Legislative Coordinator

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.

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.