil rights organizations to amplify and enhance the movement for expanding gender equity through, as appropriate, participation in national coalitions.
- Work in close partnership with the Political Director to develop c3 and c4 campaign activities to create the conditions to achieve our electoral, organizing, and policy goals.
- Serve as external spokesperson and expert on Gender Justice’s work and issue areas, including as a contributor to the Gender Justice Brief (our podcast). As appropriate, represent Gender Justice at seminars, conferences, meetings, and presentations to share policy and advocacy agenda, messaging, and legal analysis.
- Support the fundraising and development efforts, including regular activities reporting and contributing to proposal development, meeting with donors, foundation program officers, and others to ensure our advocacy program has needed funding for its programs and initiatives.
Skills, Experiences, and Attributes:
- Courageous, visionary strategist and skilled public communicator who knows how to build and manage a thriving team and coalition and community relationships.
- Demonstrated senior leadership-level capabilities, including facilitating collaboration, goal-setting, team coaching, and coordinating work across teams and departments.
- Proven expertise in statewide legislative advocacy and community organizing landscape, including working and maintaining deep partnerships with local, regional, and statewide advocates, organizing, and coalition-building efforts.
- Significant prior experience in public policy advocacy, lobbying, grassroots organizing, and/or coalition-building.
- Issue expertise in reproductive health, rights, and justice strongly preferred, although some expertise in at least one of our gender-based issue areas will be beneficial.
- Experience developing long-term plans, tracking progress towards goals, and prioritizing and managing multiple projects simultaneously while ensuring deadlines are met.
- Strong communication skills, including the ability to inspire confidence and passion with both internal and external audiences, including movement leaders, government officials, and corporate stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with and quickly gain the support of various constituencies, including coalition partners, staff, legislative representatives, and staff.
- Willingness to take risks and initiative and to think boldly and creatively about strategies to advance gender equity. We seek a strategic thinker who actively connects and places Gender Justice/Action’s policy advocacy program in the broader gender equity movement context.
- Self-motivated, resourceful, creative, and confident with planning, problem-solving, and responding thoughtfully to changing and, at times, uncertain environments.
- Commitment to Gender Justice’s mission and values, which include racial, social, and economic justice.
- A high level of independence, good judgment, and excellent speaking and writing abilities.
- Demonstrated experience working authentically with/in communities of color and LGBTQ communities.
- Demonstrated understanding of intersectionality.
- Sense of humor and a commitment to a diverse, collaborative work environment.
- Ability to travel quarterly regionally and nationally.
Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that members of under-represented groups tend not to apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.
Relocation assistance up to $5,000 for moving costs is available for candidates not located in the Twin Cities.
Employees are eligible for employer-subsidized health and dental insurance, unlimited paid discretionary leave, 3% employer-match to retirement plan, and an annual professional development budget. 12-weeks fully paid parental and medical leave for employees working at least 20 hrs/week after six months. 12-weeks fully paid sabbatical leave after five years.
Gender Justice is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to build a staff reflective of our values of equity and inclusion with regard to race, culture, ethnicity, class, religion, physical ability, age, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation. As an organization working in solidarity with the reproductive justice, economic justice, and racial justice movements, Gender Justice is committed to fostering the leadership of women, people of color, Native and indigenous people, LGBQ and trans people, immigrants, and others living in marginalized communities.
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