Senior Policy Advocate

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

The ACLUF-SDIC 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 a 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 Latine population (Imperial).  

While there are more than 50 ACLU affiliates nationwide, our work covers the length of California’s border with Mexico. We work collaboratively with the National ACLU and with ACLU affiliates in California, on the U.S-Mexico border and throughout the United States. In addition, we value partnerships and collaboration with community organizations and groups across the state and throughout the binational border region. 

The ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties and ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties (known collectively as ACLU-SDIC) have a proven track record of success combining impact litigation, policy advocacy, legislation, research and analysis, public education, strategic communications and community organizing to achieve meaningful social change. We are 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.  

Deciding to apply for any position is an investment of your time and energy. We are providing the detail below to help you decide if exploring this opportunity feels right to you. To learn more about us and have a small peek into our organizational work, please watch the videos linked below. 

Videos: Why we do this work | Hope for the Future  

Position Summary: 

The Senior Policy Advocate will lead policy advocacy to address civil rights and liberties of individuals at the local, state and federal levels, with a focus on addressing immigrants’ rights. In this role, the Senior Policy Advocate will 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. 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Identify opportunities and lead work in the areas of policy and legislative analysis to promote and protect the civil rights and liberties of individuals at the local, state and federal levels, with a focus on addressing immigrants’ rights. 
• Develop strategic legislative and administrative policy options related to immigration issues based on policy research and fact finding. 
• Independently develop novel ideas and approaches to solving problems, in addition to sourcing existing policy ideas and approaches to immigrant rights challenges. 
• Prepare, provide guidance on and/or deliver testimony on pending legislation before elected bodies and public agencies; and draft or provide guidance on testimony to be delivered by affiliate staff before legislative or regulatory bodies at the state and local/municipal levels, in collaboration with Issue Team and partner organizations. 
• Lobby elected officials, their staff, and other public officials to support ACLU positions on pending legislation and policy initiatives on immigrant rights. 
• Support executive and senior leadership in presenting information and advocating policies to internal and external audiences on immigrant rights. 
• Provide policy analysis, strategic planning guidance, and tactical suggestions to affiliate to support local and state efforts. 
• Coordinate and conduct in-depth policy briefings for elected and agency officials to advance affiliate priority goals on immigrant rights. 
• Help coordinate strategy designed to reach campaign goals or other policy/political outcomes across affiliate departments and coalition partners. 
• Collaborate with affiliate and state teams in Immigrant Rights space to ensure effective relationship management, and effective policy advancement strategies. 
• Participate as the affiliate representative in meetings of ad hoc lobbying and policy and/or political coalitions as relevant. 
• In collaboration with the affiliate Communications staff and other key affiliate staff, provide expert commentary to media, participate in media briefings and draft and contribute to op-eds and other publications as relevant. 
• Organize, lead, and work with coalition groups to bolster support for ACLU policy goals or to minimize opposition to those goals. 
• Provide subject matter expertise, advice, and support to fellow colleagues in other departments as they develop and execute local and state campaigns. 
• Demonstrate an ability to be flexible and adjust priorities as necessary in order to adapt to changing external environment. 
• Work with statewide ACLU teams to pursue policy changes to advance the organization’s agenda. 
• Help manage a network of organizational and individual partners in relevant issue areas. 
• Provide expertise to policymakers, the press, and coalition partners. 
• Participate in rapid response efforts. 
• Lead local policy advocacy campaigns. 
• Assist in organizing and execution of coalition and community events. 
• Complete assigned project-related tasks on an as-needed basis. 
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned. 

Our Must Haves: 

• Minimum seven years’ experience. Relevant experience may include advocacy, policy analysis, campaigning, etc. 
• Strong understanding of racial, economic, and gender justice and their intersections, the systems and structures that cause ongoing harm in these areas — and experience working on these issues. 
• Proven track record in developing and leading successful policy advocacy and/or political campaigns. 
• Knowledge of state and local government politics. 
• Ability to explain complex policy principles in simple terms. 
• Strong proficiency with the use of software platforms and high degree of comfort with multiple technology applications, including Microsoft Office Suite, Teams, and Zoom, Asana, and website applications and databases. 
• Demonstrated ability to maintain high-quality interactions and clear and consistent communications with team members and organizational partners.   
• Strong verbal and written communications. Ability to negotiate, compromise and problem solve in coalition settings. 
• Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed. 

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.  

Hybrid Working: 

The ACLUF-SDIC is headquartered in San Diego, California, though employees have hybrid schedules that allow for remote work.  

Travel Requirements: Must be able to travel throughout San Diego and Imperial counties as needed.

Compensation: 

The hiring salary range is: $92,000 - $104,000. Salary will be determined by a variety of factors, including the knowledge, skills, and experience of the individual selected. 

Excellent benefits include four weeks paid vacation; 17 office holidays; 100% medical, vision and dental insurance for staff members and their families; life and long-term disability insurance; gender affirming care, flexible spending accounts, EAP support, and 401(k) plan with employer match and immediate vesting of the 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 as least one supervisor). 

Electronic Applications Preferred. To submit your application, please click here.

However, hard-copy applications can be mailed to: 

Chief Operating Officer 

ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties 

P.O. Box 87131 

San Diego, CA 92138-7131 

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.