Policy Associate

Application Deadline: June 29, 2015

The ACLU of Northern California seeks a determined and resilient Policy Associate who wants to make an impact on advancing voting rights throughout California by confidently taking on a number of policy, advocacy, and programmatic duties. The position is based in our Center for Advocacy and Policy office in Sacramento and will be part of the ACLU of California Voting Rights Project.

The position is a two-year, time-limited position. Continuation of this role within the Voting Rights Project after the two-year period may be possible, but is contingent upon available funding as well as program priorities.

About the organization and department­­

The mission of the ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC) is to be an enduring guardian of justice, fairness, equality, and freedom, working to protect and advance civil liberties for all Californians.

This position is a critical member of the Voting Rights team, which pursues cutting edge advocacy, policy, legislation, and impact litigation in order to protect and promote the voting rights of Californians. The team currently consists of three attorneys and a communications strategist.

The position

The Policy Associate will directly contribute to the Voting Rights Team by leading the project’s county level NVRA Implementation Project, which works to bring voter registration opportunities to low-income communities of color, people with disabilities, and limited English speakers by improving the state’s compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The NVRA is a federal law that requires public assistance agencies and state funded offices serving people with disabilities to offer voter registration to their clients. The Policy Associate will develop and maintain relationships with county elections officials and agencies required to offer voter registration under the NVRA, and advocate for practices to improve voter registration opportunities for historically disenfranchised communities.

Responsibilities include:

Coordinating a multi-county project across California that will develop the infrastructure necessary for increased voter registration opportunities.
Developing relationships with county elections officials and NVRA agencies, and advocating for full and effective implementation of state and federal voting rights laws.
Organizing and leading trainings for NVRA agencies.
Developing and updating training resources.
Contributing to research and policy goals as needed by the Voting Rights Project.
Supporting the Voting Rights Project’s two policy attorneys.
Fulfilling administrative duties including updating spreadsheets and reports, and other tasks, as assigned.

Creating a system of research and documentation for the project and generating quarterly reports in relation to the project.

Qualifications:

The ACLU-NC encourages a diversity of candidates from various backgrounds to apply. Individuals joining the Voting Rights team as a Policy Associate must have an exceptional ability to stay organized and to manage their time effectively, the ability to juggle multiple priorities effectively, and a keen attention to detail.

Additional required skills and qualifications include:

excellent research, oral and written skills;
advanced proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, PowerPoint and other Office programs, including facility with spreadsheets, tables and charts;
experience analyzing data;
a solutions-oriented approach, with a willingness to take initiative, while juggling several priorities;
demonstrated commitment to public interest or social justice work;
willingness to travel and spend multiple days per month in the Bay Area and Central Valley; and,
a valid driver’s license.

Helpful but not required skills and qualifications include:

two to three years of policy or advocacy experience;
administrative experience; and,
proficiency in Spanish.

Compensation

Salary depending on experience. Excellent benefits include four weeks paid vacation in addition to 13 office holidays; medical, vision and dental insurance for staff members, their dependents and spouse/domestic partner; life and long-term disability insurance; and 401(k) plan with employer match. Direct exposure to on-the-ground, cutting-edge voting rights advocacy and policy work.

The ACLU-NC is proud to be an affirmative action employer.

All interested individuals, including people of color, women, persons with disabilities and persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex are particularly urged to apply.

How to apply

If you would like to make your own impact on the ACLU-NC’s mission to protect and advance civil liberties, email your resume, a writing sample, and a cover letter describing your interest in joining the Voting Rights team and what you can uniquely contribute as the team’s newest Policy Assistant. Send materials to the attention of Human Resources at

aclunc-clnc0962@applications.recruiterbox.com.