Senior Policy Advocate

The ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties (ACLUF-SDIC) seeks a Senior Policy Advocate.

The ACLUFSDIC is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) civil liberties and civil rights organization. working to advance equality, freedom and justice through public education and litigation. Together with the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, the 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that does our legislative lobbying work, we are prominent force for the protection and expansion of fundamental rights in California’s second-most populous county (San Diego) and the county with the highest per capita Latina/o population (Imperial).

With affiliate offices in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, the ACLU fights tirelessly in courts, in legislatures, and in communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the United States Constitution and U.S. laws to everyone in this country. The work of the ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties and ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties (known collectively as ACLU-SDIC) encompasses the length of California’s border with Mexico. We collaborate with the National ACLU and with ACLU affiliates in California, on the U.S-Mexico border and throughout the United States. We strive to partner with community organizations and groups across the state and throughout the binational border region.

After 15 months of intensive strategic planning for our future – led by the ACLU-SDIC leadership team, ACLU-SDIC is restructuring to become an integrated advocacy organization that operationalizes our theory of change and prioritizes racial and economic justice, liberation and abolition. We are building on the affiliate’s proven track record of success combining impact litigation, lobbying, legal/policy analysis and research, field organizing, donor mobilization, strategic communications and non-partisan voter engagement to achieve meaningful, lasting social change across our region.

The ACLU-SDIC is dedicated to confronting issues that threaten our most cherished civil rights and freedoms and defending the progress the ACLU has made over its 100-year history.  And we are dedicated to working in relationship with people directly impacted by inequity to create a more just and fair society for us all.

Position Summary:

The Senior Policy Advocate will lead policy advocacy to address immigrants’ rights issue. Develop strategy grounded in a racial justice lens to advance policy campaigns, conduct research on policies, and work with an integrative advocacy team to advance campaign goals. This role is for a self-starter that likes to develop and implement strategy and is comfortable with having management responsibilities. 

This position will be supervised by the Advocacy & Legal Director. The position may require travel and work on occasional weekends and evenings, as determined. 

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plan and execute grassroots and policy advocacy campaigns to effect changes at the local and state levels through legislation, changes in government policy and ballot measures, with a focus on immigrants’ rights in San Diego County.
• Develop strategy and support field organizing activities for policy campaigns.
• Develop advocacy materials including fact sheets, toolkits, and letters.
• Establish and cultivate collaborative relationships with community partners, coalitions, stakeholders, and ACLU members, to strengthen collaboration, and to support and engage in the ACLU SDIC and ACLU of CA’s work in this area, as well as other ACLU priority campaigns.
• Build, facilitate and participate in coalitions, and attend and actively participate in community partner meetings and coalitions that focus on Project Area issues.
• Organize, lead and participate in community education events and meetings.
• Serve as a press spokesperson for the ACLU SDIC and as a public speaker on Project issues and related topics.
• Organize and attend lobbying visits with state and local officials and provide testimony to administrative agencies and governing bodies, and develop and cultivate relationships with lawmakers and decision-makers to advance organizing and policy advocacy objectives.
• Provide technical support and strategic leadership to community groups, advocates and organizers in the region.
• Support the ACLU SDIC’s base building, volunteer leadership development, and voter education work, as needed.
• Assist with client communication and intakes.
• Provide logistical support for meetings, both in and out of the office, and policy advocacy efforts, including helping to organize the ACLU’s involvement in coalitions and coordinated policy advocacy efforts.
• Manage and maintain various databases through data entry, generating reports, etc.
• Occasional work evenings and weekends.
• Occasional travel throughout the region and other parts of the state.
• Other duties, as needed and assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A demonstrated commitment to the cause of civil liberties and civil rights, including immigrants’ rights issues.
• At least 8 years of organizing, campaign, and/or advocacy experience.
• Experience implementing a successful grassroots and/or legislative advocacy campaign at the school district, city/county, state and/or federal level.
• Experience planning and facilitating workshops, trainings, meetings, and other community events.
• Experience developing and implementing organizing and/or policy campaigns to make reforms.
• Experience working effectively with coalitions and building coalitions.
• Excellent communication skills: written and verbal.
• Excellent time-management and organizational skills.
• Flexible team player and also comfortable working independently and taking initiative.
• Ability to participate in, create and sustain inclusive and engaging spaces for all races/ethnicities, genders, ages, classes, and geographies.
• Familiarity with communities in San Diego County.
• Bilingual Spanish preferred.

Cultural Competencies:

Demonstrated awareness of one’s own cultural identity, views about differences, and the ability to learn and build on varying cultural and community norms. A complex understanding of racial justice and the urgency of confronting institutional racism and inequity. Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture. Proven track record of working across lines of race, immigration status, ethnicity, language, class, gender and other identities and experiences including record of arrest or conviction.  Courage and impeccable integrity.

Physical Requirements:

While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to exchange accurate information, detect/identify documents and the information contained in them, move between areas in and out of the office to complete their role. The employee may need to move various equipment including computer to their work location.

Travel Requirements: Must be able to travel as needed. 

Compensation:

Salary range: $65,000-$96,000/year

Excellent benefits include four weeks paid vacation; 18 office holidays; medical and dental

insurance for staff members and their families; life and long-term disability insurance; and 401(k)

plan with employer match.

What Now?

Please submit a cover letter explaining your interest in and qualifications for the position as

detailed in this announcement, a current resume, writing sample, and names and contact

information of three professional references (including at least one supervisor).

Electronic applications are preferred. To submit your application, please click here.

However, hard-copy applications can be mailed to:

Deputy Director

ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties

P.O. Box 87131

San Diego, CA 92137-7131

The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, veterans, and people with arrest records and/or convictions.

 

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Last updated on Aug 29, 2023